The is a DC

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 the

private railway A private railway is a railroad run by a private business entity (usually a corporation but not need be), as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector. Japan In Japan, , commonly simply ''private railway'', refers to a public transit railway o ...

operator Fuji Kyuko (Fujikyu) on limited-stop services on the Fujikyuko Line in

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the no ...

, Japan, since 23 April 2016.

Design

The three-car train was converted from the only former

371 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in Japan between 1991 and 2014. Originally used on '' Asagiri'' limited express services in conjunction with Odakyu Electric Railway, from 2012 ...

seven-car EMU operated by

JR Central is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

from 1991 until November 2014. The design of the rebuilt train was overseen by industrial designer

Eiji Mitooka is a Japanese industrial designer, illustrator, and managing director of the industrial design company . He also works as a design consultant for Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). Biography Mitooka graduated from Okayama Technical High Sch ...

Operations

The 8500 series train operates on ''Fujisan View Express'' limited-stop services on the Fujikyuko Line in

, which runs between and .

Formation

The sole three-car set is formed as shown below, with two motored cars and one non-powered trailer car, and car 1 at the Fujisan end. * KuRo 8551 was converted from former KuMoHa 371-1, MoHa 8601 was converted from former MoHa 370-101, and KuMoHa 8501 was converted from former KuMoHa 371-101. * Cars 1 and 3 are each fitted with an FPS33E single-arm pantograph.

Interior

Car 1 has an observation lounge area with 2+1 abreast seating bays and some loose seating. Cars 2 and 3 have rotating unidirectional reclining seating arranged 2+2 abreast with a seat pitch of . Car 2 has a wheelchair-accessible seating area and a universal access toilet. File:Fujikyu-Series8500 Driving-seat.jpg, Inside the cab in November 2021 File:FUJISAN VIEW EXPRESS 4.jpg, The interior of car 1 in June 2016 File:FUJISAN VIEW EXPRESS 2.jpg, The lounge area in car 1 File:Fujikyu-Series8500 Inside-2car.jpg, The interior of car 2 in November 2021 File:Fujikyu-Series8500 Inside-3car.jpg, The interior of car 3 in November 2021 File:Fujikyu-Series8500 Toilet-outside.jpg, Interior near the deck and toilet in November 2021

History

Fuji Kyuko announced in December 2014 that it planned to purchase the 371 series trainset from JR Central, and reform it as a three-car set for use during fiscal 2015. The withdrawn 371 series train was moved from Shizuoka to JR East's Nagano Works for rebuilding work in March 2015. The train entered service on ''Fujisan View Express'' limited-stop services from 23 April 2016.

References

External links

Fujisan View Express
{{Fujikyu trainsets Electric multiple units of Japan Train-related introductions in 2016 Hitachi multiple units Kawasaki multiple units Nippon Sharyo multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan