The is a DC

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 numbe ...

(EMU) train type developed by

Japanese National Railways The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...

(JNR) and now operated by

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

(JR-West), and the

Shinano Railway The is a Japanese third-sector railway operating company established in 1996 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR East Shinetsu Main Line within Nagano Prefecture when it is separated from the JR East network in Octobe ...

Operations

JR East

JR East operated their last 115 series train on 11 March 2022. 115 series trains were previously used on the Shōnan-Shinjuku Line,

Takasaki Line The Takasaki Line ( ja, 高崎線, ) is a Japanese railway line which connects Ōmiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture and Takasaki Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) ...

Utsunomiya Line The Utsunomiya Line ( ja, 宇都宮線, ) is the name given to a 163.5 kilometer section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Tokyo Station in Tokyo and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan. It is part of the East Japan Railway Compan ...

, Chuo Main Line(East Line), Shinonoi Line, Oito Line,

Agatsuma Line Agatsuma may refer to: *, Japanese shamisen player *Agatsuma District, Gunma, a district in Gunma Prefecture, Japan *Agatsuma, Gunma, a town in Gunma Prefecture, Japan *Agatsuma River, a river in Japan *Agatsuma Entertainment, a Japanese toy/video ...

, Ryomo Line, Joetsu Line,

Shinetsu Main Line The Shinetsu Main Line ( ja, 信越本線, ) is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was originally one continuous line connecting and via . S ...

Yahiko Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) which connects Yahiko Station in the village of Yahiko and Higashi-Sanjō Station in the city of Sanjo, both in Niigata Prefecture. The line shares its name wit ...

, and the

Echigo Line The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) which connects the cities of Kashiwazaki and Niigata in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The line's name is taken from the name of the ancient Echigo Province, which correspond ...

JR-West

Currently used on the

Hakubi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end of Okayama Prefecture at Kurashiki Station in Kurashiki, passing through Niimi Station o ...

Maizuru Line The is a railway line in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It connects Ayabe and Higashi-Maizuru, the line beyond there being called the Obama Line connecting to Tsuruga. Stations *Local trains sto ...

Sagano Line The is the popular name for a portion of the Sanin Main Line in the suburbs of Kyoto, Japan. The electrified and double-tracked railway is a commuter rail line in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway ...

Sanin Main Line The is a railway line in western Japan, which connects Kyoto and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is the major railway line of the San'in region, approximately paralleling the Japan Sea, crossing Kyot ...

and the

Sanyō Main Line , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the Fortune Global 500, ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka, Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiari ...

JR Central

Formerly used on the

Minobu Line The is a railway line in the Tōkai region of Japan operated by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It connects Fuji Station in Fuji, Shizuoka to Kōfu Station in Kōfu, Yamanashi, and the Tōkaidō Main Line with the Chūō Main ...

Gotemba Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It connects Kōzu Station in Odawara to Numazu via Gotemba. The '' Mt. Fuji'' limited express service runs between Tokyo's Shinjuku Station and Gotemb ...

and the

Tōkaidō Main Line The is a major Japanese railway line of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) network, connecting and stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen largely parallel ...

. Sets owned by JR East currently operate on the JR Central

Iida Line The is a Japanese railway line connecting Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi, Aichi with Tatsuno Station in Tatsuno, Nagano, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The line links eastern Aichi Prefecture and southern Nagano Prefe ...

and

Chūō Main Line The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It connects Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faste ...

(West Line).

Shinano Railway

Currently used on the

Shinano Railway Line The is a 65.1 km railway line operated by the third-sector railway operating company Shinano Railway in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It connects Karuizawa Station in Karuizawa with Shinonoi Station in Nagano. Overview Before October 19 ...

. Start of retirement in July 2020 with the debut of the new SR1 series on 4 July 2020.

Variants

115-0 series

This is a cold-weather and

mountainous A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

line version of the earlier 113 series. The first examples were introduced from 1963 on the

out of . File:JNR kuha115-1.jpg, 115-0 series in 1989

115-300 series

Air-conditioned version introduced from 1973. File:JR East 115-Suka-color.jpg, 115-300 series in 2008 January File:JRE 115kei 300bandai interior.JPG, Interior view in November 2014

115-1000 series

Introduced from 1978 with increased seat pitch and improved cold-weather performance. File:Series115-1000 T1040.jpg, 115-1000 series in January 2017 File:Kuha115-1014 Inside.jpg, Interior view in October 2021 File:Kuha115-1014 Priority-seat.jpg, Priority seating in October 2021

115-2000 series

Hiroshima, Shimonoseki and Shizuoka area version introduced in 1978. Specifications based on 115-1000 series. File:JNR 115 Hiroshima L-14.jpg, 115-2000 series in March 2009

115-3000 series

Two-door version introduced from November 1982 to replace 153 series EMUs on "Rapid" services in the Shimonoseki area. File:JNR kuha115-3101.jpg, 115-3000 series File:Moha115-3020 Inside.jpg, Interior view in December 2021 File:Moha115-3020 Priority-seat.jpg, Priority seating in December 2021

115-3500 series

Former

117 series The is a Japanese suburban 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 electri ...

MoHa 117 and MoHa 116 two-door cars converted from May 1992 for use in the Okayama and Hiroshima areas. File:0903120517 JRW M115-3500 side.jpg, Moha115-3500 in March 2009

115-6000 series

JR-West 2-car sets converted in 1999 by building new cabs at one end of former MoHa (non-driving motor) cars. File:WestJapanRailwayCompanyType115-6000.jpg, 115-6000 series in August 2006

Livery variations

File:Shinano-Series115-1000-S3.jpg, Shōnan livery in April 2022 File:Shinano-Series115-S16-S26.jpg, "Suka" livery in November 2018 File:L25 Tc115-2127 680.jpg, Minobu Line livery in November 1983 File:Shinano-Series115-S7.jpg, Original Nagano livery June 2018 File:JR East 115-Sinshu-color.jpg, New Nagano livery in January 2008 File:JRE-EC115-1000.jpg, Coca-Cola livery File:JRE-EC115-1000-Niigata.jpg, First Niigata livery in 1989 File:115-niigata-2nd-color.JPG, Second Niigata livery in February 2007 File:JRE-115-nigata.JPG, New Niigata livery in February 2007 File:JRE 115 N-33 Nagaoka Station 20201031.jpg, First Yahiko Line livery in October 2020 File:Kumoha115 501.jpg, Second Yahiko Line livery in March 2015 File:Hiroseki C-18 08-0.jpg, Setouchi livery in June 2008 File:Hiroshima New Rapid Collar.JPG, Hiroshima Rapid livery in August 2008 File:JRW_EC_115_series_D28.jpg, Kansai refurbished livery (115-1600 series) in May 2007 File:JRW Series115 T11.jpg, Hiroshima refurbished livery (115-1000 series) in August 2009 File:JRW115Series SekiG-02.JPG, Setouchi area livery (115-600 series) in October 2010 File:Futi115.jpg, (Old) Fukuchiyama Line livery File:JRW 115kei C43 hensei.jpg, New Fukuchiyama Line livery File:Shinano-Series115-S24.jpg, Shinano Railway livery in March 2018

Special liveries

In January 2017, Niigata-based set N3 was repainted into the original "Niigata Livery" of red and yellow formerly carried by JNR 70 series EMU trains. File:Series-115-1000-N40.jpg, Original "Niigata Livery" in January 2021 In April 2017, Shinano Railway three-car set S7 was repainted into the original Nagano livery of cream and green as part of the Shinshu area promotional campaign to be held from July to September 2017. In September 2017, Niigata-based set N37 was repainted in the first "Niigata area" livery.

Withdrawal

Withdrawals first begun in 1985 following the introduction of 211 series. The 115 series were gradually phased out on some services. The first units were scrapped in 1987.

Preserved examples

Former JR East end car KuMoHa 115 1061 is scheduled to be displayed at the Niigata City Niitsu Railway Museum in

Niitsu, Niigata was a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The city itself was founded on January 1, 1951, but the area had already been opened to railway traffic as early as November 20, 1897. As of 2003, the city had an estimated population of 66,058 and ...

between July and September 2017.

References

External links

JR East 115 series
{{JR-West rolling stock Electric multiple units of Japan Train-related introductions in 1963 East Japan Railway Company West Japan Railway Company Shinano Railway Line 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan