"Shonan color" of the EMU 115 series in the Niigata area (June, 2014)
Subsequent to my last post, I am going to continue to show you the other color designs of the EMU 115 series in the Niigata area.
"Shonan color" of the 115 series used to be seen in many places in Japan. The Shonan color train has a beautiful two-tone orange and green painted body. Needless to say, Shonan is the zonal area along the Pacific Ocean coast in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a residential area along the Tokaido main line. From the 1960s to 1980s, many "Shonan color" trains were operated on the Tokaido main line and the local lines throughout Japan, but they have been disappearing one after another. Niigata is currently a precious area to see the Shonan color trains.
"Nostalgic Niigata color" of the 115 series is also my favorite color design. It is a two-tone red and yellow. This color design was adopted specifically in the Niigata area, as it is very vivid backed by white snow. Niigata Prefecture is known as a snowy country. Trains with the nostalgic Niigata color was once abolished in 1978 but revived later upon requested by rail fans.
Incidentally, the EMU 115 series has already disappeared from the Chuo, Ryomo and the other lines. Certain sets are still operated in the western part of Japan such as the Hiroshima area, but it has continuously been decreasing. In the Niigata area, 7 sets of the 115 series are still operated having the attention to local people and rail fans.
"Shonan color" of the 115 series used to be seen in many places in Japan. The Shonan color train has a beautiful two-tone orange and green painted body. Needless to say, Shonan is the zonal area along the Pacific Ocean coast in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a residential area along the Tokaido main line. From the 1960s to 1980s, many "Shonan color" trains were operated on the Tokaido main line and the local lines throughout Japan, but they have been disappearing one after another. Niigata is currently a precious area to see the Shonan color trains.
"Nostalgic Niigata color" of the 115 series is also my favorite color design. It is a two-tone red and yellow. This color design was adopted specifically in the Niigata area, as it is very vivid backed by white snow. Niigata Prefecture is known as a snowy country. Trains with the nostalgic Niigata color was once abolished in 1978 but revived later upon requested by rail fans.
Incidentally, the EMU 115 series has already disappeared from the Chuo, Ryomo and the other lines. Certain sets are still operated in the western part of Japan such as the Hiroshima area, but it has continuously been decreasing. In the Niigata area, 7 sets of the 115 series are still operated having the attention to local people and rail fans.
"Nostalgic Niigata color" of the EMU 115 series in the Niigata area (left) (June, 2018)
Official information about color variation of the 115 series in the Niigata area (in Japanese):