Background and overview
In 2000, JR East developed E231-1000 series suburban DC electric multiple unit (EMU) which was the mass-production version of 209-950 series, to be used on Takasaki and Tohoku line suburban services. 41 ten-car sets comprising 4 powered vehicles and 6 trailer vehicles and 28 five-car sets comprising 2 powered vehicles and 3 trailer vehicles were built over the period from March 2000 until February 2003 and delivered them to Oyama depot.
Car body
They have a 2950mm wide body with bead-less skin to standardize the car body for commuter and suburban trains and to relieve overcrowding, incorporating light weight stainless steel construction. Their floor level is 1165mm and 15mm lower than 209-0 series EMU to eliminate the level difference between platforms and the floor for accessibility. The construction of the body varies depending on the manufacturer. Vehicles built by Tokyu Car Corporation are constructed with the outside sheets and inner beams as usual with introducing some improvements. Vehicles built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries are employed "two-sheet construction method" that the pressed stainless-steel sheet and the outside sheet are combined, and those sheets themselves keep the strength. The driver's cab is placed 185mm higher than that of E231-0 series and the cab is 490mm stretched in the longitudinal direction to feature collision energy absorption structure for the protection against obstacles at the level crossing. For this reason, the doorway behind the cab is placed 1330mm further back than E231-0 series. Cab ends having two headlights applying the high intensity discharge (HID) light bulb located above the windscreen and LED rectangular taillights located below the windscreen are covered with a Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) painted in silver. Anti-fall plates between vehicles are also introduced excepting the cab end. They are equipped with four 1300mm wide double-leaf automatic sliding doors, two drop windows between the doors excepting centre of the vehicles, and three fixed windows at the end and the centre on each side of the vehicle. Door operating equipments featuring electric liner motor drive, TKE152, are fitted above the door header of the sliding doors which can be operated manually by pressing the buttons fitted beside the door. 3-colour LED destination displays are fitted on the side of their body. End vehicles excepting class kuhaE230-8000 included in 10-car sets are equipped with the automatic jumper coupler to ease rush-up operations. An air conditioner, AU725A, rated at 42,000kcal/h is fitted on the centre of their roof. No ventilators are fitted on the roof.
Bogies
Powered bogies are DT61G, trailer bogies for class saha230-1000/-6000 are TR246N, front trailer bogies of end vehicles TR246M, trailer bogies for the others TR246P, featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system and the single link draw gear. The air suspension's effective diameter is 560mm same as 209-0 series. Twin Disc (TD) flexible joint employing deflecting plates made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is applied for power transmission device. The gear ratio is 7.07. The brake rigging is a single tread brake for powered and both directly the single disk and the single tread brake for trailer.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Class mohaE231-1000/-1500 vehicles are equipped with a 2-step Variable-frequency drive (VFD) traction system, SC59A, which controls 8 traction motors, MT73, with a power output of 95kW on vehicle basis including class mohaE230-1000/-3500 vehicles. This traction system features Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). Class mohaE230-1000/-3500 powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with an auxiliary power unit, SC66, with a power output of 210kVA featuring IGBT and a motor driven screw air compressor, MH3119-C1600S under their floor. Class mohaE231-1000/-1500 powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a single arm current pickup, PS33B, on their roof. They feature Train Information Management System (TIMS) applying RS485 interface and managing the traction control, in-train announcement apparatus, voice communication for train crews and passengers, air conditioner control, and so on. They employ the electric commanding brake with regenerative braking and holding braking. They feature total brake control on overall a train set and regenerative brake priority by TIMS to realize regeneration rate improvement.
Accommodation
Class kuhaE230-8000 and mohaE230-3500 included in 10-car sets, and class kuhaE231-8000 and class sahaE231-3000 in 5-car sets have mixture of longitudinal bench seating and transverse seating bays with 1500mm seating pitch, and the other vehicles have longitudinal bench seating having 450 mm wide per person throughout. Handrails are fitted at both end and middle of seats. The cushion of seating is made of polyester resin mold with taking recyclability. A LED display for providing passenger information, and a door chime are fitted on the door header of the sliding doors. Roller blinds are discontinued because of introducing heat absorbent windowpane. Class kuhaE230-8000/-6000 vehicles are equipped with a universal access toilet employing the vacuum toilet system at the rear of the vehicle, and class sahaE231-6000 vehicles are equipped with a Japanese style toilet employing the vacuum toilet system.
Additional delivery
JR East additional built 42 ten-car sets including two bilevel 1st class vehicles and 34 five-car sets to displace superannuated 113 series EMU used on Tokaido line long-distance services over the period from January 2004 until January 2006 and deliver them to Kozu depot, after JR East had replaced 115 series EMU used on Takasaki and Tohoku line long-distance services in 2004. Two trailer vehicles, class sahaE231-1000, of 10-car sets of E231-1000 series allocated at Oyama dept were transferred to 10-car sets delivered to Kozu depot, since JR East had a plan to introduce two bilevel 1st class vehicles to Shonan-Shinjuku line operated by E231-1000 series allocated at Oyama depot by the replacement two class sahaE231-1000 vehicles with two bilevel 1st class vehicles. They are identical with having some improvements over existing E231-1000 series. Loudspeakers, providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a station, are ready to be fitted on the frieze board. Their air conditioners were changed into AU726A rated at 50,000kcal/h. They also feature the windowpane blocking 100% of infrared and ultraviolet rays.
The traction system is changed into SC77 featuring 2-step Variable-frequency drive, and the auxiliary power supply unit, SC75 or SC76, with a power output of 260kVA corresponding to powerful air conditioners.
Class kuhaE231-8500 and mohaE231-3500 included in 10-car sets besides class kuhaE230-8000 and mohaE230-3500 included in 10-car sets, and class kuhaE231-8000 and class sahaE231-3000 in 5-car sets have mixture of longitudinal bench seating and transverse seating bays with 1500mm seating pitch, and the other vehicles have longitudinal bench seating having 450 mm wide per person throughout. Handrails are fitted at both end and middle of seats. Each seat employs no sag springs supporting seat cushion for the seating comfort improvement. The toilet for the standard class is located only at the end vehicles unlike 10-car sets allocated at Oyama depot. LED displays located on the door header are changed into larger 2-line displays employing Visual Information System. The control desk of the driver's cab is equipped with three liquid crystal displays showing the speed meter, the pressure gauge, and the other information instead of analogue indicators.
2 types of bilevel 1st class vehicles were provided, class saroE231-1000
having a western style toilet and a washroom located at rear of the vehicle
and class saroE230-1000 having conductor rooms located at the front. They
have 2900mm wide bodies to reduce the slant angle of the lower body to
make the lower saloon as wide as possible. They are equipped with two 810mm
wide single-leaf automatic sliding doors on each side of the vehicles.
Wide fixed windows are fitted between the doors and small fixed windows
for each seat are fitted at the one-story section of each end of the car.
Loudspeakers, providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a
station, are ready to be fitted on the frieze board. They are also equipped
with two air conditioners, AU729, rated at 20000kcal/h on the roof at both
ends of the body. Bogies are TR246T featuring bolster-less secondary air
suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system and the single
link draw gear. These bogies adopt the yaw dampers to ensure smooth ride
characteristics. The brake rigging is the single tread brake. They have
reclining seating with 970mm seating pitch featuring cantilever construction
to ease floor cleaning. They also feature the 1st class seating use management
system and card readers for paying 1st class fee fitted above each seat.
JR East additionally built 8 ten-car sets and 7 five-car sets over the period from February 2006 until March 2007 and delivered to Oyama depot for the additional capacity. They employ the same feature as that of E231-1000 series delivered to Kozu depot. A toilet located at class sahaE231-6000 was changed into western style.
Modification and refurbishment
The refurbishment programme commenced on E231-1000 series EMU in 2015. The traction system was replaced with SC112, and the auxiliary power supply unit was replaced with SC114.
Operations
E231-1000 series began to be delivered to Oyama depot to replace 115 series EMU used on Takasaki and Tohoku lines in March 2000, and entered revenue services of Tohoku line rapid and regional services in June 2000. Subsequently, they entered revenue services on Takasaki, Joetsu, Ryomo lines rapid and regional service in September 2001. They also entered Tokaido or Yokosuka lines inter-running services via Shinjuku at the start of Shonan-Shinjuku line. Finally, they completely displaced 115 series EMU in 2004.
On the other hand, E231-1000 series also began to be delivered to Kozu depot to replace 113 series EMU used on Tokaido line in January 2004 and entered Shonan-Shinjuku, Tokaido, Ito, Gotemba lines rapid and regional services in October 2004. They had completely displaced 113 series EMU in 2006. Revenue services on Gotemba line were discontinued in 2012.
E231-1000 series are now used on Tokaido, Tohoku, Yokosuka, Takasaki, Joetsu, Ryomo, and Ito lines rapid and regional services. |
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