A Comparative Study of Energy Consumptions per Passenger between Hitachi Series 1000 EMU and Hitachi Series 2000 EMU for the State Railway of Thailand Northern Red Line

Abstract

This study compares the electrical energy consumption per passenger-kilometer (kWh/pass-km) and per car-kilometer (kWh/car-km) of the Northern Red Line electric train service between Krungthep Apiwat Central Station (KTW) and Rangsit Station (RST), focusing on two train types: the Hitachi Series 1000 (6 car) and the Hitachi Series 2000 (4 car). Energy consumption data were obtained from the SCADA system, while passenger volume data were collected from the OD Matrix of the AFC system during October 2023. The analysis revealed that the Series 1000 consumed more energy per passenger-kilometer (0.2179–0.2411 kWh/pass-km) compared to the Series 2000 (0.1547–0.1749 kWh/pass-km), and also exhibited higher energy consumption per car-kilometer (4.5933 versus 3.3335 kWh/car-km), reflecting differences in energy efficiency between the two train types. The findings have significant implications for railway operations: train selection should be aligned with passenger demand, with Series 2000 offering greater efficiency during low-demand periods; flexible scheduling that deploys Series 2000 during off-peak hours and Series 1000 during peak hours can balance energy efficiency with passenger capacity; long-term energy cost assessments can benefit from the observed differences in energy consumption per passenger-kilometer, particularly in scenarios of route expansion or increased service frequency; and empirical evidence from this study can support future procurement or retrofitting decisions to enhance energy efficiency, especially when expanding the system or increasing fleet size.