Background and overview
JR East developed E531 series suburban dual voltage AC/DC electric multiple unit (EMU) trains in order to displace superannuated 403 and 415 series EMU and compete against Metropolitan Intercity Railway opened in 2005. E531 series were developed from E231 series DC electric multiple unit trains. 6 ten-car sets consisting of 4 motored vehicles and 6 trailer vehicles, and 6 five-car sets consisting of 2 motored vehicles and 3 trailer vehicles were delivered in 2005.
Car body
They have 2950mm wide and 19,500mm body excepting end vehicles. End vehicles
have 19,570mm long body to adopt collision impact absorbing structure.
Their pier panels feature dull finish to reduce glossy appearance and the
other part features #80 buffing finish. Their bodies are unpainted and
have the blue waistline and headline bands running through the length of
each car below and above the windows. Cab end employs the head-on collision
accident measure that its construction consists of crumple zone and safety
cell, and an impact absorber to absorb the impact energy. End vehicles
and intermediate vehicles located next to the end vehicles are equipped
with a coupler having shock absorbing mechanism applying plastic deformation
and impact absorbers. Two headlights applied high intensity discharge (HID)
lamps to eliminate thermal effect are horizontally fitted inside windscreen
upward right and left. A LED tail lights is integrated with destination
headboard fitted above the windscreen. They employ a 185mm higher mounted
driver's cab than their floor level to improve forward visibility. Their
floor level is 1130mm and 35mm lower than E231 series EMU to eliminate
the level difference between platforms and the floor for accessibility.
Anti-fall plates between vehicles are also introduced excepting the cab
end. They are equipped with four 1300mm wide double-leaf automatic sliding
doors on each side of the vehicles. Door operating equipments, TKE150,
featuring electric screw drive, door nipping detector, and flashing alarm
lamps while door opening/closing are fitted above the door header of the
sliding doors which can be operated manually by pushing the buttons fitted
beside the door. Large windows consisting of a drop window and fixed window(s)
are fitted between sliding doors and small fixed windows are fitted at
the end of their body. Low visible light, heat ray, and ultra violet ray
transmittance glass is employed for all windows. A LED destination display
and loudspeakers, providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at
a station, are fitted on each side of the body. An air conditioner, AU726A-G
or AU726B, rated at 50,000kcal/h, is fitted on the centre of their roof.
No ventilators are fitted. End vehicles excepting class kuhaE530-0 vehicles
are equipped with the automatic jumper coupler for rush-up operations.
Bogies
Powered bogies are DT71, front trailer bogies of end vehicles are TR255, and rear trailer bogies of end vehicles TR255A, trailer intermediate vehicles TR255B, featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system, the single link traction device, and the yaw dampers to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 130km/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 parking brake device.
Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a traction system, CI13, which controls 4 AC induction motors, MT75B, with a power output of 140kW on vehicle basis. This traction system consists of a 2-level converter employing Insulated Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and a 2-level Variable-frequency drive (VFD) employing IGBT. The motored intermediate cars, class mohaE531, are equipped with a traction transformer, TM31, featuring natural air cooling under the floor, supplying to the traction systems which class mohaE531 and class mohaE530 vehicles are equipped with. Class mohaE530 vehicles are equipped with an auxiliary power unit, SC81, employing IGBT and having the power output of 280kVA, synchronizing with other auxiliary power supply units throughout the overall train set to achieve higher redundancy while in failure. Class kuhaE530 vehicles and class sahaE530 vehicles are equipped with a motor driven screw air compressor, MH3124-C1600S, under the floor. Class mohaE531 powered intermediate vehicles are equipped with a single-arm current pickup, PS37A, on their roof. They employ the electric commanding brake with regenerative braking and holding braking. They realize featuring total brake control on overall a train set and regenerative brake priority by train control and management system named TIMS.
Accommodation
E531 series have two types of seating arrangement, mixture of longitudinal
bench seating and transverse seating bays with 1500mm seating pitch and
longitudinal bench seating with two stanchions to divide seating into two-three-two-seater
having 460 mm wide per person throughout, 10mm wider than E231 series.
Each longitudinal bench seating bay is separated by stanchions. Cars having
mixture of longitudinal bench seating and transverse seating bays are classified
into -0 subclass, cars having longitudinal bench seating and coupled with
cars classified into -0 subclass are classified into -1000 subclass, and
the others are classified into -2000 subclass. Each seat employs no sag
springs supporting seat cushion and cantilever construction. E231 series
and older EMU adopted baggage racks constructed by stainless pipes, whereas
E531 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 above the door header of the sliding doors. End vehicles excepting
class kuhaE530-1000 are equipped with a universal access toilet employing
the vacuum toilet system and a wheel chair space. 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 16 ten-car sets and 10 five car sets to displace remaining 403 series and 415-0/-100/-500/-700 series in 2006. JR East subsequently inserted a pair of bilevel 1st class vehicles, class saroE531 and saroE530, into 10-car sets to introduce 1st class services to longer distance commuter services of Johban line in 2007.
Class saroE531/saroE530
These bilevel vehicles have 2900mm wide body to reduce the slant angle
of the lower body to make the lower saloon as wide as possible Their floor
level is same 1130mm as the other standard class vehicles. They have the
double blue waistline and headline bands running through the length of
each car below and above the windows at the one-story section and a wide
blue waistline band between the upper and lower decks at bilevel section.
They are equipped with two 810mm wide single-leaf automatic sliding doors
on each side of the vehicles. Door operating equipments are TKE151, featuring
electric screw drive, door nipping detector, and flashing alarm lamps while
door opening/closing are fitted above the door header of the sliding doors
which can be operated manually by pushing the buttons fitted beside the
door. Wide fixed windows aligned two seating bays are fitted between the
doors and small fixed windows per 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 end of the body. This
air conditioning unit have 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. They are equipped with an antenna for AM/FM
radio receiver.
Their bogies are TR255C featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system, the single link traction device, and the yaw dampers and to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 130km/h. Their bogie frame employs bow-shape to lower the bolster suspension. TR255C employs both double disk brake device and single tread brake device.
All seats are 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. The passenger saloons employ shatter-resistant fluorescent lights powered by DC electricity because E531 series EMU trains are used for 1.5kV DC system and 20kV AC system. LED lighting is applied for downlights and wall lights at spiral staircase. A door between a vestibule and a passenger saloon at the one-story section is automatic, detecting 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. A western style toilet employing the vacuum toilet system and a wash room having automatic faucet with water temperature control are located at the end of class saroE531 vehicles. A conductor's rooms are located at the end of class saroE530. Two standard class trailer vehicles, class sahaE531-2000, displaced by pairs of 1st class vehicles were repurposed as car no 6 and 9 in 10-car sets delivered additionally. For this reason, either class sahaE531-0 vehicles having mixture of longitudinal bench seating and transverse seating bays or sahaE531-2000 having only longitudinal bench seating is applied for car no 9 of ten-car sets.
JR East additionally delivered 2 five-car sets in 2010. Following the start of through services to Shinagawa beyond Ueno in 2015, JR East delivered 1 more ten-car set and 4 more five-car sets. 3 ten-car sets and 2 five-car sets were additionally delivered for the additional capacity between Ueno and Shinagawa in 2017. Vehicles built from 2017 employ LED lighting. Additional 2 four-car sets delivered in 2019 introduced security cameras. Finally, in 2020, following reopening the Johban line to Sendai after disruption caused by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, 4 additional five-car sets having body-mounted cameras to monitor passengers boarding and alighting the train for conductor-less operations were delivered over the period from February 2020 until March 2020.
Modifications
From 2020 a refurbishment programme was commenced. Their traction system was changed into CI13A and their auxiliary power unit was changed into SC81A.
Operations
E531 series entered the special rapid services linking Ueno and Tsuchiura and the ordinary services linking Ueno and Ohtsuko of Johban line in July 2005. All 403 series and 415 series excepting 415-1500 series were displaced with E531 series and introduce 1st class services to longer distance commuter services of Johban line in 2007. They displaced 415 series used on the Mito line rural services in 2015. Services provided by E531 series started through services to Shinagawa beyond Ueno in 2015. In 2017, Services between Tatsuta and Tomioka after disruption caused by 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami were restored. In 2020, services used by E531 series were extended to Harano-machi at the bringing the full line back to service.
E531 series are now used on the ordinary and special rapid services of Joban line between Shinagawa and Hsrano-machi. They are also used on the rural services of Mito line. |
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