The is a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMU) 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) on

Senseki-Tōhoku Line The is a railway line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, opened by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on 30 May 2015. It connects Sendai Station in Sendai with Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, using existing Tōhoku Main Line tracks between S ...

services in the Sendai area since 30 May 2015.

Design

Concept

The HB-E210 series trains were developed from the earlier

KiHa E200 The is a single-car hybrid diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Koumi Line in Japan. Three cars were delivered in April 2007, entering revenue service from 31 July 2007. The body design ...

type operated on the rural

Koumi Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It links Kobuchizawa Station in Hokuto, Yamanashi with Komoro Station in Komoro, Nagano, and extends 78.9 km (49.0 mi) through the mountains with a total of 3 ...

, but to better suit commuter service operations, it incorporates both internal and external design elements from

E129 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on local services in the Niigata area since 6 December 2014. Design Built at the J-TREC factory in Niitsu, Niigata, the stainless steel body ...

EMUs, like having three pairs of sliding doors per side and a mixture of transverse and longitudinal seating.

Hybrid diesel/battery operation cycle

Each car is equipped with a 331 kW 6-cylinder diesel engine and two banks of

lithium-ion batteries A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

with a capacity of 15.2 kWh when new. While at standstill, energy stored in the lithium-ion batteries is used to power auxiliary facilities on the train. On starting from standstill, energy stored in the batteries is used to drive the motors via an

inverter A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...

, with the engine cut out. The engine then cuts in for further acceleration and running on gradients. When braking, the motor acts as a generator, recharging the batteries.

Livery

The exterior livery consists primarily of blue, the line colour for the Senseki Line, with pink highlights to evoke an image of the

cherry blossom A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

trees along the line, and smaller green highlights in JR East's corporate colour.

Bogies

Each car has one DT75B motored bogie (at the Sendai end) and one TR260B trailer bogie (at the Sekimaki end). File:HB-E210 DT75B Zushi 20150113.JPG, A DT75B motor bogie on the inner end of an HB-E212 car File:HB-E210 TR260B Zushi 20150113.JPG, A TR260B trailer bogie on the inner end of an HB-E211 car

Operations

The HB-E210 series trains were introduced on 30 May 2015 on new

through services operating between and via a newly built link connecting the Tohoku Main Line and

Senseki Line The is a railway line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of M ...

between and .

Formations

The HB-E210 series fleet consists of eight two-car sets (16 vehicles), formed as shown below, with the HB-E211 car at the Sendai (eastern) end of the train.

Interior

LED lighting An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and can be significantly more efficient than mos ...

is used throughout. The HB-E211 cars have a

universal access Apple Universal Access is a component of the macOS operating system that provides computing abilities to people with visual impairment, hearing impairment, or physical disability. Components Universal Access is a preference pane of the Sys ...

toilet at the inner end, and the HB-E212 cars have priority seats at both sides on the inner end. The floor height is , compared to the standard platform height of for stations on the Senseki Line and for stations on the Tohoku Main Line. JR-HB-E210 Inside.jpg, View of the interior, September 2021 JR-HB-E210 Inside Priority-seat.jpg, Priority seating, September 2021

History

The first two trains built by

Japan Transport Engineering Company is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan, formerly known as . The company is based in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, and a member of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) group. J-TREC manufactures rail vehicles not only for JR East and Tokyu Corp ...

(J-TREC) in Yokohama were originally scheduled to be delivered in November 2014, but the delivery date was postponed until January 2015. Test running using the first two sets delivered commenced on 16 January 2015, on the Tohoku Main Line between and . In May 2016, the HB-E210 series was awarded the 2016

Laurel Prize The is an award presented annually in Japan since 1961 by the Japan Railfan Club. It is awarded for railway vehicles that entered service in the previous year and voted by the selection committee as having the most outstanding functional and des ...

, presented annually by the Japan Railfan Club.

Build details

The build histories of individual sets are as follows.

References

External links

JR East press release (2 July 2013)
{{JR East EMU Hybrid multiple units of Japan East Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2015 J-TREC multiple units