The is an AC
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) on services in the
Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan.
...
area of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
since February 2007.
Variants
* E721-0 series 2-car sets, since February 2007
* E721-500 series 2-car sets, since March 2007
* E721-1000 series 4-car sets, since November 2016
* SAT721 series 2-car sets, since March 2007 (owned by
Sendai Airport Transit
The is an airport rail link service connecting Sendai Airport to Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. Rail service began on March 18, 2007.
Data
The third-sector Sendai Airport Transit Co., Ltd. (SAT) started construction of the line in 2002. The cons ...
)
* AB900 series 2-car sets, since July 2019
File:JRE EC721-0 20070325 001.jpg, E721-0 series set P-4 in March 2007
File:JRE E721 500.JPG, E721-500 series set P-502 in November 2007
File:JR-East-E721-1000.jpg, E721-1000 series set P4-14 in January 2017
File:SAT-721.JPG, SAT721 series set SA102 in March 2008
File:Abukuma-kyuko-AB900-AB1-20190221-133537.jpg, AB900 series set AB-1 on delivery at Zushi Station in February 2019
Operations
Formations
, the fleet consists of 42 two-car E721-0 series sets (P-2 to P-44), four E721-500 series two-car sets (P-501 to P-504), and three SAT721 series two-car sets (SA101 to SA103), formed as follows with one motored (Mc) and one trailer (Tc') car.
E721-0 series
The KuMoHa cars have one PS109 single-arm
pantograph
A pantograph (, from their original use for copying writing) is a Linkage (mechanical), mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a se ...
. The KuHa cars have a toilet.
E721-500 series
The KuMoHa cars have one PS109 single-arm pantograph. The KuHa cars have a toilet.
E721-1000 series
The 19 four-car E721-1000 series sets (P4-1 to P4-19) are formed as follows, with two motored ("M") cars and two non-powered trailer ("T") cars.
The KuHa E720 is located at the southern end.
The two motored cars (KuMoHa and MoHa) each have one PS109 single-arm pantograph.
The KuHa cars have a toilet.
File:JR East E721-1000 series P4-5 interior 20170108.jpg, The interior of car KuMoHa E721-1005 of set P4-5 in January 2017
File:JR East E721-1000 series LED information board 20170108.jpg, An LED passenger information panel above the doorway in car KuMoHa E721-1005 of set P4-5 in January 2017
SAT721 series
The two-car SAT721 series sets are formed as follows.
The KuMoHa cars have one PS109 single-arm pantograph. The KuHa cars have a toilet.
File:SAT721Train interior.jpg, The interior of car SAT721-101 in April 2017
File:SAT721Train carrycasespace.jpg, Priority seating and luggage space in car SAT721-101 in April 2017
AB900 series
The
Abukuma Express
, sometimes referred to as Abukuma Express, is a third-sector railway transportation company headquartered in Date, Fukushima, Japan. Its sole line is the Abukuma Express Line.
History
Abukuma Kyuko was founded on April 5, 1984, as a Public-Priva ...
AB900 series are derived from the E721-500 and SAT721 series used for
JR East
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 ...
.
Sets are formed as follows.
History
The first E721-0 series sets were delivered from December 2006, and entered service on 1 February 2007 on
Tohoku Main Line services.
The first E721-500 and SAT721 series sets were delivered from February 2006 and entered service on Sendai Airport services on 18 March 2007.
Two sets, P-1 and P-19, were derailed and badly damaged by 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 ...
on 11 March 2011 while at
Shinchi Station
is a railway station in the town of Shinchi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Operation of the station was suspended due to severe damage to the railway and station facilities caused by the 2011 Tō ...
. Both sets were
written off
A write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something. In accounting, this is a recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, this is a reduction of taxable income, as a recognition of certain expenses ...
and scrapped.
File:Shinchi Sta 20110404.jpg, The remains of sets P-1 and P-19 at Shinchi Station
is a railway station in the town of Shinchi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Operation of the station was suspended due to severe damage to the railway and station facilities caused by the 2011 Tō ...
after the tsunami in 2011

The first of a fleet of 19 new four-car E721-1000 sets (76 vehicles in total) was introduced on 30 November 2016
on
Tohoku Main Line,
Joban Line, and
Senzan Line
The is a railway line in Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it runs from Sendai Station (Miyagi), Sendai Station in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture to Uzen-Chitose Station in Yamagata, Yamagata, Yamagata, Yamagata Prefec ...
services, replacing older
719 series units.
The new trains are built by
J-TREC
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 Corp ...
, with construction shared between the company's Yokohama and Niitsu factories.
These trains feature LED interior lighting.
The first four E721-1000 series intermediate cars were delivered from J-TREC's Niitsu factory to its Yokohama factory in September 2016 to be combined with driving cars built there.
In order to replace their 8100 series trains,
Abukuma Express
, sometimes referred to as Abukuma Express, is a third-sector railway transportation company headquartered in Date, Fukushima, Japan. Its sole line is the Abukuma Express Line.
History
Abukuma Kyuko was founded on April 5, 1984, as a Public-Priva ...
announced the order of new AB900 series trains in summer 2018.
They are based on the E721 series,
and are the first new trains for Abukuma Express since 1988.
The first AB900 series set was delivered in February 2019.
It entered service on 1 July 2019.
Fleet/build details
The manufacturers and delivery dates for the fleet are as shown below.
E721-0 series
E721-500 series
The delivery of E721-500 series cars are as follows:
E721-1000 series
All manufactured by
J-TREC
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 Corp ...
.
SAT721 series

All sets are manufactured by Kawasaki and delivered as of 20 November 2006.
AB900 series
All sets are manufactured by J-TREC.
See also
*
Aoimori 703 series, a derivative for use on the
Aoimori Railway
The is a regional rail line in Aomori Prefecture, Japan that is operated by the Aoimori Railway Company. It connects Metoki Station, the terminal station of the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, to Aomori Station, the terminus of several rail lines ...
*
Railway electrification in Japan
References
External links
JR East E721 series
{{JR East EMU
Electric multiple units of Japan
J-TREC multiple units
East Japan Railway Company
20 kV AC multiple units
Train-related introductions in 2006
Tokyu Car multiple units
Kawasaki multiple units