The is an AC/DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit

Electric multiple unit

An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 on order by East Japan Railway Company

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 (JR East) in Japan for use on limited express

Limited express

A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...

 services between in Tokyo and on the Jōban Line

Joban Line

The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...

 from spring 2012.

A total of 160 vehicles are on order, formed as sixteen 10-car sets. These will replace the 651 series

651 series

The is an AC/DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit type operated by East Japan Railway Company in Japan.Trains operate as 7+4-car formations on Super Hitachi limited express services between in Tokyo and via the Jōban Line.-7-car sets:...

 and E653 series

E653 series

The is an AC/DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit operated by East Japan Railway Company in Japan.-Operations:Trains operate on Fresh Hitachi limited express services between in Tokyo and via the Jōban Line as 7-, 7+4-, and 7+7-car formations....

 EMUs currently used on Super Hitachi

Hitachi (Japanese train)

is the general name for limited express train services operated by East Japan Railway Company on the Jōban Line between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture and Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture....

and Fresh Hitachi limited express services on the Jōban Line. The first trains are scheduled to enter service from spring 2012, with the entire fleet in operation by autumn 2012.

Design

The front end design is derived from the earlier Super Hitachi 651 series trains, and the pale pink body colour with red lining is intended to evoke an image of the ume plums for which the area served by the trains is famous.

The end cars and Green cars feature full active suspension

Active suspension

Active or adaptive suspension is an automotive technology that controls the vertical movement of the wheels with an onboard system rather than the movement being determined entirely by the road surface...

 for improved ride quality, and yaw dampers

Yaw damper (railroad)

A yaw damper is a transverse mounted shock absorber used to prevent railcars and locomotives from swaying excessively from side to side. Yaw dampers prevent locomotives and passenger railcars from striking station platforms as they roll past them and reduce the gap that must be left between the...

 are fitted between cars.

Formation

Each unit consists of ten cars, formed as shown below, with six cars motored.

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Designation	Tc'	M1	M2	T1	Ts	M1	M2	M1	M2	Tc
Numbering	KuHa E656	MoHa E657-200	MoHa E656-200	SaHa E657	SaRo E657-200	MoHa E657-100	MoHa E656-100	MoHa E657	MoHa E656	KuHa E657
Weight (t)	36.1	41.4	40.0	31.1	34.1	41.4	40.0	41.4	40.0	34.8
Seating capacity	44	68	64	72	30	66	64	68	64	60

Cars 2, 6, and 8 each have one PS37A single-arm pantograph.

Interior

Internally, Green car (first class) accommodation is in 2+2 abreast configuration with a seat pitch of 1,160 mm. Standard class is arranged 2+2 with a seat pitch of 960 mm, compared to 970 mm for Super Hitachi 651 series trains and 910 mm for Fresh Hitachi E653 series trains.

AC power outlets are provided at each seat, and WiMAX

WiMAX

WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...

 wireless broadband internet access will be available. The trains include wheelchair-accessible toilets and security cameras.

History

In March 2011, the first completed five cars (half a set - cars 1 to 5) were delivered from Kinki Sharyo

Kinki Sharyo

is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

's Osaka factory and moved to Hitachi

Hitachi

Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...

's factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...

. The first 10-car set was then scheduled to be moved from Hitachi's factory to JR East's Katsuta Depot on the Jōban Line in April, but this was postponed until May 2011 due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...

. Test running on the Jōban Line commenced on 27 May 2011.

External links

• JR East press release announcing new trains