The 700 Series EMU: Enoden’s New Train Model

Enoden’s new 700 series EMU (a double-set formation)

Today, I’d like to share a bit about a new train model introduced in the Tokyo metropolitan area: the 700 series EMU operated by Enoshima Electric Railway. This new model entered service on April 19 and will replace the older 1000 series EMU.

First, let me briefly review the background of the company, commonly known as Enoden.

Enoden is a local railway operator serving the cities of Fujisawa and Kamakura, located about 40 km southwest of Tokyo. The company operates the Enoshima Electric Railway Line, often simply called the Enoden Line. The line is 10 km long and connects Fujisawa and Kamakura. It is entirely single-track, with a 1,067 mm gauge and a 600 V DC electrification system. At first glance, it may look like a tramway because the trains are small and a certain section shares space with road traffic. However, it is officially classified as a railway under the Railway Business Act, not the Tramway Act.

Now, let's take a look at the new train model. The photo above shows the 700 series EMU. Each trainset consists of two articulated motorcars, with a total length of 25.44 meters. The bodies are made of stainless steel, and each car has two passenger doors on one side. The traction system uses a VFD with 60 kW induction motors, and the braking system is an electric-command type with regenerative braking. With these features, the 700 series achieves approximately 49% lower energy consumption compared to the older 1000 series.

As a rail fan, I would also like to introduce the interior of the 700 series. Its seating layout is unique, allowing passengers to enjoy views of the ocean. Unfortunately, this has been difficult recently. Enoden trains are extremely crowded with inbound tourists, as the line offers access to many popular destinations, including historical temples, beautiful beaches, and real-life anime locations. I’m very proud that so many international visitors come to experience the Enoden Line, but because of the crowds, it has been nearly impossible to photograph and present the distinctive seating arrangement.

If you have time, please take a look at the related link below, which provides Enoden’s official information on the 700 series EMU (in Japanese).

“Debut” commemorative sticker displayed on the front of the 700 series EMU

Related link:

• Official information from Enoden

The 30th Anniversary of the Toyo Rapid Line

The 30th Anniversary Train: Set 2103 of the Toyo Rapid Railway 2000 series EMU

On April 27th, Toyo Rapid Railway celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Toyo Rapid Line. Today, I’d like to share a few thoughts about this milestone.

Let me start with a brief overview of the line. The Toyo Rapid Line opened in 1996 as a new commuter route in the western part of Chiba Prefecture. It is operated by the Toyo Rapid Railway Company, a joint public–private entity. The line stretches 16.2 kilometers between Toyo-Katsutadai and Nishi-Funabashi and has eight stations in total. The entire route is double-tracked, and trains run on a 1,500 V DC system. Almost all services continue onto the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, and some even extend as far as the JR East Chuo Line.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary, Toyo Rapid Railway has introduced a specially wrapped train—the “30th Anniversary Train,” using Set 2103 of the 2000 series EMU. In the photo above, you can see the special round emblem on the front and the commemorative stickers along the sides. The design is modest, but charming in its own way.

Although the Toyo Rapid Line is a little far from where I live, I often take it to visit a rose garden in spring and autumn. Because of that, the 2000 series EMU always reminds me of those seasonal trips. I have many fond memories connected to this line.

Seeing the anniversary train also brought back older memories. In the photo below, you can see the former Toyo Rapid Railway 1000 series EMU, which I photographed in 2009 when I was living in Jakarta, Indonesia.

As you may know, many Japanese trains were transferred to Indonesia during that period and operated by the local railway company, KRL JABODETABEK. The 1000 series was one of those valuable trains. I used to ride it on weekends to visit suburban areas and enjoy relaxing walks.

I am grateful to the trains of Toyo Rapid Railway—not only in Japan, but also in Indonesia—for the comfort they brought me over the years. Congratulations to Toyo Rapid Railway on its 30th anniversary!

Former Toyo Rapid Railway 1000 series EMU at Jakarta Kota Station, Indonesia

(January 2009)

Related Link:

・Official information on the Toyo Rapid Line from Toyo Rapid Railway

・Official information on the 30th anniversary of the Toyo Rapid Line from Toyo Rapid Railway (Japanese only)

2026 Hydrangea Season on the Keio Inokashira Line

Set 1754 of the Keio 1000 series EMU near Shin-daita Station

The cherry blossom season has come and gone, followed by the roses, and now hydrangea season has arrived in Tokyo.

I jokingly call myself a "honeybee railfan" because I'm always buzzing around in search of flowers and trains. I’m not a native English speaker, but I hope the expression sounds natural. As a train enthusiast, I’d like to share a few scenes where trains and hydrangeas come together in early summer.

This year, I visited Shin-daita and Nishi-eifuku on the Keio Inokashira Line to enjoy the blossoms. As I have mentioned before, I was born in a western suburb of Tokyo along this railway line, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Since 1991, Keio Corporation has been planting hydrangeas on railway embankments to help prevent slope erosion and contribute to environmental conservation. Today, colorful hydrangeas can be seen not only on the embankments but also at many locations along the line during June.

Please take a look at the photo above. Set 1754 of Keio’s 1000 series EMU is passing a bank of hydrangeas in full bloom near Shin-daita Station. This spot is located on a road bridge crossing over the tracks. At first glance, it seemed like an ideal photo location, but there was one challenge—a fine-meshed safety fence. Using a large-aperture lens was virtually impossible.

For a moment, I panicked. Then I pulled out my smartphone and concentrated on timing the shot. I just managed to get it—and I was delighted with the result.

Incidentally, Set 1754 was carrying a special round headmark reading “Takao,” promoting tourism to Mt. Takao on the Keio Line.

Now, please take a look at the photo below. I took it near Nishi-eifuku Station, a location I had wanted to visit for some time. The challenge here was that the hydrangeas are planted on the south side of the tracks, making photography difficult under strong sunlight.

Fortunately, the sky was overcast when I visited, allowing me to capture Set 1783 of the 1000 series EMU passing the hydrangeas at their peak. The flowers were wonderfully vibrant.

As luck would have it, Set 1783 was displaying a special round headmark reading “Ajisai” (Hydrangea). Perfect timing!

I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the combination of full-bloom hydrangeas and trains on the Keio Inokashira Line.

Set 1783 of the Keio 1000 series EMU near Nishi-eifuku Station

Spot the Difference: The Faces of Kotoden's 600 Series

Set 627 of the Kotoden 600 series EMU

Photo: Nicolai Okkels

I'm not a native English speaker, but I suppose that "spot the difference" is roughly equivalent to machigai-sagashi, a popular picture puzzle game in Japanese. Following my post on Tobu’s 50000 series EMUs three years ago, let's try another round of Spot the Difference with Kotoden’s 600 series EMUs.

Before we get started, my thanks go to Nicolai Okkels, who kindly shared the above photograph with me. He traveled around Shikoku last year and took many railway photographs, including those of Kotoden (Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad), a private railway in Kagawa Prefecture.

The above photo shows Set 627 of Kotoden’s 600 series EMUs. This trainset consists of two 15-meter-long motor cars. It was originally introduced on the Nagoya Municipal Subway in 1974. After 25 years in service, two former intermediate cars were converted into cab cars and transferred to Kotoden in 1999.

The photo below shows Set 623 of the same series. I took this photo in 2022. The history of Set 623 is similar to that of Set 627, but there is one important difference. The biggest difference is when the cars were converted into cab cars. Set 627 (top) was modified shortly before its transfer to Kotoden, whereas Set 623 (bottom) underwent the same modification during the mid-1980s while still operating on the Nagoya Municipal Subway.

This difference in modification timing resulted in several visible differences between the two trainsets.

Now, let's take a closer look at the faces of these two trains and see what differences we can find.

First, I noticed that the cross-sectional shapes of the car bodies are different. Set 627 (top) has a more angular roof profile than Set 623 (bottom).

Second, the shapes of the front ends are different. Set 627 has a narrower forehead above the cab windows than Set 623.

Third, the front window frames are made of different materials. Set 627 uses black H-rubber window gaskets, whereas Set 623 has metal window frames.

Fourth, I found that the positions of the windshield-wiper pivots are different. On Set 627, the pivots are mounted farther from the window frames than on Set 623.

Finally, Set 627 has a headmark mounting bracket on the gangway door, whereas Set 623 does not.

Did you spot all the differences?

I'm always happy to be a railway enthusiast who can find enjoyment in such small details. I hope you enjoyed this little exercise as much as I did.

Set 623 of the Kotoden 600 series EMU (December 2022)

Related links:

・Official information on Kotoden’s rolling stock (in Japanese)

Precious Shared Track around Asukayama

Toei 7700 series Unit 7705 climbing the shared track

It may sound sudden, but do you have a place that never fails to spark joy?

For me, Asukayama is that place as a rail fan. Today, I’d like to share a small story about this area.

■ What is Asukayama?

Asukayama—literally “Asuka Mountain”—is a small hill and public park in the northern part of Tokyo. It was opened in 1732 by Yoshimune Tokugawa as a cherry blossom viewing spot for the people of old Edo.

The closest station is Ōji Station, about 17 minutes from Tokyo Station via JR East’s Keihin–Tōhoku Line. You can also access it via the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and the Toei Arakawa Line.

■ Why is Asukayama special for rail fans?

First, two preserved vehicles stand inside the park: Toei tramcar Unit 6080 and former JNR steam locomotive D51 853 (I hope to introduce them properly in a future post).

Second, the well-known train-viewing spot Kitatopia is close by.

And third, a charming free monorail called Ascargot carries visitors up the hillside.

■ The precious shared track on the Arakawa Line

While these attractions are wonderful, there's another feature I’d love to highlight—the shared track section on the Toei Arakawa Line.

Most of the line runs on exclusive tracks, but there is one exception: the 0.5 km stretch between Ōji-ekimae and Asukayama stops.

In the photo above, Unit 7705 of the 7700 series is about to begin its climb up the shared track. Even with its 120 kW output, the incline becomes a challenge when the car is crowded. A small automobile easily passes it. Hang in there, Unit 7705!

In the photo below, after conquering the slope, Unit 9001 of the 9000 series is just about to return to the exclusive track. Bathed in the spring sunlight, it looks almost relieved. Nice work on the hill climb!

Asukayama’s charm truly never ends—including this rare shared track.

Toei 9000 series Unit 9001 running on the shared track