The is a two-car

battery electric multiple unit A battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), battery electric railcar or accumulator railcar is an electrically driven multiple unit or railcar whose energy can be supplied from rechargeable batteries driving the traction motors. Prime advantages of ...

(BEMU) 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 the

Oga Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Oiwake Station (Akita), Oiwake Station in Akita, Akita, Akita, Akita Prefecture to Oga Station in Oga, Akita, Oga, Akita Prefecture. It is nicknamed th ...

Akita Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is estimated 915,691 as of 1 August 2023 and its geographi ...

in northern Japan since 4 March 2017.

Overview

The train is derived from the experimental

817 series The is an AC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on commuter and local services by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Japan since 2001. The design was based on the earlier 815 series, with transverse seating replacing the previo ...

BEMU train developed by

JR Kyushu The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait be ...

, and will incorporate modifications to cope with the colder climate of Akita Prefecture. The two-car EV-E801 series train operates as an

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) under the 20 kV AC overhead wire of the Ou Main Line between and , a distance of , and on battery power over the non-electrified

tracks between Oiwake and , a distance of , replacing existing KiHa 40

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMU) trains. It can also be recharged via its

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 ...

at a 20 kV AC recharging facility specially built at Oga Station. The EV-E800 car is equipped with lithium-ion storage batteries with a total capacity of 360 kWh (at 1,598 V), and operates at a maximum speed of under overhead wires and at on battery power over non-electrified tracks.

Formation

The two-car train is formed as shown below, with one driving motor ("Mc") and one driving trailer ("Tc") car. The Mc car is fitted with one single-arm pantograph. File:JR East EV-E801 exhibition at Akita Station 20170224-d.jpg, Car EV-E801-1 in February 2017 File:Sideview of EV-E801.jpg, Car EV-E801-1 (left) and EV-E800-1 (right) in February 2017 File:JR East EV-E801 exhibition at Akita Station 20170224-a.jpg, Car EV-E800-1 in February 2017

Interior

Internally, the train uses

LED lighting An LED lamp or LED light is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps. The most efficient commercia ...

throughout. Seating accommodation consists of longitudinal bench seating. Both cars have a toilet. File:Interior of EV-E801-1 a.jpg, The interior of car EV-E801-1 in February 2017, looking toward the driving end File:Interior of EV-E801-1 b.jpg, The interior of car EV-E801-1 in February 2017 File:Interior of EV-E800-1.jpg, The interior of car EV-E800-1 in February 2017 File:EV-E800-1 wheelchair space.jpg, The wheelchair and pushchair space in car EV-E800-1 in February 2017 File:EV-E800-1 sanitation.jpg, The toilet in car EV-E800-1 in February 2017 File:EV-E801-1 driving cab.jpg, The driving cab of car EV-E801-1 in February 2017

History

Initial details of the new train were formally announced by JR East on 20 November 2015. The train underwent evaluation and proving trials on the Oga Line prior to scheduled services in March 2017. The two-car trainset was delivered from the

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 ...

factory in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi to Akita Depot in December 2016. On November 2, 2020, two new sets G2 and G3 were delivered from Hitachi and arrived at Akita depot on November 4. The sets were coupled to each other and transported by a freight locomotive. Additionally on November 16, 2020, three more sets G4, G5, and G6 were delivered and arrived at Akita depot two days later. In December 2023, a winter snowstorm stranded sets G5/G6 in the middle of Oga Line at a

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...

station, requiring a

DE10 The is a class of Japanese C-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotives. 708 locomotives were built between 1966 and 1978. , 138 locomotives remained in operation. Variants DE10-0 subclass 158 DE10-0 locomotives were built with steam g ...

diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover (locomotive), power source is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is con ...

to rescue both sets at the same time.

References

External links

JR East news release published 20 November 2015
{{JR East EMU Electric multiple units of Japan East Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2017 Hitachi multiple units 20 kV AC multiple units Battery electric multiple units