701-1500series
-0 subseries
-1000 subseries
-1500 subseries
-5500 subseries

Type index


Background and overview
JR East developed additional 701-1500 series EMU with some improvements to displace superannuated 715 series EMU used in Sendai region in 1998. Seven 2-car sets consisting of 1 powered vehicle and 1 trailer vehicle were delivered in 1998.

Car body
They have 2870mm narrow body. Their body construction is that the pressed stainless sheet and the outside sheet are combined together and those sheets themselves keep the strength. Bodies are unpainted. Vehicles delivered to Morioka depot have the orange and green waistline band running the length of each car below the side windows and green band below the windscreens. The end vehicles are equipped with a gangway door and featured low front cab style. Tow headlights featuring the sealed beam light bulb are fitted above the front gangway door, and taillights are fitted below the windscreens. A LED destination display is fitted above the opposite side of the control desk. They are equipped with three 1300mm wide double-leaf automatic stepped doors on each side of the vehicles. Door operating equipments, TK113C, 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 4 set windows including two 960mm high double-hung side windows, the upper sash of which moves down and the lower is fixed, between the doors are fitted between the doors, and fixed windows are fitted at the end of the vehicle. Class kuha700-1500 vehicles have a pair of fixed windows located next to the toilet. Heat absorbent glass is employed for all windows in order to eliminate blinds. LED destination displays and loudspeakers, providing guidance broadcast for passengers waiting at a station, are fitted on each side of the body. An air conditioner, AU710A rated at 38,000kcal/h, is fitted on the centre of their roof. No ventilators are fitted on the roof. End cars are equipped with the automatic jumper coupler to ease rush-up operations.

Bogies
The 701-1500 series are equipped with DT61A bogies on the powered vehicles and TR246A bogies on the trailers, featuring bolster-less secondary air suspension and axle arm type journal box supporting system. Their bogie employing bow-shaped bogie frame to lower the fitting position of bolster suspension realizes to lower the floor level. 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. Motored bogies employ single tread brake device and trailer bogies employ both single disk brake device and single tread brake device.

Traction unit and ancillary equipments
Powered intermediate vehicles, class kumoha701-1500, are equipped with a traction system, CI10, which controls 4 AC traction motors, MT65A, with a power output of 125kW on truck basis. This traction system consists of a 3-level PWM converter employing Insulated Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and a 3-level Variable-frequency drive (VFD) employing IGBT. Their powered vehicles are also equipped with a traction transformer, TM49, an ancillary power supply unit, SC49, under their floor, and a lozenge current pickup, PS105, on their roof. On the other hand, trailer vehicles, class kuha700-1500, are equipped with a motor-driven screw air compressor, MH1112-C1600MF. They feature the electric commanding brake with regenerative brake and holding brake.

Accommodation
Passenger accommodation feature longitudinal bucket bench seating throughout with wind protection panel at the end of seating. The air conditioning duct is fitted above the ceiling in order to improve interior design and the outlets of cool air are slit shape. Their cab is a compartment type located at the left side of the train for conductor-less operation. They are equipped with the ticket machines, which put the ticket indicating the boarding station, located beside doorways, a fare LED display and the fare box located behind the cab. A 1200 wide double leaf sliding door is fitted at the gangway connection to ease the movement between vehicles in conductor-less operation. Trailer end vehicles, class kuha700-5500, are equipped with a universal access toilet with a chemical holding tank. A wheelchair space is located across the aisle from the toilet. A LED display for providing passenger information, and a door chime are fitted above the door header of the sliding doors.

Additional delivery
JR East delivered additional ten 2-car sets over the period from February 2001 until March.

Modification and refurbishment
A refurbishment programme was commenced on 701-1000 series from 2011. Their traction system changed into CI19A consisting of a 3-level PWM converter employing Insulated Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and a 2-level Variable-frequency drive (VFD) employing IGBT controls 4 AC asynchronous traction motors, MT65, on truck basis. When the system failure occurred on the one of two circuits of the traction system, a failed circuit is disconnected to achieve higher redundancy. Their traction transformer was changed into TM32A in order to reduce harmonics heating caused by introducing new traction system. The ancillary power supply is updated into SC93 featuring IGBT.

Operations and transfer
701-1500 series had been used on Tohoku line between Kuroiso and Ichinoseki and are now used on Tohoku line rural services between Shin-Shirakawa and Ichinoseki.
Technical Data
Items Data
Supply Voltage 20000VAC, 50Hz
Service speed, etc. Service speed: 110km/h
Length 19500mm
Width 2950mm
Height 3670mm
Bogie DT61A (motored) TR246A (trailer)
Collector PS105
Traction motor MT65 (125kW)
Gear ratio 7.07
Transformer TM26/TM32A
Traction system Converter and variable frequency drive on truck basis (CI10/CI19A)
Air conditioner AU710A
Designed by JR East