Background and overview
"Marine Liner" rapid services, which started in 1988, linking Okayama and Takamatsu have been used by a lot of passengers for intercity and commuter transportation. But the number of passengers had been decreasing year by year because of facing increasing competition for passenger transport from buses and private automobiles with the opening of Akashi canal Bridge and various new highways springing up around the Shikoku region. Some failure also sometimes occurred in 213 series vehicles used on "Marine Liner" rapid services caused by salt damage. So, in 2003, JR Shikoku and JR West developed 5000 series/223-5000 series suburban DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains to replace superannuated 213 series and delivered to "Marine Liner" rapid services. Though JR Shikoku paid for the rent of 213 series because 213 series vehicles were owned by only JR West, ownership of 5000/223-5000 series was changed to be divided for expenses reduction of JR Shikoku. Takamatsu bound 3-car sets of 5000 series are owned by JR Shikoku and Okayama bound 2-car sets of 223-5000 series are owned by JR West.
5000 series sets consist of one motored vehicle and two trailer vehicles including a bilevel vehicle based on 1st class bilevel vehicles developed by E217 series. The other vehicles of 5000 series and 223-5000 series closely based on 223-2000 series developed by JR West.
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| Kumoha2235000 |
Kuha2225000 |
5000 |
5200 |
5100 |
| motored |
trailer |
motored |
trailer |
bilevel trailer |
| 4 motors |
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4 motors |
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|
traction system
Aux. pwr supply
Compressor |
WC |
traction system
Aux. pwr supply
Compressor |
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1st class
WC |
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Car body
Bilevel vehicles have 2900mm wide body to reduce the slant angle of the lower body to make the lower saloon as wide as possible. They employ 1.5mm thick stainless plate and their underframe of low floor section thick steel plate to realize a low centre of gravity. The bogie distance adopts 14150mm to make the lower saloon as long as possible. Cab section constructed by steel features the reinforced structure to guarantee train crew's safety. They are equipped with a 720mm wide single-leaf automatic sliding door at front of the vehicles and an 860mm wide universal access single-leaf automatic sliding door on each side of the vehicles. Wide fixed windows are fitted between the doors and small fixed windows per each seat are fitted at the one-story section of each end of the car. Bodies are unpainted and have navy blue wide band around side windows running the length of each car and their underframe is also painted in navy blue. Their bilevel section has blue or red accents and "Marine Liner" logo plashed. A LED destination indicator is fitted on each side of their body. Two air conditioners, AU715S, rated at 20000kcal/h are fitted on the roof at both end of the body.
Standard class vehicles have 2950mm wide body with bead-less skin, incorporating
light weight stainless construction. Their body construction consists of
outside sheets and inner beams to adopt side drop windows, excepting door
case sections employing that the pressed stainless sheet and the outside
sheet are combined and those sheets themselves keep the strength. Their
distance of each bogie adopts 13800mm to fit the wide body within loading
gauge. Bodies are unpainted and have the beige, brown, white and blue waistline
band running the length of each car below the windows. They also have brown
accents applied at door cases and around side windows. Their cab end is
constructed by streel, having spacious windscreens and a gangway at the
centre, with the difference of the shape caused by having gangway connection
base from other 223 series brothers. They are equipped with three 1300mm
wide double-leaf automatic sliding doors on each side of the vehicles.
Door operating equipments, WTK112B, are fitted above the door header of
the sliding doors which can be operated manually by pushing the buttons
fitted beside the door. Horizontal band of 5 set windows including 2 drop
windows having 950mm height are fitted between the doors. Their windows
feature heat absorbent double-glazing tempered glass having protection
against UV and flying object. Cab section and end structure are fitted
to their main body by bolts to ease fitting a cab section to the intermediate
cars to make the end cars from intermediate cars. Roller-binding train-type
indicators and LED destination indicators are fitted on each side of their
body. All vehicles employ two air conditioners, WAU705A, rated at 20,000kcal/h/unit
on their roof because of their low centre of gravity. Loudspeakers, providing
guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a station, are fitted inside
each air conditioner. Electric fans of air conditioner supply fresh air
into the passenger room, instead of ventilators on the roof. Standard class
end cars and a bilevel end car numbered 5101 are equipped with the automatic
jumper coupler to ease rush-up operations.
Bogies
The 5000/223-5000 series are equipped with S-DT63/WDT59 bogies on the powered cars, S-TR64 bogies on bilevel trailers, and S-TR63/WTR243 bogies on the other trailers, featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension and axle arm type journal box supporting system. Their bogies employ the single link traction device. Their bogie employing bow-shaped bogie frame to lower the fitting position of bolster suspension realizes to lower the floor level. These bogies adopt the yaw dampers and anti-rolling stabilizer to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 130km/h. Motored bogie employs single tread brake device. Trailer bogie employs both the double disk brake device and the single tread brake device.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
All motored cars are equipped with a 3-step variable frequency drive traction system, WPC13-G2/SPC13, featuring Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) controls four asynchronous traction motors, WMT102B/SMT102B, with a power output of 220kW on axle basis. Their traction system adopts fields-oriented control. Their traction system is integrated with the high-power auxiliary power supply unit with a power output of 150kVA. In case of the auxiliary power supply unit failure, one variable frequency drive for traction motor can switch to supply electricity as the backup auxiliary power supply unit. Their cardan driving device is changed from WN coupling into TD coupling. Motored end vehicles, class 5000 and class kumoha223, are also equipped with a motor driven rotary-screw air compressor, WMH3098-WRC1600, under their floor. All motored vehicles are also equipped with a cross arm type current pickup, WPS27D/SPS60, with the protection against heavy snow, and prepared to be fitted with another current pickup on their roof. They feature the electric commanding brake with regenerative brake and holding brake, featuring brake control of trailer priority.
Accommodation
Bilevel vehicles have 2+2 abreast auto rotatable reclining seating with 1000mm seating pitch for 1st class and 970mm seating pitch for standard class. Spiral stairways are fitted for the access from the doorway to upstairs or downstair. Baggage racks were fitted due to having no luggage rack above windows. A universal access toilet, a urinal, and a wheelchair space are fitted at the rear of the bilevel vehicles.
Standard class seating accommodation consists of 2+2 abreast switchable
transverse seating with 910mm seating pitch and transverse bucket seating
bays with fold-down auxiliary seating provided next to the doorway, in
order to increase standing capacity during peak hours. A LED display for
providing passenger information displays in zigzags and door chimes are
fitted above the door header of the sliding doors. Straps were fitted throughout
their body. Trailer end cars, class kuha222-5000, are equipped with a universal
access toilet employing a chemical disposable tank and a wheel chair space.
Operations
5000/223-5000 series entered "Marin Liner" rapid services October, 2003. An additional trailer intermediate vehicle, class saha223-2000, allocated at Aboshi depot was inserted into 2-car sets to relieve overcrowding in 2007. However, class saha223-2000 vehicles were returned to Aboshi depot.
5000/223-5000 series are now used on "Marine Liner" rapid services. |
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