E531 series

The E531 series (E531系) 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 (80 mph) in service.^[2]

Operations

• Ueno-Tokyo Line (Shinagawa - Ueno})
• Jōban Line (Ueno - Iwaki)
• Mito Line

Trains are formed in 10-car (set numbers K-401 onward) and 5-car (set numbers K-451 onward) sets. 15-car formations are generally run between Ueno and Tsuchiura. 10- and 5-car sets operate singly north of Tsuchiura, and 5-car sets are used on the Mito Line.

Formations

The E531 series sets are formed as shown below with car 1 (11) at the Ueno end. All sets are based at Katsuta Depot.^[3]

10-car sets

Sets K401–423 (23 sets)

Cars 3 and 8 have one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1, 5, and 10 have toilets (universal access in cars 1 and 10). Car 9 is numbered in the SaHa E531-2000 series for sets K412 to 422 (cars originally used as cars 4 and 5 in sets K401 to 421).^[3]

5-car sets

Sets K451–469 (19 sets)

Car 13 has one single-arm pantograph. Car 11 has a toilet (universal access).^[3]

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

The original 10-car sets delivered without bilevel Green cars were formed as follows.^[4]

Sets K401–406

Cars 3 and 8 had one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1 and 10 had toilets (universal access).^[4]

Sets K407–411

Cars 3 and 8 had one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1 and 10 had toilets (universal access).^[4]

Interior

• 

  An ordinary-class car with longitudinal seating

• 

  An ordinary-class car with a mixture of longitudinal and transverse seating

• 

  Lower deck of a bilevel Green car, June 2007

• 

  Upper deck of a bilevel Green car, October 2010

• 

  A toilet

History

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

Pairs of double-deck "Green" (first class) cars were added to the 10-car sets from 6 January 2007, and all 10-car sets included Green cars by the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.

In September 2014, an additional 10-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 in December 2014 by a five-car set, K469, also delivered from J-TREC in Yokohama.^[7]

Build details

The build details for the fleet as of 1 October 2014 are as shown below.^[8]

10-car sets

• Note that many sets incorporate cars (cars 4, 5, 6 and 9) built by manufacturers other than those listed above due to reforming when Green cars were inserted between 2005 and 2006.^[8]

5-car sets

References

Further reading

• 首都圏新系列車両PROFILE [Tokyo Area New-generation Rolling Stock Profile]. Japan: Ikaros Publishing. 15 April 2011. ISBN 978-4-86320-436-2. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to E531 series.

• JR E531 series (Japanese)
• JR East press release announcing new trains in December 2003 (Japanese)

Electric multiple units of East Japan Railway Company DC commuter/suburban 12 101 103 105 107 113 115 123 E127 E129 201 203 205 207 209 211 215 E217 E231 E233 E235 301 E331 EV-E301 DC express/limited express 157 165 167 169 183 185 189 251 253 255 E257 E259 E351 E353 AC/DC commuter/suburban 401 403 415 417 E501 E531 AC/DC express/limited express 451 453 455 457 483 485 489 583 651 E653 E655 E657 AC commuter/suburban 701 715 717 719 E721 AC limited express E751 Non-revenue/experimental 143 145 193 E491 743 901 E991 E993 E995 This list shows all JR East EMUs, both active and withdrawn, including those inherited from JNR. Shinkansen types are omitted.