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]

Sets K551–:^[4]

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

The original 10-car sets delivered without bilevel Green cars were formed as follows.^[5]

Sets K401–406

Cars 3 and 8 had one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1 and 10 had toilets (universal access).^[5]

Sets K407–411

Cars 3 and 8 had one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1 and 10 had toilets (universal access).^[5]

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.^[6]

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.^[7] This was followed in December 2014 by a five-car set, K469, also delivered from J-TREC in Yokohama.^[8]

Build details

The build details for the fleet as of 1 October 2014 are as shown below.^[9]

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.^[9]

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)

Multiple units of East Japan Railway Company
Current / active	Shinkansen       AC EMUs E2 series E3 series E4 series E5 series E6 series E7 series Conventional lines (Narrow- gauge) DC EMUs 107 115 E127 E129 205 209 211 215 E217 E231 E233 E235 185 189 251 253 255 E257 E259 E351 E353 DC BEMU EV-E301 AC/DC EMUs 415 E501 E531 485 583 651 E653 E655 E657 AC EMUs 701 719 E721 E751 DMUs KiHa 40 KiHa 100/110 KiHa E120 KiHa E130 KiHa 141 KiHa 58 Hybrid MUs KiHa E200 HB-E210 HB-E300 Non-revenue AC EMU E926 DC EMUs 143 145 E491 DC BEMU E995
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Retired / withdrawn	Shinkansen       AC EMUs 200 series 400 series E1 series Conventional lines DC EMUs KuMoHa 12 101 103 105 113 123 201 203 207 301 E331 157 165 167 169 183 AC/DC EMUs 401 403 417 451 453 455 457 483 489 AC EMUs 715 717 DMUs KiHa 20 KiHa 35 KiHa 37 KiHa 38 KiHa 45 Non-revenue AC EMUs 925 STAR21 Fastech 360 KuMoYa 740 KuMoYa 743 DC EMUs KuMoYa 90 193 901 E993   AC/DC EMUs KuMoYa 441 443 KuYa 497 E991 DMU KiYa 191 Hybrid MU KiYa E991