The is a Japanese dual-voltage (1,500 V DC and 20 kV AC 50 Hz)
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 introduced 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) on express services in 1965 and later operated by
East Japan Railway Company
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...
(JR East),
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
Kyushu Railway Company
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
(JR Kyushu).
The last sets operated by JR-West were withdrawn in 2015. However, 2 cars remain in service as the driving car of a mixed 413/455 series set until they resold to the private railway operator in 2021 hence ended their overall service by JR West.
Design
Intended for use in the
Tohoku region, the basic design and appearance was identical to the
475 series dual-voltage (1,500 V DC and 20 kV AC 60 Hz) EMUs introduced around the same time in
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
, and similar to the earlier
453
__NOTOC__
Year 453 ( CDLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Opilio and Vincomalus (or, less frequently, year 1206 ...
and
473 series EMUs.
The first units built were not equipped with air-conditioning, except for the SaRo 455 "Green" (first class) cars.
Variants
* 455-0 series
* 455-200 series
* 455-300 series
* 455-400 series
* 455-500 series
* 455-600 series
* 455-700 series
455-0 series
These were the 455 series cars built from new between 1965 and 1971.
* KuHa 455-1 – 75, driving trailer cars
* KuMoHa 455-1 – 51, driving motor cars
* KuRoHa 455-1, composite driving trailer converted from KuHa 455-44 with three rows of "Green" (first class) seats
* MoHa 454-1 – 51, intermediate motor cars, with pantograph
* SaHa 455-1 – 8, intermediate trailer cars (built for use in
457 series sets)
* SaRo 455-1 – 45, "Green" (first class) trailer cars
* SaHaShi 455-1 – 26, buffet cars
File:KuMoHa 455-37 Sendai 20060729.JPG, JR East KuMoHa 455-37, July 2006
File:MoHa 454-37 Sendai 20060729.JPG, JR East MoHa 454-37, July 2006
File:Saha455-8.jpg, JR-West SaHa 455-8, March 2010
With the reduction in express services and gradual reassignment of 455 series sets to local services, a number of cab cars were subsequently rebuilt from intermediate cars or other EMU types from 1975 to allow shorter sets to be formed.
455-200 series
* KuHa 455-201: Rebuilt in 1975 from SaHaShi 455-18 buffet car
* KuHa 455-202 – 203: Rebuilt in 1979 from
451 series EMU driving cars KuHa 451-26 and 27
455-300 series
* KuHa 455-301 – 320: Rebuilt in 1984 from
165 series EMU KuHa 165 driving cars.
* KuHa 455-321 – 324: Rebuilt 1984-1985 from
169 series
The was an express electric multiple unit (EMU) train type introduced in 1969 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and later operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) until 1996 and by Shinano Railway in Nagano Prefecture until 2013. T ...
EMU KuHa 169-900 driving cars.
455-400 series
* KuHa 455-401: Rebuilt in 1984 from
165 series EMU KuMoHa 165 driving car.
* KuHa 455-402 – 405: Rebuilt 1984-1985 from
169 series
The was an express electric multiple unit (EMU) train type introduced in 1969 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and later operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) until 1996 and by Shinano Railway in Nagano Prefecture until 2013. T ...
EMU KuMoHa 169-900 driving cars.
455-500 series
* KuHa 455-501 – 505: Rebuilt in 1983 from
165 series EMU SaHa 165 intermediate trailer cars.
455-600 series
* KuHa 455-601 – 605: Rebuilt in 1984 from 455 series EMU SaRo 455 intermediate "Green" trailer cars.
* KuHa 455-606 – 611: Rebuilt from
165 series EMU SaRo 165 intermediate "Green" trailer cars.
455-700 series
* KuHa 455-701 – 702: Rebuilt in 1986 and 1987 from 455 series EMU SaHa 455 intermediate trailer cars.
File:KuMoHa 455-202 Sendai 19890322.jpg, JR East KuMoHa 455-202, March 1989
File:KuHa 455-317 Aizu-Wakamatsu 20060722.jpg, JR East KuHa 455-317, July 2006
File:Tc455 405.jpg, JR East KuHa 455-405, April 2007
File:KuHa 455-501 Yatsushiro 20020330.jpg, JR Kyushu KuHa 455-501 in a mixed 475/455 series set, March 2002
File:KuHa455-602 Kagoshima Chuo 20060523.JPG, JR Kyushu KuHa 455-605 in a mixed 475/455 series set, May 2006
File:KuHa 455-701 Toyama 20060410.jpg, JR-West KuHa 455-701 in a mixed 413/455 series set, April 2006
Formations
As of 1 October 2019, JR-West operates 2 KuHa 455-700 cars. These cars are included in mixed 413/455 series three-car sets based at Kanazawa Depot and used on the
Nanao Line
The is a railway line in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the Noto Railway. It runs between Tsubata Station in Tsubata and Anamizu Station in Anamizu.
JR West operates the section between Tsu ...
. They are formed as shown below.
![JRW 413kei B04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/JRW_413kei_B04.jpg)
* The MoHa 412 car is fitted with one PS21 lozenge-type
pantograph
A pantograph (, from their original use for copying writing) is a mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen. If a line dr ...
.
* Set B11 includes 413-100 series cars KuMoHa 413-101 and MoHa 412-101.
Past formations
As of October 1 2013, JR-West operated 16 KuHa 455 cars (including two KuHa 455-700 cars), included in mixed 413/455 and 475/455 series three-car sets based at Kanazawa Depot and used on the
Hokuriku Main Line
The Hokuriku Main Line ( ja, 北陸本線, ) is a 176.6 kilometer railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting the Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with the Naoetsu Station in Joetsu, Niigata. The section betwee ...
. They were formed as shown below.
413 series sets B04 and B11
![JR West 413 Series Train at Toyama Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/JR_West_413_Series_Train_at_Toyama_Station.JPG)
*In March 2013, these sets were reallocated to the Nanao Line.
475 series sets A05 and A26
* The MoHa 474 car is fitted with one PS21 lozenge-type pantograph.
A typical formation for a combined ''Bandai'' (455 series, cars 1 to 6, Ueno - Kitakata) and ''Iwate'' (451/453 series, cars 7 to 13, Ueno - Morioka) service as of March 1972 is shown below.
JR East 3-car sets (S2 to S51) based at Sendai Depot and used in the Tohoku region until their withdrawal in 2008 were formed as shown below.
* The MoHa 454 car was fitted with one PS16 lozenge-type pantograph.
![KuRoHa 455-1 Koriyama 20060816](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/KuRoHa_455-1_Koriyama_20060816.JPG)
One JR East 3-car set, S40, based at Sendai Depot, was modified in 1999 with a KuRoHa 455 car at the north end including three rows of "Green" car (first class) accommodation arranged 2+2 abreast.
* The MoHa 454 car was fitted with one PS16 lozenge-type pantograph.
Key
* KuHa: Standard class driving trailer car
* KuMoHa: Standard class driving motor car
* MoHa: Intermediate motor car
* SaRo: "Green" (first class) trailer car
* SaHaShi: Buffet car
Interior
Designed for use on express services, passenger accommodation consisted of fixed 4-person seating bays.
File:455 interior Kuroiso 20030809.jpg, Interior of a JR East set, August 2003
File:475系クハ455-22車内.JPG, Interior of JR Kyushu KuHa 455-22 included in a 475 series set, July 2006
File:KuHa 455-702 interior 20141004.jpg, The interior of JR-West KuHa 455-702 included in 413 series set B11, October 2014
Liveries
File:JNR455(JR East) at Koriyama 2006 1200size.jpg, A JR East 455 series set in Tohoku livery in December 2006
File:JRKyushu kuha455-605.jpg, A JR Kyushu 455 series car in Kyushu livery in April 2000
File:455 S4 719 Sendai 20020824.jpg, JR East 455 series set S-4 in Senzan Line livery in August 2002
File:JNR455(JR East) Banetsu West Line Akabe at Koriyama 2006 1224size.jpg, A JR East 455 series set in Banetsu West Line livery in December 2006
File:Kuha455-56.jpg, A JR-West 455 series car in "Hokuriku" livery in March 2010
File:JNR 475 JRWEST-A16.jpg, A JR-West 455 series car repainted into original JNR express livery in March 2010
History
![455 Matsushima](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/455_Matsushima.jpg)
The 455 series trains were first introduced from the start of the 1 October 1965 revised timetable, operating on ''Iwate'' and ''Kitakami'' express services between in Tokyo and in the north-east of Japan, and also on ''Matsushima'' services between Ueno and .
From 1 July 1967, 455 series trains were introduced on new ''Bandai'' express services operating on the
Banetsu West Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, and Niitsu Station in Akiha Ward, Niigata, Niigata Prefecture. The name "Banetsu" is taken fro ...
.
From 1 October 1968, with the completion of AC electrification of the route between and Sendai via the
Ou Main Line
OU or Ou or ou may stand for:
Universities United States
* Oakland University in Oakland County, Michigan
* Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama
* Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia
* Ohio University in Athens, Ohio
* Olivet Univers ...
and
Senzan Line
The is a railway line in Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it runs from Sendai Station in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture to Uzen-Chitose Station in Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, acting as a connector between the T ...
, 455 series trains were introduced on ''Zaō'' services operating between Ueno and Yamagata.
From the late 1960s, JNR was beginning to install air-conditioning on its trains, and 455 series cars built from June 1968 were designed to allow air-conditioning to be added easily at a later date. Air-conditioning was subsequently retrofitted between 1969 and 1975.
With the opening of the
Tohoku Shinkansen, the number of express services in the region were cut back from the start of the 15 November 1982 timetable revision, and discontinued by March 1985. JR East 455 series sets were reassigned to local services, and withdrawn by 2008.
Preserved examples
![L25 Mc455-1 1000](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/L25_Mc455-1_1000.jpg)
As of 2012, three 455 series EMU cars are preserved, all at the
Railway Museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives ( steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic e ...
in Saitama Prefecture.
* KuMoHa 455-1 (restored in original JNR express livery)
* KuHa 455-2 (in cream/green livery, used as a rest area)
* MoHa 454-4 (in cream/green livery, used as a rest area)
References
{{JR Kyushu rolling stock
Electric multiple units of Japan
East Japan Railway Company
Kyushu Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
Vehicles introduced in 1965
ja:国鉄457系電車#455系・475系
1500 V DC multiple units of Japan
20 kV AC multiple units