The is an

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 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 on '' Saphir Odoriko'' limited express services between

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and Izukyū-Shimoda. It was designed to replace the older 251 series trains that were used on ''Super View Odoriko'' limited express services from April 28, 1990, until March 13, 2020.

History

The trains are designed by

Ken Okuyama Design Ken Okuyama (born 1959) is a Japanese industrial designer. He is the owner of the Ken Okuyama Design company. Okuyama formerly worked for Pininfarina, designing and supervising projects such as the Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari P4/5. His given name is ...

, with exterior painted with ''sapphire blue'' to match with the blue sky of the

Izu Peninsula The is a large mountainous peninsula with a deeply indented coastline to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshu, Japan. Formerly known as Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture. The peninsul ...

. Two eight car sets were manufactured, 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 ...

' Hyogo factory (cars 1 to 3) and

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...

's (cars 4 to 8). Set RS1 operated a trial run on November 21, 2019, and the trains entered service on March 14, 2020, the day after the 251 series ''Super View Odoriko'' sets were retired.

Technical specifications

The car bodies are made of aluminum, and the trains use

three phase Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3φ) is a common type of alternating current used in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system employing three wires (or four including an optional neutral r ...

motors and

VVVF A variable-frequency drive (VFD) is a type of motor drive used in electro-mechanical drive systems to control AC motor speed and torque by varying motor input frequency and, depending on Topology (electrical circuits), topology, to control asso ...

inverters. Each car has one door per side; cars 3, 5, and 7 are fitted with pantographs, with the one on car 5 being for emergency use.

Formation

The trains are formed as eight-car sets, with five motored and three trailer cars. Car 1 faces towards Izukyū-Shimoda and car 8 towards Tokyo.

Interior

Premium Green Car (Car 1)

Car 1 is designated as a "premium green car" with a 1+1 private seating layout. The fully power-reclining seats, made of leather and equipped with leg rest and luggage space under each seat, can be swiveled towards the window side for the view of Izu's seaside.

Green car private compartments (Cars 2 and 3)

Cars 2 to 3 are designated as " green cars" with private compartment seating for groups of 4 to 6 people, and are priced higher than the "premium green car". Seats are arranged in transverse seating for the 4 person compartments and individual seatings for the 6 person compartments. All private compartments have the electrical power outlets.

Cafeteria (Car 4)

Car 4 is designated as the cafeteria, with an open-style kitchen, counter seats, and table seats.

Green car (Cars 5 to 8)

Cars 5 to 8 are designated as regular "green cars"; passenger accommodation consists of 2+1 seating throughout. Each seat are equipped with power outlets and can be reclined. Two single seats on car 5 are equipped with belts for wheelchairs.

Features

All cars, except cars 2 to 4, have a luggage area at the end sections and overhead, and restrooms are available in cars 2, 3, and 7, with multi-accessible toilet located at car 5. All seats except private compartments are equipped with personal reading lights, and all cars feature WiFi connection. File:Saphir odoriko E261 premium green car.jpg, Premium green car File:Saphir odoriko E261 6 person Compartment.jpg, Green car compartments File:Saphir odoriko E261 cafeteria.jpg, Cafeteria File:Saphir odoriko E261 green car.jpg, Green car File:Saphir odoriko E261 cafeteria ramen.jpg,

Ramen is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...

noodles and

onigiri , also known as , , or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in ''nori''. Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (''umeboshi''), salted salmon, katsuobu ...

served in the cafeteria

References

External links

JR East press release
{{JR East EMU Electric multiple units of Japan East Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2020 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan Kawasaki multiple units Hitachi multiple units