As I posted before, Shimonoseki is known as the westernmost city of Honshu Island (the main island), about 1,100 km west of Tokyo. It is very close to Kita-Kyushu City on Kyushu Island across the Kanmon Straits via Kanmon Railway Tunnel, so that Shimonoseki functions as a gateway city to Kyushu Island.
If you visit JR West Shimonoseki Station, you can see not only JR West's rolling stock, but also trains from JR Kyushu lines. For instance, the EMU 415 series is the representative commuter train from Kyushu Island. The 415 series was launched in 1971 by Japanese National Railways (hereafter JNR). It is an AC (alternate current)-DC (direct current) dual electric system train built by Tokyu Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo and so on. Currently, JR Kyushu has a total of 40 sets, 160 units of the 415 series. This model is operated as a DC train on the section between Shimonoseki and Moji stations via Kanmon Railway Tunnel; while it is used as an AC train on the tracks on Kyushu Island.
The outer design of the 415 series is the same as that of the JR West 115 series on the Sanyo Main Line. It is JNR's standard commuter train with a so-called "Tokai-type" face. Tokai is named after the Tokaido Line. As the name suggests, the first Tokai-type train had been operated on the Tokaido Line since 1958.
The EMU JR Kyushu 415 series... it is an inter-island commuter train with a traditional Tokai-type face.
If you visit JR West Shimonoseki Station, you can see not only JR West's rolling stock, but also trains from JR Kyushu lines. For instance, the EMU 415 series is the representative commuter train from Kyushu Island. The 415 series was launched in 1971 by Japanese National Railways (hereafter JNR). It is an AC (alternate current)-DC (direct current) dual electric system train built by Tokyu Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo and so on. Currently, JR Kyushu has a total of 40 sets, 160 units of the 415 series. This model is operated as a DC train on the section between Shimonoseki and Moji stations via Kanmon Railway Tunnel; while it is used as an AC train on the tracks on Kyushu Island.
The outer design of the 415 series is the same as that of the JR West 115 series on the Sanyo Main Line. It is JNR's standard commuter train with a so-called "Tokai-type" face. Tokai is named after the Tokaido Line. As the name suggests, the first Tokai-type train had been operated on the Tokaido Line since 1958.
The EMU JR Kyushu 415 series... it is an inter-island commuter train with a traditional Tokai-type face.
