I occasionally have an urge to visit "urban local lines". Different from busy trunk lines, local lines help me feel relaxed. I recently visited the Nambu branch line for the first time in eight years. What's new with this urban local line?
To start, let me review the Nambu branch line. It was opened in 1930 by Nambu Railway Company. Its initial mission was freight transportation between the waterfront and inland areas, but the passenger trains also started operation later. Currently, it's operated by JR East. Connecting Shitte station on the Nambu main line and Hamakawasaki terminal, the route is a 4.0-kilometer-long single track. A two-car train, the EMU 205-1000 series, is operated every 40 minutes on average during the daytime. Passengers are mostly commuters and high school students.
When I reached Hamakawasaki terminal, I found an unusual train slowly moving in the railyard. That's the EMU E127 series transferred from the Niigata area. It was the middle of the test run within the railyard. According to JR East, the E127 series will debut on the Nambu branch line on September 13th to replace the deteriorated 205-1000 series. To be honest, it's curious that the train in the countryside was moved to the urban area. But it makes sense, because it would cost much if new cars were introduced. In addition to that, it would take a long time to build new cars due to the worldwide semiconductor shortage.
The EMU E127 series... welcome to the Nambu branch line!
