The is an AC/DC dual-voltage
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
East Japan Railway Company
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...
(JR East) in Japan on
limited express
A limited express is a type of express train or express bus service that stops at fewer locations compared to other express services on the same or similar routes.
Japan
The term "limited express" is a common translation of the Japanese ...
services between in Tokyo and on the
Joban Line since March 2012.
The trains replaced the
651 series
Year 651 ( DCLI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 651 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming ...
and
E653 series
The is an AC/ DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan on limited express services since 1997. Originally used on Joban Line '' Fresh Hitachi'' limited express services ...
EMUs previously used on ''
Super Hitachi'' and ''Fresh Hitachi'' limited express services on the Joban Line. The first train in revenue service ran on 3 March 2012, in the form of a special return '' Super Hitachi'' limited express service between Ueno and Iwaki, with regular scheduled services starting from the revised timetable on 17 March 2012.
The initial order of sixteen 10-car sets was in service by the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2013.
Design
The front end design is derived from the earlier ''Super Hitachi'' 651 series trains, and the pale pink body colour with red lining is intended to evoke an image of the ''
ume
''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...
'' plums for which the area served by the trains is famous.
The end cars and Green (first class) cars feature full
active suspension
An active suspension is a type of Suspension (vehicle), automotive suspension that uses an onboard control system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels and axles relative to the chassis or vehicle frame, rather than the conventi ...
for improved ride quality, and
yaw dampers are fitted between cars.
Bogies
The DT78 (motored) and TR263 (trailer) bolsterless bogies are developed from the DT77 and TR262 bogies used on the
E259 series
The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan since October 2009 on ''Narita Express'' limited express services to and from Narita International Airport.
Design
The design of the ...
EMUs, with improvements to cope with the increased vehicle weight and provide increased snow and cold weather resistance.
The end bogies of the Tc driving cars are designated TR263, the inner bogies of the Tc driving cars and the Ts car are designated TR263A, and the bogies on the T1 car are designated TR262B.
All the bogies use tread brakes, and the trailer bogies additionally use two disc brakes per axle.
Wheel diameter is , and the distance between wheel centres is .
Formation
Each unit consists of ten cars, formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Ueno end. The six "M" cars are motored.
Cars 2, 6, and 8 each have one PS37A single-arm pantograph.
Interior
Internally, the Green car (first class) accommodation is in 2+2 abreast configuration with a seat pitch of . Standard class is arranged 2+2 with a seat pitch of , compared to for ''Super Hitachi'' 651 series trains and for ''Fresh Hitachi'' E653 series trains.
AC power outlets are provided at each seat, and
WiMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options.
The WiMA ...
wireless broadband internet access is available.
The trains include
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 and security cameras.
Between October 2013 and around March 2015, the fleet was scheduled to be retro-fitted with LED seat reservation status indicators above each seat.
History
In March 2011, the first completed five cars (half a set - cars 1 to 5) were delivered from
Kinki Sharyo
is a Japanese manufacturer of railroad vehicles based in Osaka. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation. In business since 1920 as Tanaka Rolling Stock Works, and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945, they produce rolling stock f ...
's Osaka factory and moved to
Hitachi
() is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...
's factory in
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...
.
The first 10-car set was then scheduled to be moved from Hitachi's factory to JR East's Katsuta Depot on the Jōban Line in April, but this was postponed until May 2011 due to the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
.
Test running on the Jōban Line commenced on 27 May 2011.
Seven sets were delivered for the start of the revised timetable from 17 March 2012.
The first E657 series set built by
Japan Transport Engineering Company
is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan, formerly known as . The company is based in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, and a member of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) group. J-TREC manufactures rail vehicles not only for JR East and Tokyu Corpo ...
(J-TREC) in Yokohama, K-9, was delivered in August 2012. This was also the first train to be built for JR East by the company following its renaming from Tokyu Car Corporation.
In June 2025, JR East announced its plans to introduce a new overnight express train service in 2027, which will be operated by a modified E657 series set. The service is planned to operate in areas including the Tokyo metropolitan area and northern Tōhoku region.
File:E657 K1 Minami-Nagareyama 20110523.jpg, First E657 series set, K-1, being delivered, May 2011
File:JR East E657-E655-1 20110928 osaki.jpg, Test running with E655 series "TR" imperial train coach E655-1 sandwiched in E657 series set K-1, September 2011
Special liveries
''Fresh Hitachi''
As part of its Ibaraki Destination Campaign which was planned to run between 1 October and 31 December 2023, JR East announced in November 2022 that five E657 series sets would be repainted in the liveries used with the E653 series sets during their use on ''Fresh Hitachi'' limited express services. The first set to be repainted, K-17, received the green "green lake" livery and returned to service in December 2022; the second set to be repainted, K-12, received the red "scarlet blossom" livery and returned to service on 12 February 2023; the third set to be repainted, K-2, received the yellow "
narcissus" livery and returned to service on 29 April 2023; the fourth set to be repainted, K-1, received the blue "blue ocean" livery and returned to service on 10 June 2023; and the fifth and last set to be repainted, K-3, received the orange "orange persimmon" livery on 27 September 2023.
Fleet/build details
The manufacturers and delivery dates for the fleet are as shown below.
References
External links
JR East press release announcing new trains
{{JR East EMU
East Japan Railway Company
Jōban Line
Electric multiple units of Japan
Hitachi multiple units
J-TREC multiple units
Kinki Sharyo multiple units
Train-related introductions in 2012
1500 V DC multiple units of Japan
20 kV AC multiple units