 |
| EMU Nankai 31000 series, "New Koya" |
When I visited Koya-san with my family last year, we used the limited express train, "Koya" on the Nankai Koya line. Two kinds of Koya limited express trains are currently operated on the line. One is the EMU 30000 series, which I showed you before. The other is the EMU 31000 series, which I'm going to introduce you today.
Along with the EMU 30000 series, the 31000 series is another flagship train on the Koya line. It was commissioned in 1999 to reinforce tourism to sightseeing spots to Koya-san. To distinguish the 31000 series from the 30000 series, the nickname of the 31000 series is "New Koya". Only one set (four cars) of the 31000 series was built by Tokyu Sharyo. It's composed of four motorcars. Trailers are not connected because a powerful EMU is required to climb a maximum inclination of 50 per mil slope on the section between Hashimoto and Gokurakubashi. The technical specification of the 31000 series is rather old, as it still has a traditional rheostatic electric control system. One of the reasons of this classical technical specification is to save the manufacturing cost. For instance, the electric control devices and the DC motors were diverted from the retired Nankai trains.
The design of the 31000 series is not unique like the 30000 series. It has just a plain face, but the interior of the 31000 series is modernized. For example, it has a wheelchair friendly toilets, wheelchairs' areas and LED displays.
EMU Nankai 2200 series, "Tenku" (left), and the 31000 series, "New Koya" (right)