The "AC Train" was an experimental 5-car

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 between 2002 and 2006.

Concept

The E993 series "AC Train" ("Advanced Commuter Train") was developed by JR East to test and evaluate a number of new technologies and features for possible use in future commuter train designs. These included features intended to reduce life-cycle costs, improve the interior passenger environment, improve accessibility, and increase environmental friendliness.

Technological features

The train incorporated the following features for evaluation. * Articulated cars with shared

bogie A bogie ( ) (in some senses called a truck in North American English) is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transp ...

s * Direct drive motors (DDM) * Double-skin body construction * Externally slung sliding doors * Advanced Train Information Management System (AIMS)

Formation

The 5-car articulated set was based at Kawagoe Depot on 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 , ...

and formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Kawagoe end, and car 5 at the Shinjuku end. Cars 1 and 2 were built by

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...

in Kobe, and cars 3 to 5 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 ...

in Yokohama. Cars 2 and 4 were each fitted with one single-arm pantograph. Cars 1 and 2 had double-skin aluminium bodies, cars 3 to 5 had stainless steel bodies with double-skin construction used for cars 3 and 5. File:L25 Tc992-1 1200.jpg, KuHa E992-1 File:L25 M992-1 1200.jpg, MoHa E992-1 File:L25 M993-1 1200.jpg, MoHa E993-1 File:L25 T993-1 1200.jpg, SaHa E993-1 File:L25 Tc993-1 1200.jpg, KuHa E993-1

History

The train was delivered to JR East's Kawagoe Depot on 17 January 2002. Test running commenced on the

and

Saikyo Line Saikyo may refer to: *Saikyō Line, a Japanese railway line in the Tokyo metropolitan area *''Saikyō Maru'', a Japanese ship involved in the Battle of the Yalu River (1894) *Western Capital (disambiguation) Western Capital may refer to: China ...

the following month. The train was officially withdrawn on 14 July 2006. No cars are preserved. Features tested on the E993 series, including articulated cars and direct drive motors, were subsequently incorporated in the

E331 series The was an electric multiple unit (EMU) train introduced experimentally from 2007 on commuter services on the Keiyo Line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Only one trainset was built, and it differed significantly from ...

prototype train delivered in 2006.

References

{{JR East EMU Electric multiple units of Japan East Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2002 Articulated passenger trains Gearless electric drive Experimental vehicles Non-passenger multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan Kawasaki multiple units Tokyu Car multiple units