The or VSE (Vault Super Express) 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 operated by

Odakyu Electric Railway , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its ''Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company fo ...

on ''

Romancecar The is Odakyu Electric Railway's name for its limited express luxury tourist services south-west of Tokyo, to mountain resorts such as Hakone and Gotemba (Mount Fuji), and beaches such as Odawara and Enoshima. When the service started in 195 ...

'' services in Japan. Two 10-car articulated sets were introduced in March 2005, manufactured by

Nippon Sharyo , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2 ...

. The type won a Japanese

Good Design Award In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...

in 2005, and a Blue Ribbon Award in 2006. On 11 March 2022, the train type was withdrawn from regular service, and has since been reserved for use on special services only. A complete retirement is planned for 2023.

Design

The 50000 series was designed by architect

Noriaki Okabe is a Japanese architect. He was born in Shizuoka, Japan. He worked with Renzo Piano for twenty years in Europe, from the designing construction supervision of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. In 1988, Okabe, then the representative of Ren ...

. Body construction is of double-skin

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

. The 50000 series has

regenerative brake Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...

s, and is equipped with

air suspension Air suspension is a type of vehicle suspension powered by an electric or engine-driven air pump or compressor. This compressor pumps the air into a flexible bellows, usually made from textile-reinforced rubber. Unlike hydropneumatic suspension, ...

, and

tilts Tilts is a hamlet in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Aside from some farms, there is a moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, ...

for passenger comfort. As with most previous ''Romancecar'' trains, the train cars in the sets are

articulated An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...

Interior

Passenger accommodation primarily consists of 2+2 abreast seating, with a seating pitch of for the leading cars and for the intermediate cars. The seats are rotated five degrees toward the windows. In the leading cars, the frontmost seats can be arranged in a longitudinal, lounge-like configuration. Car 3 uses compartment-style seating. The 50000 series trains have the driver's cab located above the passenger saloon, giving passengers a view out of the front of the train. This arrangement was used on earlier Odakyu ''Romancecar'' trains, although discontinued with the 30000 series EXE trains. File:Observation_Seat_of_Odakyu_RomanceCar_VSE_-Summer-.JPG, View out of front of the train (there are sun visors in summer) File:Seat of Odakyu RomanceCar VSE.JPG, Saloon seating File:Saloon Seat of Odakyu RomanceCar VSE.JPG, Compartment seating File:Smoking Booth of Odakyu RomanceCar VSE.JPG, Former smoking booth (no longer used) File:OER 50000 inside Ladder 2.jpg, Retractable ladder providing access to the raised driver's cab

Formation

The sets are formed as follows. * The leading cars have observation decks. * Cars 3 and 8 are equipped with cafeterias and lavatories. * Car 3 has a wheelchair space, and features slightly wider sliding doors. Odakyu 50000 VSE w-pantograph

History

The first set was delivered from

in November 2004, and entered service on 19 March 2005.

Withdrawal

Odakyu initially planned to refurbish the 50000 series trains. However, as a result of the train type's overall difficulty to repair and advanced technology required to do so, Odakyu announced on 17 December 2021 its decision to retire them. On 29 January 2022, set 50002 was adorned with decorations to commemorate the type's withdrawal. The trains were relegated from regular service to special service only on 11 March 2022, and are planned to be completely retired in 2023. File:Odakyu 50000 series VSE head logo ever since 2005 20220213.JPG, Commemorative front-end logo, February 2022 File:Odakyu 50000 series VSE logo special thanks and forever 20220213.JPG, Commemorative bodyside logo, February 2022

References

External links

Odakyu Romancecar Lineup
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odakyu 50000 series VSE Electric multiple units of Japan 50000 series VSE Tilting trains Train-related introductions in 2005 Articulated passenger trains Nippon Sharyo multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan