Saturday 19 October 2019

2019 Sakura Season in Saitama : Part 2

EMU TWR 70-000 series arrives at Musashi-Urawa station on the JR East Saikyo line

It is already mid-October, but I found that several photos taken in spring have yet to be introduced.

In the sakura (cherry) blossom season this year, I visited many viewing spots as a sakura freak. My favorite spot was Cherry Promenade in Saitama City, as it was so beautiful. It is a 20 kilometer-long road with numerous sakura trees. Specifically, I like a footpath along Minumadai Irrigation Canal. When I visited there, it was fine weather and all the cherry trees were in full bloom.

On the way back home, I enjoyed taking train photos for a while at Musashi-Urawa station on the JR East Musashino line. My target was the EMU 70-000 series, which was directly operated from the Rinkai line of Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (TWR). The 70-000 series is a commuter train launched in 1996. Its technical specification is the same as that of the JR East 209 series. A total of 86 units were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. 8 sets, 80 units are still operated on the line; meanwhile, the remaining 6 units were transferred to the JR East Hachiko line in 2005 under the name of EMU 209-3100 series.

On May 11th, TWR announced their medium-term management plan, in which a new train model will be launched in the Fiscal Year 2022. At this moment, no other information was provided by TWR, but please hurry up and take their photos before it is too late! I think that the 70-000 series has not long to live.

Cherry Promenade in Saitama City

Official information,Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (TWR):
Official promotion movie, Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (TWR):