The trains were DC electric commuter trains operated 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 served as the basis for the

101 series 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

. The 72 series included the main production batch of 490 vehicles as well as 667 former

63 series 63 may refer to: * 63 (number) * one of the years 63 BC, AD 63, 1963, 2063 * +63, telephone country code in the Philippines * Flight 63 (disambiguation) * ''63'' (album), by Tree63 * ''63'' (mixtape), by Kool A.D. * "Sixty Three", a song by Karm ...

cars converted into 72 series between 1953 and 1955. The last remaining trains were withdrawn in 1985, although some cars which were converted into

mail coaches A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...

and experimental vehicles continued to remain in service until 1996. Most 72 series trains were converted to four-car 72-970 series trains, with the body based on the 103 series with the raised cab. The 72-970 series remained in service until 1985 when they were converted to 103-3000 series for the

Kawagoe Line The Kawagoe Line ( ja, 川越線, ) is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawagoe, and Hidaka in Saitama Prefecture. The main transfer stations on the line are , ...

Variants

* 72 series - introduced in 1954, produced from 1952 to 1958 * 72-970 series - later converted to 103-3000 series * Kumoha 73 - cab car (about 330 vehicles built) File:JNR kuha79 syanai.jpg, Interior view of Kuha 79446 File:103-3000 52 Haijima 20010801.jpg, Kawagoe Line 103-3000 series set 52 stabled at Haijima Station File:JNR kumoha73061 hiroshima.jpg, Kumoha 73061

Operations

72 series trains were in service on the

Ome Line Ome may refer to: Places * Ome (Bora Bora), a public island in the lagoon of Bora Bora * Ome, Lombardy, Italy, a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Brescia * Ōme, Tokyo, a city in the Prefecture of Tokyo * Ome (crater), a crater on Mars Tran ...

from 1961 until 1978, and on the

Kabe Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) within the city of Hiroshima in Japan. It connects Hiroshima Station and Aki-Kameyama Station in Asakita-ku, Hiroshima, Asakita-ku. The actual junction station is Yokogawa S ...

from 1976 until 1984. trains were in service on the Ome Line,

Nambu Line The Nambu Line ( ja, 南武線,) is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and ...

Yokohama Line The Yokohama Line ( ja, 横浜線, ) is a Japanese railway line of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) connecting Higashi-Kanagawa Station in Yokohama, Kanagawa and Hachiōji Station in Hachiōji, Tokyo. The line forms part of what JR Ea ...

, and

Tsurumi Line The Tsurumi Line ( ja, 鶴見線,) is a group of 3 railway lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Originally built to service the port and adjacent industrial area, the lines provide passenger serv ...

Preserved examples

* KuMoHa 73383: Privately preserved in Saeki,

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

. Restored in October 2013, awaiting move to Yanahara Fureai Mine Park. * KuMoYa 90005: Stored at JR Central Hamamatsu Depot. * KuMoYa 90801 (partial): Preserved at the JR East

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. * KuMoNi 83006: Used at the Toshiba factory in Fuchu, Tokyo. File:JNR-72EC-Hiroshima.jpg, KuMoHa 73383 in Saeki, Hiroshima, June 2004 File:KuMoNi83006 RTRI 20011013.jpg, KuMoNi 83006 at the

RTRI , or , is the technical research company under the Japan Railways group of companies. Overview RTRI was established in its current form in 1986 just before Japanese National Railways (JNR) was privatised and split into separate JR group compani ...

facility in Kokubunji, Tokyo, October 2001 File:KuMoYa90005 Hamamatsu Works Open Day 20010804.jpg, KuMoYa 90005 at JR Central Hamamatsu Works, August 2001

References

{{JNR EMU Train-related introductions in 1954 Electric multiple units of Japan Kawasaki multiple units Hitachi multiple units Kinki Sharyo multiple units Nippon Sharyo multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan Tokyu Car multiple units Kisha Seizo multiple units Teikoku Sharyo rolling stock