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]
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.
Formations
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]
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.
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]
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
Sets K407–K411
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.
Interior
An ordinary-class car with longitudinal seating in January 2022
An ordinary-class car with a mixture of longitudinal and transverse seating in January 2022
Priority seating in January 2022
The lower deck of bilevel Green car SaRo E531-17 in January 2022
The upper deck of bilevel Green car SaRo E531-17 in January 2022
A toilet in January 2022
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 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
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]
References
^JR全車輌ハンドブック2009 [JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2009]. Japan: Neko Publishing. 2009. ISBN 978-4-7770-0836-0.
^"E531系一般形交直流電車の概要" [E531 series AC/DC EMU outline]. Railway Journal. 39 (465): 102. July 2005.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s JR電車編成表 2019冬 [JR EMU Formations – Winter 2019]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 14 November 2018. ISBN 978-4-330-93218-7.
^JR電車編成表 '07冬号 [JR EMU Formations – Winter 2007]. Japan: JRR. December 2006. p. 47. ISBN 978-4-88283-046-7.
^JR電車編成表 2012夏 [JR EMU Formations – Summer 2012]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. May 2012. p. 44. ISBN 978-4-330-28612-9.
^"常磐線E531系が4年ぶりに新造される" [New E531 series built for first time in 4 years]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 1 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
^E531系K469編成総合車両製作所出場 [E531 series set K469 delivered from J-TREC]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
^"JR常磐線衝突事故 車は直前まで警察の追跡受け逃走中" [JR Jōban Line Collision: car was on the run from police until just before the accident]. 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
^クハE531-17が甲種輸送される [KuHa E531-17 to be delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^E531系K409編成が出場 [E531 series set K409 on test]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2 March 2024. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^"E531系K451編成に「赤電」ふうラッピング". Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
^E531系K423編成，前面が赤電塗装になり出場 [E531 series set K423 with "electric red" livery at front]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 24 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
Further reading
首都圏新系列車両 Profile: 209/E231/E233系グループの全貌 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 (in Japanese)
JR East press release announcing new trains in December 2003 (in Japanese)
