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E531 series

Japanese electric multiple unit train type From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

E531 series
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The E531 series (Japanese: E531系, Hepburn: E531-kei) is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan.[1] It was introduced by JR East on 9 July 2005 to replace the aging 403 and 415 series EMUs running on the Jōban Line from Ueno Station in Tokyo. The stock is a dual-voltage (1,500 V DC & 20 kV AC) development of the DC-only E231 series suburban EMU design, and can run at speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) in service.[2]

Quick facts In service, Manufacturer ...
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Operations

Trains are formed in 10-car (set numbers K401–K426) and 5-car (set numbers K451–K483, K551–K557) sets. 15-car formations are generally run between Shinagawa and Tsuchiura. 10- and 5-car sets operate singly north of Tsuchiura, and 5-car sets are used on the Mito Line. 5-car cold weather sets (E531-3000 series) are used on the Tōhoku Main Line between Kuroiso and Shin-Shirakawa, to handle the change of electrification from DC to AC just north of Kuroiso.

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Formations

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10-car sets

As of 1 October 2018, 26 ten-car sets (K401–K426) are based at Katsuta Depot and formed with four motored ("M") cars and six non-powered trailer ("T") cars.[3]

More information Car No., Designation ...
  • Cars 3 and 8 each have one single-arm pantograph.[3]
  • Cars 1 and 10 have a wheelchair space.[3]
  • Cars 1, 5, and 10 each have a toilet (universal design in cars 1 and 10).[3]
  • Car 8 is designated as a mildly air-conditioned car.[3]
  • Cars 4 and 5 are bilevel Green Cars.[3]
  • Car 9 in sets K412–K422 are numbered in the -2000 series and have longitudinal seating (these cars were originally cars 4 and 5 in sets K401–K406); in all other sets, they are numbered in the -0 series and have some transverse seating bays.[3]
  • Cars 1, 2, and 10 have some transverse seating bays.[3]

Standard 5-car sets

As of 3 March 2020, 33 five-car sets (K451–K483) are based at Katsuta Depot and formed with two motored ("M") cars and three non-powered trailer ("T") cars.

More information Car No., Designation ...
  • Car 13 has one single-arm pantograph.[3]
  • Cars 11 and 15 have a wheelchair space.[3]
  • Car 11 has a universal design toilet.[3]
  • Car 14 is designated as a mildly air-conditioned car.[3]
  • Cars 13, 14, and 15 have some transverse seating bays.[3]

Cold-weather 5-car sets

Thumb
An E531 series train on the Tōhoku Main Line in October 2017 near Shirasaka

As of 1 October 2018, seven five-car sets (K551–K557) are based at Katsuta Depot and formed with two motored ("M") cars and three non-powered trailer ("T") cars.[3]

More information Car No., Designation ...
  • Car 13 has one single-arm pantograph.[3]
  • Cars 11 and 15 have a wheelchair space.[3]
  • Car 11 has a universal design toilet.[3]
  • Car 14 is designated as a mildly air-conditioned car.[3]
  • Cars 13, 14, and 15 have some transverse seating bays.[3]

Original 10-car sets (July 2005 – March 2007)

The original ten-car sets delivered without bilevel Green cars were formed as follows.[4]

Sets K401–K406

More information Car No., Designation ...

Sets K407–K411

More information Car No., Designation ...
  • Cars 3 and 8 each had one single-arm pantograph.
  • Cars 1 and 10 had a wheelchair space.
  • Cars 1, 5, and 10 each had a toilet (universal design in cars 1 and 10).
  • Car 8 was designated as a mildly air-conditioned car.
  • Cars 1, 2, 9, and 10 had some transverse seating bays.
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Interior

History

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The first E531 series trains entered service on 9 July 2005.[5]

Pairs of double-deck "Green" (first class) cars were added to the ten-car sets from 6 January 2007, and all ten-car sets included Green cars by the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007. Two trailer cars from sets K401–K411 (cars 4 and 5) were repurposed as cars 6 and 9 in sets K412–K422. As there were 12 SaHa E531-2000 cars and 10 SaHa E530-2000 cars being repurposed (the latter type has an air compressor missing from the former type), the SaHa E531-2012 car was modified to become SaHa E530-2022.

In September 2014, an additional ten-car set, K423, was delivered from the J-TREC factory in Yokohama, four years after construction of the original fleet had ceased.[6] This was followed by seven new five-car sets (K469–K475) also delivered from J-TREC in Yokohama from December 2014 to March 2015.[7] Seven cold-weather E531-3000 series sets (K551–K557) were built between October 2015 and March 2017. Later in 2017, three more 10-car sets (K424–K426) and two more five-car sets (K476 and K477) were built. Then, between 2019 and 2020, six more five-car sets (K478–K483) were built.

On 26 March 2021, set K417 was involved in a collision between Tsuchiura and Kandatsu. It collided with a passenger vehicle which caught fire and caused damage to the KuHa E531-17 car (car 10).[8] The damaged car was replaced with car 10 (KuHa E531-9) from set K409, which later received a new-build end car, also numbered KuHa E531-17.[9][10]

Special liveries

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Set K451 in November 2021

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Katsuta Depot, set K451 entered service on 5 November 2021 in a wrapping reminiscent of the livery of the 401 series trains.[11] Set K423 also received this wrapping in March 2023. The two sets are scheduled to carry this livery until the first quarter of 2026.[12]

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References

Further reading

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