The Tobu N100 series ( ja, 東武N100系, Tōbu N100-kei), branded ''Spacia X'' (),
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 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
Tobu Railway
is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...
on limited express services in Japan since 15 July 2023. A total of four 6-car sets are to be built by
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 ...
to replace the
100 series EMUs which have been in service since 1990.
History
Details of the N100 series were first announced on 11 November 2021. The N100 series is intended to succeed the
100 series ''Spacia'' as Tobu's flagship limited express fleet.
Production of the fleet began in fiscal 2022, with the first two sets, N101 and N102, being delivered from Hitachi's Kasado plant from 5 March 2023.
The N100 series fleet entered service from 15 July 2023.
Design
The N100 series sets are part of Hitachi's
A-train
is a series of business simulation video games developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was ''Take the A-Train II'', published ...
family, and use aluminum body construction.
Exterior
The N100 series sets are painted in a shade of white that takes influence from the color of the Yomeimon gate at the
Nikko Tosho-gu shrine.
The end cars are fitted with hexagonal side windows, whose frames are inspired by the Japanese "kumiko" woodworking technique.
The train ends each feature an
LED
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
panel with 39 LEDs, functioning as a headlight and taillight cluster; when switched on, the headlights form a "T" shape. External LCD destination displays are located at the sides of each car.
Interior
The interior consists of the following accommodations:
* ''Cockpit Lounge'' (car 1): The ''Cockpit Lounge'' consists of sofas and lounge chairs. Two lounge chairs face the driver's cab, allowing passengers a front view. A bar, which serves beer, coffee, and snacks, is located at the rear of the ''Cockpit Lounge''. Car 1's vestibule features an artificial skylight.
* Premium seating (car 2): Seats are arranged in a 2+1 abreast configuration with a seat pitch of .
The seats are colored orange, which was chosen to make the seats stand out from the dark grey flooring. They also incorporate a back shell structure, which Tobu Railway states allows for reclining without impacting passengers in the rear.
* Standard class (cars 3–5): Seats are arranged in a 2+2 abreast configuration with a seat pitch, the same as that of the outgoing 100 series.
Cars 3 and 4 consist of standard class accommodation throughout (56 seats each), and car 5 has 18 standard class seats, wheelchair spaces, and two 2-person semi-compartmentalized seating bays.
* ''Cockpit Suite'' (car 6): Situated behind the driver's cab, the ''Cockpit Suite'' is an space which seats up to seven passengers (four seats and a three-person sofa). The suite and the driver's cab are separated by a glass barrier, also allowing passengers a view from the front.
Also featured in car 6 are four 4-person compartments, with sofas that form a "U" shape.
The compartments are situated directly behind the ''Cockpit Suite''.
Like car 1, car 6's vestibule features an artificial skylight.
Operations
The N100 series fleet operates between and (or ) stations on the
Tobu Skytree,
Nikko, and
Kinugawa lines. They operate two round trips per day (four on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays).
Formation
The N100 series sets consist of four intermediate motored cars with non-powered (trailer) end cars. They are formed as shown below.
* Cars 3 and 5 are each equipped with two single-arm
pantographs
A pantograph (, from their original use for copying writing) is a mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen. If a line dr ...
.
* Cars 2 and 5 are equipped with toilets.
See also
*
Keihan 3000 series
The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) limited express train type operated by the private railway operator Keihan Electric Railway in Japan since 2008.
Formations
, the fleet consists of six eight-car trains (3001 to 3006), formed as follow ...
, another train type that features external LCD destination displays
References
External links
November 2021 press release
{{Tobu trainsets
Electric multiple units of Japan
N100 series
Train-related introductions in 2023
Hitachi multiple units
1500 V DC multiple units of Japan