The Izukyu 3000 series ( ja, 伊豆急行3000系, Hepburn: ''Izu Kyūkō 3000-kei''), branded "Aloha Train", 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 ...

train type operated by the private railway operator Izukyu Corporation. Entering service on 30 April 2022, the fleet of two 4-car sets was inherited in 2021 from

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)

209 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in the Tokyo area of Japan since 1993. The series was introduced in 1992 for experimental operations (as the 901 series) and in 1993 fo ...

fleet, which had previously been used on services throughout the

Bōsō Peninsula The is a peninsula that encompasses the entirety of Chiba Prefecture on Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula covers ...

History

Background

JR East 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 ...

introduced the

in 1993, initially on the

Keihin–Tōhoku Line The is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network. The line's name is derived from the characters for Tokyo ( ja, 東� ...

and

Negishi Line The Negishi Line ( ja, 根岸線, ) is a Japanese railway line which connects Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Freight trains also operate on this line, and it is essential for the southern K ...

, to replace the

103 series 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

trains that were previously used on the line. Later examples would be introduced for use on a number of lines, such as the

Nambu Line The Nambu Line ( ja, 南武線,) is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and ...

and 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 , ...

. Designed to be a low-cost, lightweight, minimal-lifespan vehicle, the 209 series design set the standard for subsequent JR East commuter train designs. From 2009, some Keihin–Tōhoku–Negishi Line-allocated sets were transferred and refurbished to operate throughout the

, following the introduction of newer

E233 series The is a commuter and suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from the earlier E231 series and the E531 series design. The first train was introduced in December 2006 for use on the Ch� ...

trains. Much of the Bōsō-allocated fleet was replaced from 2021, with the introduction of new

E131 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It began operations in the Chiba area on 13 March 2021, on the Sagami Line on 18 November 2021, and on the Nikkō Line and the Utsunomiy ...

trains, as many of the lines within the region were modified to accommodate one-man operation.

Inheritance by Izukyu Corporation

In July 2021, Izukyu Corporation announced its plan to procure 209 series trains that were previously operated by JR East on services throughout the Bōsō Peninsula. Ten former 209 series cars were inherited by November of that year. The following month, Izukyu announced that the fleet would be given the classification "3000 series". The 3000 series incorporates a Hawaii-inspired theme; this is reflected through the brand name "Aloha Train", a

Honu The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

-inspired external wrapping pattern, a color scheme borrowed from the "Resort 21" trainsets, and internal door wrappings of various seas in Izu. They are also the first members of the Izukyu fleet to incorporate

variable-frequency drive 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, to control associated voltage or current variat ...

(VVVF) technology and also did not require large-scale refurbishment. In contrast, the older 8000 series trains inherited from

Tokyu Corporation The is a Japanese multinational ''keiretsu'' ( conglomerate) holding company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Its main operation is , a wholly owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area. History The oldest predecessor ...

required the installation of toilets, onboard passenger information displays, electrical coupling, and transverse seating; these features were already included with the 3000 series sets upon their inheritance by Izukyu Corporation. The 3000 series fleet was introduced into service on 30 April 2022. Originally, the fleet was only used on the Izu Kyuko Line, but on 13 June 2022, they began use on the JR

Ito Line Ito may refer to: Places * Ito Island, an island of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea * Ito Airport, an airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Ito District, Wakayama, a district located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan * Itō, Shizuok ...

as well.

References

{{Japan-rail-transport-stub Electric multiple units of Japan

3000 3000 or ''variation'', may refer to: * 3000 (number), the number three thousand * A.D. 3000, the last year of the 30th century and the 3rd millennium CE * 3000 BCE, a year in the 3rd millennium BC * 3000s AD, a decade, century, millennium in the 4 ...

Train-related introductions in 2022