The is a suburban

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

(EMU) train type introduced in March 1987 by

Japanese National Railways The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

(JNR) shortly before its breakup and privatization, and currently operated by

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

(JR-West) and

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

(JR Central) in Japan. It is based on the earlier

211 series The is a suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type introduced in 1985 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR). The trains are still being used by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). They were formerly used by the West Japan Railwa ...

, although it differs in having two pairs of doors per side on each car instead of three.

Operations

From 1988 to 2003, the JR-West sets were mainly used for the ''

Marine Liner The is a rapid train service in Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) since April 1988. The ''Marine Liner'' links Okayama, the capital city of Okayama Prefecture and a major station o ...

'' service connecting and via the

Great Seto Bridge The is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–1988, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku ...

. These trains sometimes used a panoramic cab car (numbered KuRo 212), the latter was scrapped in 2008. File:Kokutetsu 213 marine liner-11.jpg, KuRo 212 panoramic coach in 1988

Formations

JR-West

3-car sets

2-car sets

U@tech

JR Central

2-car sets

''La Malle de Bois'' tourist train

From spring 2016, a 213 series two-car set was modified to operate on sightseeing services in the Okayama area. The train is modified with bicycle spaces and seat approximately 52 passengers. The train is formed as follows.

References

* *

External links

JR Central 213 series information
{{JR-West rolling stock Electric multiple units of Japan West Japan Railway Company Central Japan Railway Company Hitachi multiple units Kawasaki multiple units Train-related introductions in 1987 Tokyu Car multiple units Kinki Sharyo multiple units Nippon Sharyo multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan