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| EMU JR West 207 series stands at Kyoto station yard |
The 207 series is JR West's first self-developed commuter train launched in 1991. It's a 1,067 millimeter-gauge and 1,500 V DC train in the Kansai area. As you know, Kansai is the second largest metropolitan area in Japan. The population now stands at 19 million. More than 1.2 million people commute into Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and other cities every day. To transport these passengers, 484 cars of the 207 series were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kinki Sharyo and others. JR West first adopted the VVVF inverter (variable-frequency drive) as an electric control system on this model. The front shape looks slightly rounded from the side. It's similar to that of the E233-2000 series operated on the Joban local line in Tokyo.
23 years after its debut, JR West started modification of the 207 series for improvement of safety, energy saving and barrier-free. For instance, the frontal lights were changed to HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps. It's gas-discharge lamps realize high luminosity by means of an electric arc. Needless to say, it's for improvement of safety. The interior lights were also changed to LED lamps for energy saving. The bodies were reinforced for safety against offset and side collisions. Currently, about half of the 207 series are modified ones.
It was fun for me to perceive a small change of train as a trainspotter.
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| Side view of the EMU JR West 207 series |