Tuesday 4 August 2020

Rare Train on the Chiba Newtown Railway

9808F of the EMU Chiba Newtown Railway 9800 series travels on the Keikyu line

After introducing the EMU Hokuso 7300 series train in my recent post, I found that I haven't shown you its sister train yet. The introduction of trains in the Tokyo metropolitan area is indeed endless. Today, I am going to show you the EMU Chiba Newtown Railway (hereafter CNR) 9800 series for the first time in my blog.

The CNR 9800 series is a sister train of the Keisei 3700 series, the Hokuso 7300 and 7800 series. These "sister trains" have basically the same technical specifications and body structures. Only one set (9808F) of the 9800 series is operated on the line. It was originally Keisei 3738F of the 3700 series, and leased to CNR in 2017. 9808F has a yellow and a light blue stripe. I'm very happy whenever I come across this rare train on the line, as I like this coloring design.

Incidentally, CNR is a Keisei Group company. It owns a double-track between Komuro and Imba-Nihon-Idai stations (12.5 kilometers) in the Chiba Newtown area. This track was originally constructed and owned by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (present Urban Renaissance Agency), but transferred to Keisei Electric Railway in 2004. CNR currently owns three kinds of train models, namely the EMU 9100 series, the 9200 series and the 9800 series. All trains on the line are operated by adjacent Hokuso Railway Company, and directly operated onto the Keisei, Toei-Asakusa, Keikyu and other lines. It's a bit of a complicated system due to the complicated operating history.

9808F of the EMU Chiba Newtown Railway 9800 series passes through Kojiya station