Background and overview
JR East developed E233-3000 series commuter DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains and delivered a 10-car set comprising 6 powered vehicles including 2 1st class trailer bilevel vehicles and a 5-car set to Kouzu depot in 2007 to compensate the lack of trains used on Tokaido line long-distance services because a 10-car set and a 5-car set of E217 series used on Tokaido line was returned to Yokosuka-Sobu line rapid services for providing additional capacity.
Car body
The standard vehicles have 2950mm wide body incorporating light weight stainless steel construction. Their cross member of the underframe, side column, and carline are positioned longitudinally to form ring shape construction for more intense strength against lateral collision. Bodies are unpainted and have vermilion waistline and headline bands running the length of each car below and above the windows. T The driver's cab is 560mm 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 880mm further back than E231-0 series. 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. Heat absorbent double-glazing glass is employed for all windows to improve noise and thermal insulation property and prevent their windows from dew condensation. An air conditioner, AU726A, rated at 50,000kcal/h is fitted on the centre of their roof. No ventilators are fitted on the roof.
On the other hand, 1st class bilevel vehicles 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 aligned two seating bays are fitted between the doors and small fixed windows for each seat are fitted at the one-story section located at each end of the car. A LED destination display and loudspeakers, providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a station, are fitted on each side of the body. They are also equipped with two air conditioners, AU729, rated at 20,000kcal/h on the roof at both ends of the body. This air conditioning unit has two outlets, supplying both lower and upper decks, located at the side of the air conditioning unit and an outlet, supplying passenger room located on one-story and controls temperature for each saloon independently.
The floor level of all vehicles is 1130mm and 35mm lower than E231 series EMU to eliminate the level difference between platforms and the floor for accessibility. Bodies are unpainted and have green and orange waistline and orange headline bands running the length of each car below and above the windows. Cab ends having a full-colour LED destination panel placed above the windscreen, and the clusters of a high intensity discharge (HID) light bulb and a rectangular LED taillight located at both sides of the destination panel are covered with a Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) painted in silver. Anti-fall plates between vehicles are also introduced excepting the cab end. 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. Full-colour LED destination displays and loudspeakers, providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a station, are fitted on each side of the body. Class kuhaE232-3500 and class kuhaE233-3000 end vehicles are equipped with the automatic jumper coupler to ease rush-up operations.
Bogies
Powered bogies are DT71A, front trailer bogies of end vehicles are TR255, and the other trailer bogies TR255A featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system, and the single link draw gear. They also prepare to be equipped with the yaw dampers to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 120km/h. Their bogie frame employs bow-shape to lower the bolster suspension. 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 6.06. Motored bogies employ single tread brake device adopting automatic gap-adjusting unit and trailer bogies employ both double disk brake device and single tread brake device adopting automatic gap-adjusting unit. TR255 also employs a parking brake device.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Class mohaE233-3000/-3200/-3400/-3600 vehicles are equipped with a 2-step Variable-frequency drive (VFD) traction system, SC90, which controls 8 traction motors, MT75, with a power output of 140kW on vehicle basis including class mohaE232-3000/-3200/-3400/-3600 vehicles. This traction system features Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). Each traction system in a train set is connected with the bus line to prevent meltdown the overhead lines at the section break. Class mohaE232-3000/-3400/-3600 powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a duplex auxiliary power unit, SC86B, with a power output of 260kVA featuring IGBT. Class mohaE232-3000/-3200/-3400/-3600 powered intermediate vehicles and class sahaE233-3000 trailer intermediate vehicles are equipped with a motor driven screw air compressor, MH3124-C1600SN3B, under their floor. Class mohaE233-3000/-3200/-3400/-3600 powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a single arm current pickup, PS33D. Class mohaE233-3000/-3600 vehicles are also equipped with a backup current pickup. They feature Train Information Management System (TIMS) applying RS485 rated at 10Mbps 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. The end vehicles are equipped with ATS-P and ATS-N signaling systems under the floor.
Accommodation
1st class vehicles consist of 2+2 abreast adjustable reclining seating with 960mm seating pitch. Their seating of upper deck is covered with blue fabric and the others are covered with red fabric. A door between a vestibule and a passenger saloon at the one-story section is automatic, detected by the fiber-optic sensor. They are equipped with 1st class seating use management system and smart card readers for paying 1st class fee fitted above each seat. As for standard class vehicles, Class kuhaE232-8000/-8500, class kuhaE233-8000/-8500, class mohaE232-3400, class mohaE233-3200 and sahaE233-3000 vehicles have mixture of longitudinal bench seating and transverse seating bays with 1500mm seating pitch, and the other vehicles have longitudinal bench seating having 460 mm wide per person throughout. Handrails are fitted at both end and middle of seats. E231-1000 series and older EMU adopted baggage racks constructed by stainless steel pipes, whereas E233-3000 series adopt baggage racks constructed by aluminum hollow plate having slits. Straps having black coloured longitudinal triangle shape are fitted throughout their body excepting priority seating area having orange coloured. 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 saroE232-300 vehicles are equipped with a conductor rooms, class kuhaE232-3000/-3500 and class kuhaE233-3000 vehicles are equipped with a universal access toilet employing the vacuum toilet system at the rear of the vehicle, and class saroE233-3000 vehicles are equipped with a western style toilet employing the vacuum toilet system and a washroom a wash room having automatic faucet with water temperature control. As for the device of driving cab, the control desk of the driver's cab is equipped with a one handle master controller operated by the left hand and three liquid crystal displays showing the speed meter, the pressure gauge, and the other information instead of analogue indicators.
Additional delivery
JR East additionally delivered a 10-car set ana a 5-car set to Kouzu depot in 2007.
Subsequently, JR East delivered fourteen 10-car sets and fourteen 5-car sets to Tamachi depot to displace 211 series allocated there over the period from September 2011 until April of the following year. They are identical with having some improvements over existing E233-3000 series. Car's number 6 is additionally equipped with a western style toilet employing the vacuum toilet system and classified into class mohaE232-8000 which can't be equipped with an auxiliary power unit because of the new installed water tank for the toilet located under the floor. For this reason, class E232-3000 having an auxiliary power unit located at car's number 6 of former E233-3000 series sets is moved to car's number 8. In addition, class mohaE233-3000 located at car's number 7 and mohaE233-3400 located at car's number 3 are switched. The traction system is changed into 2-step Variable-frequency drive (VFD) traction system, SC98, featuring minimization.
Furthermore, JR East delivered seventeen 10-car sets and sixteen 5-car sets to Takasaki depot over the period from April 2012 until February of the following year. Vehicles allocated at Tamachi depot were reallocated to Kouzu depot in March 2013, and vehicles allocated at Takasaki depot to Oyama depot in March 2015.
Finally, three 5-car sets were delivered to Oyama depot over the period from December 2014 until January of the following year, and three to Kouzu depot over the period from Match 2015 until May 2017.
Operations
E233-3000 series allocated Kouzu depot entered revenue services on Tokaido
line long-distance rapid and regional services in March 2008. Then, E233-3000
series which displaced 211 series EMU allocated at Tamachi depot entered
Tokaido line long-distance rapid and regional services in November 2011.
On the other hand, E233-3000 series delivered to Takasaki depot entered Takasaki, Joetsu and Ryomo line regional services in September 2012, and Tohoku line in March 2013. All vehicles allocated Takasaki depot were reallocated to Oyama depot in March 2015. All of them have been used on Tokaido, Tohoku, Takasaki Joetsu, Ito, and Ryomo lines regional and rapid services after the completion of additional double tracks between Tokyo and Ueno in March 2015. |
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