EMU 221 Series on the Nara Line

EMU JR West 221 series stands at Kyoto station on the Nara line

I have already introduced many kinds of trains, which I found in Kyoto station last year, but there's still some left. I'm going to show you the EMU JR West 221 series today. I came across the 221 series on platform number 10 on the Nara line at Kyoto station. The Nara line was once "the kingdom of the EMU 103 series". Many sets of light green-colored 103 series trains were frequently operated, but it has been gradually replaced by the other models such as the 221 series.

The 221 series was launched in 1989 as JR West's first internally developed model after the break-up and privatization of Japanese National Railways in 1987. 474 units in total were built by Kinki Sharyo, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Hitachi Kasado Factory and the others. One set is composed of eight, six or four cars. The ratio between motorcars and trailers (MT ratio) is one to one. The 221 series has steel bodies. The electric control system is a field added excitation, which is an advanced rheostatic control system using series DC motors.

This model is mainly operated as a rapid train named Yamatoji Rapid. It's convenient for passengers who go to Nara City from Kyoto station on the Tokaido Shinkansen. They can use this luxury train with cozy seats without any extra charge. It's specifically attractive for sightseeing travelers. Needless to say, the competitor of JR West's Yamatoji Rapid is Kintetsu's limited express trains. As a passenger, I welcome two companies' competition.

Side view of the EMU 221 series

The Ocean View Plum Grove on the Keikyu Line

EMU Keikyu 600 series travels on the Keikyu main line

After my visit to a plum grove in the neighborhood, it made me want to go to the other plum grove. In this season, there are many fully blooming plum groves in the Tokyo metropolitan area, so, I couldn't make up my mind which one to choose for visiting next. Eventually, my family chose Taura Ume-no-sato (Taura Plum Village) as our next destination.Taura Plum Village is located about 50 km southwest of Tokyo. From mid-February to mid-March, over 2,000 plum trees in total are fully blooming. Visitors can enjoy the advent of spring in their own way. I enjoyed the fully blooming plum trees backed by the blue sky and the blue ocean. It was very beautiful.

To get to Taura Plum Village, we took the Keikyu main line from Shinagawa terminal in Tokyo and got off at Anjinzuka station. On the way back to the station, I enjoyed taking photographs over a short period of time along the railway track between Anjinzuka and Keikyu-Taura stations. I could shoot a Keikyu train coming out of the number 14 tunnel. My target was the EMU 600 series. The 600 series is a Keikyu commuter train launched in 1994. It has comfortable cross seats in the cabin to provide passengers with good services. 14 sets, 88 cars in total, were built by Tokyu Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The 600 series is directly operated onto the Toei-Asakusa, Keisei, Hokuso and other lines.

I enjoyed an early spring mood on the Keikyu line.

Taura Ume-no-sato (Taura Plum Village)

New Koya on the Nankai Line

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)

EMU Tobu 30000 Series: Update

EMU Tobu 30000 series leaves Morinji-mae station on the Isesaki Line

One and a half months have passed since Japan's Prime Minister Suga declared a state of emergency again in ten prefectures including Tokyo because of new coronavirus infection risks. There is a sign that the situation will improve, but the governor of Tokyo still announces that Tokyoites should refrain from any non-essential and non-urgent outings. It's unfortunate, but OK. I'm going to continue introducing my old photos, which I recently rediscovered on my hard disk.

The EMU 30000 series is one of Tobu's representative commuter trains. It was introduced in 1996. 30 sets, 150 cars in total, were built from 1996 to 2003 by Alna Koki, Tokyu Sharyo and Fuji Heavy Industries. The overall mission of the 30000 series was direct operation between the Tobu-Isesaki, Tokyo Metro-Hanzomon and Tokyu-Den-en-toshi lines. Several new devices, such as an IGBT-VVVF invertor (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor-variable frequency drive) electric control system, a one handle master controller and high intensity discharge front lamps were equipped for the first time on the Tobu trains.

25 years have passed since the 30000 series debuted. Almost all sets of the 30000 series trains have already been transferred to the Tojo line, because a new model, the EMU 50050 series, has been introduced onto the Isesaki line since 2006. As a result, only two sets of the 30000 series are still operated on the Isesaki line. Please take photographs of the 30000 series operated on the Isesaki line before it's too late.

EMU Tobu 30000 series stands at Horikiri station on the Isesaki Line

Nostalgic Commuter Train on the Nara Line

EMU JR West 205 series stands at Kyoto station on the Nara line

When I visited Kyoto City last year, I came across an old commuter train in Kyoto station. It's a nostalgic model, the EMU JR West 205 series on the Nara line. The 205 series is 1,067 millimeter-gauge and 1,500 V DC EMU, which was launched by the Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1985. It has been widely operated on the urban routes in Japan. This model has a stainless steel body and DC motors with a resistor control system. 1,461 units in total were built from 1985 to 1994.

Nearly four decades have passed since the 205 series debuted. JNR was split into seven railways companies such as JR East and JR West in 1987. New companies uniquely have been introducing new trains.

It's time for the 205 series to retire specifically in the JR East area. Many units have already been dismantled. The remaining units have been modified and moved to the local areas and overseas namely Indonesia. On the other hand, the 205 series is still active in the JR West area. For example, 9 sets, 36 units of the 205 series, are operated on the Nara line. It has gabled stainless steel bodies with a light blue colored stripe. As a rail fan, it's exciting to see the old 205 series in the JR West area. Along with the EMU 103 series, the 205 series is the evergreen commuter train in the JR West area. The JR West EMU 205 series... take care yourself. Until next time.

EMU JR West 205 series  arrives at Kyoto terminal