The is an AC/ DC dual-voltage

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 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) in Japan. The single 5-car trainset is used as a luxury charter train called , and also as the

Imperial train A royal train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the monarch or other members of a royal family. Most monarchies with a railway system employ a set of royal carriages. Australia The various government railway operators of A ...

by inserting a dedicated Imperial carriage.

Formation

The trainset is normally formed as a five-car set, as shown below. # KuRo E655-101 (Tsc') (with diesel generator) # MoRo E655-101 (M1s) (with 2 pantographs) # MoRo E654-101 (M2s) # MoRo E655-201 (M1s) (with 2 pantographs) # KuMoRo E654-101 (M2sc) The Imperial carriage, classified "TR" and numbered E655-1, is inserted between cars 3 and 4 for Imperial Train duties. Cars 1 to 3 were built by

Tokyu Car Corporation Tokyu may refer to: * Tokyu Group, a group of companies centered on Tokyu Corporation ** Tokyu Corporation, a Japanese railway company, the largest member and parent company of the group ** Tokyu Car Corporation, a former Japanese railway vehicle m ...

, and the other three cars were built by

Hitachi Ltd. () is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo Gr ...

The E655 series unit can be hauled by a diesel locomotive on non-electrified lines, in which case power for air conditioning and lighting is supplied by the diesel generator in car 1.

Interior

Seating in cars 1 to 5 is in 2+1 configuration. The nine seats in car 3 are leather-covered.

"TR" car E655-1

The special "TR" imperial train car can also operate sandwiched within other EMU trainsets, and has been test run in an E257 series set (December 2008),

E653 series The is an AC/ DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan on limited express services since 1997. Originally used on Joban Line ''Fresh Hitachi'' limited express services ...

set (April 2009), and

E657 series The is an AC/DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan on limited express services between in Tokyo and on the Joban Line since March 2012. The trains replaced the 6 ...

set (September 2011). File:JRE-E655-E655-1.jpg, "TR" car E655-1 on a test run, September 2010 File:JR East E657-E655-1 20110928 osaki.jpg, "TR" car E655-1 on a test run sandwiched in E657 series set K-1, September 2011

History

JR East announced in June 2004 its plans to build a new VIP train which would also replace the former locomotive-hauled imperial train. The E655 series trainset was delivered in July 2007, and unveiled to the media at

Ueno Station is a major railway station in Tokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park—which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo University of the Arts and other fam ...

in Tokyo on 24 July 2007, before undergoing test running on various lines in the

Kanto Region Kantō (Japanese) Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region *Kantō-kai, organized crime group *Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ' ...

. The first revenue-earning service operated by the train was on 23 November 2007, when it was used for a charter service for JR East's "Otona no Kyujitsu Club" between Ueno and

Kōriyama is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 322,996 people in 141760 households, and a population density of 430 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Kōriyama is designated as a core city and ...

. On 13 December 2007, JR East announced that the train would be called ''Nagomi''.JR East press release
"Ｅ６５５系ハイグレード車両の列車愛称決定並びに商品企画について" (13 December 2007)
Retrieved on 8 July 2009. The first Imperial Train working was on 12 November 2008, when the train was used to convey the Japanese Imperial couple and the Spanish Royal couple between Ueno and

Tsuchiura is a Cities of Japan, city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 138,033 in 60,069 households and a population density of 1123 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.7%. Th ...

Imperial train workings

JR East E655 imperial train 20121006 Musashisakai

The E655 series set has been used on the following imperial train workings.

References

External links

JR East E655 series ''Nagomi''

(Japan Railfan Magazine Online) {{DEFAULTSORT:E655 Series Electric multiple units of Japan East Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2007 Hitachi multiple units Rail transport of heads of state Tokyu Car multiple units 20 kV AC multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan