Final Chapter of the Seibu 4000 Series

Set 4019 of the EMU Seibu 4000 series travels on the Chichibu line

What are the joys of railway travelling? For me, one is "ekiben", which is a lunch box sold at train stations, and another one is passing scenery from train windows. Today, I'm posting about the latter.

The EMU Seibu 4000 series is a standard local train operated on the Chichibu line in the countryside of the metropolitan area. It was commissioned in 1988 for direct operation between the Seibu-Chichibu line and the Chichibu main line of Chichibu Railway. It's still a main fleet on the Chichibu line. Different from the other Seibu commuter trains, which have commonplace long-seats, the 4000 series has comfortable cross-seats and large windows to capture the beautiful outside. I definitely prefer cross-seat trains to long-seat ones. Taking in the view is the great pleasure of railway travelling for me; however, ...

Seibu Railway recently made a press release announcing that approximately 100 units of used trains will be moved from Tokyu Railways and Odakyu Electric Railway in the near future. Among these trains, the Tokyu 9000 series is planned to be introduced onto the Chichibu line. The Tokyu 9000 series is high performance and energy saving cars, but urban commuter trains. Regrettably, its seats are mostly long-seats. It isn’t designed to evoke feeling of travel.

On January 11th, the first retiree of the 4000 series, namely set 4015, disappeared from the commercial line. The remaining 11 sets will also be retired step by step. The final chapter of the 4000 Series has started. Time will quickly pass me by.

Interior of the EMU Seibu 4000 series

Hansha-tetsu: A New Trend of Rail-fans, Part 2

EMU Odakyu 8000 series travels on the Odawara line

Three months have already passed since I introduced you to a new trend of rail-fans namely "hansha-tetsu". Do you still remember this strange Japanese coined word? Let me report my 2nd activity as a "hansha-tetsu" today.

Please look at the top photo. When I took the Odakyu line the other day, I found that a white colored train, the EMU Odakyu 8000 series, was accompanying my train on another track. This urban section is a double-double track, so, I sometimes see accompanying trains; however, something strange at that time. For example, the accompanying train was being operated perfectly at the same speed as my train. More surprisingly, the blue-colored "Odakyu" logo on the accompanying train seemed like a flipped image. To make matters worse, the accompanying train had a dent on the side of the body! It was dangerous! What was happening?

Now you get it, don't you? The gimmick is in the photo below. You can see the reflection image of the train on the windows of the building! "Hansha-tetsu" means a rail-fan who loves reflection images of trains. Incidentally, "hansha-tetsu" might have originated from "mizu-kagami (water mirror)", which is one of the traditional techniques of railway photography. It's a train image reflected on the smooth water surface, such as a quiet lake without ripples or a paddy field before rice planting. Railway photographers love shooting both a real train and a reflected one in the same image. I'll show you an example of mizu-kagami one day.

Gimmick of the top photo

My “Soul Train” on the Jomo Line

Set 717 of the EMU Jomo 700 series (mint green)

Is there any food in particular you crave for once in a while? Yes, I sometimes crave for sushi, and go to a reasonable restaurant. Next question. Do you have any train you crave for riding once in a while as a rail-fan? Yes, I sometimes crave for riding the EMU 700 series on the Jomo line.

Let me review the Jomo line and the EMU 700 series. Jomo Electric Railway is a local company in Gumma Prefecture about 110 kilometers north of Tokyo. This company owns the Jomo line, which connects Chuo-Maebashi and Nishi-Kiryu (25 kilometers). Its track is single and electrified with a 1,500V DC. The EMU Jomo 700 series, which is the former Keio 3000 series, is the flagship train on the line. After retirement from the Inokashira line, 16 cars were transferred to the Jomo line in 1998. They have different colors on the front, namely jewel pink, golden orange, phoenix red, fjord-green, sunlight yellow, pastel blue, mint green (top photo) and royal blue (the photo below).

When I was a child, I often used these trains on the Inokashira line. They were brand spanking new, and shining brilliantly. Even now, I can meet with it at Keio Rail Land (Keio's railway museum) in Tokyo; however, the exhibited car there has not kept its original style. It's a modified car. In contrast, the 700 series on the Jomo line has kept its original style.

The Jomo 700 series (ex-Keio 3000 series) is my "soul train".

Set 712 of the EMU Jomo 700 series (royal blue)

Official information about the trains on the Jomo line (in Japanese):

https://jomorailway.com/train_guide.html

Special-colored Train on the Seaside Line

Set 48 of the EMU Kanazawa Seaside Line 2000 series

Why do I like trains? Because, I like to travel and like the travelling sound of trains. They may be true, but I think that there is one more reason. The answer is the beautiful coloring of the train bodies.

Let's look concretely. Please look at the top photo. Set 48 of the EMU 2000 series is the special-colored train on the Kanazawa Seaside line in Yokohama City. It was introduced onto the line in 2019, when the Seaside line was extended to Kanazawa Hakkei terminal. Different from the other trains on the line, set 48 has blue-colored bodies, on which the seaside wave is designed. The train bodies are solid; meanwhile, the wave design on the bodies has a round shape... well-balanced. In addition, the designs on the front and the side bodies are connected. They totally express sea waves. It's well thought out. Set 48 gracefully runs on the elevated track backed by the marina of Kanazawa-hakkei. It fits the sea of Yokohama City.

Incidentally, Kanazawa Seaside line is a rubber-tired AGT (Automated Guideway Transit) transportation system in the southern part of Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 40 kilometers south of Tokyo. It was opened in 1989 by Yokohama Seaside Line Company. Connecting Shin-Sugita on the JR East Negishi line and Kanazawa-hakkei on the Keikyu main line, its route length is 10.8 kilometers. Its electric system is 750V DC. The ATO (Automatic Train Operation) system is adopted, so, there is no driver and conductor on the train.

Set 48 runs on the elevated track backed by the marina of Kanazawa-hakkei

Quintuplets in Different Colors

Set 105 of Type-C train (EMU 100 series) travels on the Disney Resort line

I'm not a native English speaker, so I often come across unknown English words. The latest example was "quintuplets". It's not a common word, but I would like to remember it using a real example. On New Year's Day, 2024, a green-colored monorail train debuted on the Disney Resort line in Chiba Prefecture. That's the 5th set of Type-C train. As a result, a total of five-colored Type-C trains were eventually commissioned onto the line. They are "quintuplets" in different colors.

The Disney Resort line is a straddle type monorail line. It's a public transport under the Railway Business Act, not an attraction inside the resort. The route is a looped single track running through amusement facilities, official hotels and JR East Maihama station. There are four stations over the total operating length of 5.0 kilometers. The trains run counterclockwise throughout the day. The Type-C train is the latest model, and has been increasing its number. Set 101 has yellow-colored bodies. Set 102 has pink, Set 103 has blue, Set 104 has purple and Set 105 has green-colored bodies. The Disney Resort line is filled with a profusion of colors!

What happens next on the Disney Resort line? It's a pity, but the last survivor of the old model, namely Set 4 of Type-X train, will be retired from the track soon. According to a station attendant on the Disney Resort line, it will be around September this year. The monorail operator will announce it once it's been decided.

Set 104 of Type-C train (EMU 100 series) arrives at Resort Gateway station

New Model on the Tsurumi Line

EMU JR East E131-1000 series travels on the Tsurumi line

Let me continue from where I left off my last post. On December 24th, 2023, JR East launched a new model, "EMU E131-1000 series", on the Tsurumi line.

The E131 is the direct current commuter train for JR East's local lines, which has a history of four years. The first group, namely E131-0 series, debuted in 2020 in the Chiba area. The second group, named E131-500 series, was launched in 2021 on the Sagami line. The third group, named E131-600 series, was launched in 2022 on the Nikko and Utsunomiya lines. The E131-1000 series, which is today's topic, was commissioned onto the Tsurumi line as the fourth group of the E131 series. One set is composed of 3 cars (1.5M1.5T). A total of 8 sets were built by J-TREC Niitsu Factory.

What are the differences between the E131-1000 series and the other groups? Firstly, the coloring design of the train bodies is different. Please observe the photos including my previous posts. The second point is the outside width of the train body. It's 2,778 millimeters, which is narrower than those of the other groups. I don't know the exact reason, but it's said that there are facilities that cause obstacles for wide body trains on the Tsurumi line. One more point is the black-colored "gangway" on the front of the train. Different from the other groups, it's NOT a gangway, just a decoration. I hope that to perceive fine differences between similar trains will be fun for you.

Set T3 of the EMU JR East E131-1000 series arrives at Asano station

Official information about the EMU E131-1000 series by JR East Chiba Branch Office (in Japanese):

https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2023/yokohama/20231101_y01.pdf

The JR East Tsurumi Line: Update

EMU JR East 205 series travels on the Tsurumi line

Do you remember that the used cars were introduced onto the JR East Nambu branch line in the Tokyo Metropolitan area last October? That was the EMU E127 series transferred from the Niigata area. It was curious that the used cars in the countryside were moved to the urban area, but I posted "It makes sense, because it would cost a lot if a new model was introduced" at that time.

Sorry, my point of view was wrong. On November 24th, 2023, a new model, EMU E131-1000 series, was introduced onto the JR East Tsurumi line. The Nambu branch line and the Tsurumi line are similar, because they are both "urban local lines" in the industrial area. Why was the new model only introduced onto the Tsurumi line? The leading hypothesis among rail-fans this time was the difference of the train operation systems. The trains on the Nambu branch line are operated without conductors; meanwhile, conductors should be on board the trains of the Tsurumi line. It looked reasonable this time for sure, but this hypothesis was again incorrect because JR East recently released that the train operation without conductors will also start on the Tsurumi line on March 16th of this year. Umm... difficult.

For your information, I'm showing photos of the present model on the Tsurumi line, namely the EMU 205 series and the same model in Indonesia. I'm going to introduce the new model on the Tsurumi line, named the EMU E131-1000 series, in the next post. To be continued...

EMU ex-JR East 205 series in Indonesia, Photo: Faris Fadhli (May, 2022)

“Magical Dream Shinkansen” Train

Set J69 of the EMU JR East E2-J (E2-1000) series, "Magical Dream Shinkansen"

The domestic travel market is growing in Japan. The number of travelers has recently returned to pre-COVID times. In addition, the weak yen contributes to the increase in inbound tourists. Tokyo Disney Resort is no exception. Many holidaymakers flock to the kingdom of dreams and magic. How could railway companies pass it up?

On December 22nd, 2023, JR East started to operate a special poster train, named "Magical Dream Shinkansen", on their Tohoku Shinkansen. The purpose of this train is to promote tourism to Tokyo Disney Resort from the northern part of Japan. Magical Dream Shinkansen is decorated with Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends on the exterior of the train. They're wearing special costumes to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tokyo Disney Resort. Following the debut of the poster train, JR East started to deal in a special package tour to Tokyo Disney Resort including the Shinkansen ticket and the hotel staying coupon.

The vehicle of Magical Dream Shinkansen is set J69 of the EMU JR East E2-J (E2-1000) series. Set J69 is composed of 10 cars, and was originally built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 2005. The timetable of Magical Dream Shinkansen is officially released on JR East's website after 10pm on the day before operation. Last weekend, I could observe it for the first time in Tokyo station, but many passengers and rail-fans were flocking to the platform... very crowded. It's hugely popular, isn't it? Magical Dream Shinkansen will be operated until March 31st, 2024.

Side view of "Magical Dream Shinkansen"

Official website, "Magical Dream Shinkansen" by JR East (in Japanese):

https://www.jreast.co.jp/magicaldreamshinkansen/

Special Train with JNR Limited Express-colored Bodies

Set K70 of the EMU JR East E653 series, "Yunosato Kusatsu-Shima"

It's mid-winter in Japan. Even if it's mild during the daytime, it gets cold in the morning. The lowest temperature is less than 5 degrees Celsius in Tokyo these days. Japanese people want to go to hot springs in this climate. Needless to say, hot springs are effective for warming the body and relaxing.

In this season, JR East operates a special train, "Yunotabi Kusatsu-Shima (Hot spring tour to Kusatsu and Shima)", between Ueno in Tokyo Metropolis and Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi in Gumma Prefecture. It's of course convenient for tourists, but in addition, very popular among rail-fans. Why? Because, this special train has bodies with nostalgic "JNR limited express colors". JNR, which stands for Japanese National Railways, was once Japan's largest railway operator. It was split into seven railway companies, and privatized as the JR Group in 1987 due to financial difficulties. During the JNR era, plenty of limited express trains had two-toned bodies of red and cream, which was frequently called "JNR limited express color". It fitted into any kind of scenery in Japan from urban business centers to mountain forests. After privatizing, all the JNR's limited express trains were ceded to each JR company. Since then, these trains were gradually scrapped or modified, and lost the original color designs, but many rail-fans are still boisterous about this coloring.

The JNR limited express-colored train of yesteryear is back using set K70 of the EMU JR East E653 series. Let's go to hot springs riding the special train, "Yunotabi Kusatsu-Shima"!

Set K70 of the EMU JR East E653 series passes through Okegawa station

Shinkansen Train Slipping through the Concrete Jungle

Set X55 of the EMU JR Central N700A series comes out from Yatsuyama tunnel

Happy New Year! The year 2024 has begun. At the opening of the New Year, I'm going to show you pictures of the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks and trains.

"Shinkansen" is the bullet train that represents Japanese railways. The first Shinkansen, namely Tokaido Shinkansen, was inaugurated between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in 1964, just before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Since then, the Shinkansen route has been extended step by step. Its total network length is currently 3,000 kilometers. There are one million passengers per day.

What do we need to speed up trains? Needless to say, to improve the vehicles' performance is essential. Shinkansen trains have realized it. More importantly, the track should be as straight as possible; however, it's not easy specifically in urban areas. The top photo shows a Shinkansen train, EMU JR Central N700A series, coming out from Yatsuyama tunnel near Shinagawa station. This tunnel was constructed under two highways and the Keikyu line. The exit of the tunnel is located in the first residential area just south of the downtown. The straight track was just barely secured. On the other hand, the photo below is an S-shaped curved track between Tokyo and Shinagawa stations. You can see a Shinkansen train slipping through the concrete jungle. One set of the Tokaido Shinkansen train is 404.7 meters-long, which is the longest passenger train in Japan. Because of its track geometry, the maximum speed of the Shinkansen train is limited to only 100 kilometers per hour in this area.

EMU JR Central N700A series slips through the concrete jungle