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 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) in the

Kansai Region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

of Japan since March 1989.

Operations

Tōkaidō Main Line The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo Station, Tokyo and Kōbe St ...

(

Biwako Line The is the nickname used by the operator of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to refer to the portion of the Tōkaidō Main Line (between Maibara Station and Kyoto Station) and the Hokuriku Main Line (between Maibara Station and Nagaham ...

JR Kyoto Line JR, J. R. or Jr. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' J R'', a 1975 novel by William Gaddis * J. R. Ewing, a ''Dallas'' television character * JR Chandler, an ''All My Children'' television character * '' Jornal da Record'', a Brazilian new ...

JR Kobe Line JR, J. R. or Jr. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' J R'', a 1975 novel by William Gaddis * J. R. Ewing, a ''Dallas'' television character * JR Chandler, an ''All My Children'' television character * '' Jornal da Record'', a Brazilian ne ...

) ( - , until 2023) *

Sanyō Main Line is a former Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1947 by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Iue left Matsushita Electric to start his own bu ...

(JR Kobe Line) (Kōbe - , until 2023) *

Hokuriku Main Line The Hokuriku Main Line () is a railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with Tsuruga Station in Tsuruga, Fukui. The line formerly extended as far as Naoetsu Station in ...

(Biwako Line) ( - Maibara, until 2023) *

Kosei Line The is a commuter rail line in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line was completed in 1974 by the former Japanese National Railways (JNR) to provide faster access from t ...

( - ) *

Osaka Loop Line The is a railway Circle route, loop line in Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It encircles central Osaka. Part of a second, outer loop line, the Osaka Higashi Line, from Hanaten Station, Hanaten to Kyuhoji Station, Kyuh ...

(only on Rapid service, Regional Rapid service and Local train) *

Osaka Higashi Line The (Literally: Osaka East Line) is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR-West). The line connects Ōsaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and ...

(from 12 March 2022) *

Kansai Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the boundary between both compan ...

(

Yamatoji Line The is the common name of the western portion of the Kansai Main Line in Japan. The line is owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It starts at Kamo Station (Kyoto), Kamo Station in Kyoto Prefecture and ends at JR Namba Stat ...

) ( - ) *

Nara Line The is a commuter rail line in the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan area, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Its official termini are Kizu Station in Kizugawa and Kyōto Station in Kyoto, within Kyoto Prefecture; however ...

Sakurai Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Nara Prefecture. It connects Nara Station, Nara on the Yamatoji Line to Takada Station (Nara), Takada on the Wakayama Line, with some services continuing on the Wakayama L ...

(Manyō-Mahoroba Line) *

Wakayama Line The is a railway line that links Nara Prefecture to Wakayama Prefecture, both in the Kansai region of Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It connects Ōji Station on the Yamatoji Line to Wakayama Station on the Hanwa Line ...

( - ) *

Akō Line is a railway line owned by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Aioi, Hyōgo to Okayama, Okayama in Japan. A loop line off the Sanyō Main Line, the Akō Line commences at Aioi, is situated south of the main line approximately parallel ...

( - , until 2023) *

Sanin Main Line The is a railway line in western Japan, which connects Kyoto and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is the major railway line of the San'in region, approximately paralleling the Japan Sea, crossing Kyot ...

(

Sagano Line The is the popular name for a portion of the Sanin Main Line in the suburbs of Kyoto, Japan. The electrified and double-tracked railway is a commuter rail line in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by W ...

) ( - ) *

Bantan Line The is a railway line that connects Himeji and Wadayama station in Asago City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The line is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and serves as a connector between the Sanyo Main Line and the Sanin Main L ...

( - , until 2023)

Formations

, the fleet consisted of 474 vehicles, formed as 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-car sets, based at Kyoto, Nara, and Aboshi depots.

Aboshi Depot

8-car sets (A prefix)

6-car sets (B prefix)

4-car sets (C prefix)

Nara Depot

8-car sets (NB prefix)

6-car sets (NC prefix)

4-car sets (NA prefix)

2-car sets

Kyoto Depot

4-car sets (K prefix)

The KuMoHa 221 cars in some formations are equipped with a second de-icing pantograph.

Interior

Seating is arranged as 2+2 abreast transverse flip-over seats. File:JR West series 221 seat2.JPG, The seat in a 221 series train File:JRW series221 inside.jpg, Original interior style in May 2009 file:JRW series221 inside(renewal).jpg, Interior of a refurbished train File:JR-221(3).jpg, Original LED passenger information display in September 2005 File:JRW series221 ledinfomation(renewal).jpg, LED passenger information display of a refurbished train in October 2014 file:JRW series221 toilet(renewal).jpg, Wheelchair-accessible toilet of a refurbished train

History

The first 221 series trains were introduced from the start of the revised timetable in March 1989. The 221 series received the

Laurel Prize The is an award presented annually in Japan since 1961 by the Japan Railfan Club. It is awarded for railway vehicles that entered service in the previous year and voted by the selection committee as having the most outstanding functional and des ...

in 1990.

Refurbishment

From December 2012, a programme of refurbishment started, which will ultimately cover the entire fleet of 474 vehicles. Interior improvements include new

universal access Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

toilets, provision of wheelchair spaces, and flip-up seating next to the doorways. The first refurbished set, 4-car set K12, was returned to revenue service on 11 January 2013.

References

{{JR-West rolling stock Electric multiple units of Japan West Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 1989 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan Kinki Sharyo multiple units Kawasaki multiple units Hitachi multiple units