The is a two-car tilting

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) train type operated by

Shikoku Railway Company The , commonly known as , is the smallest of the seven constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates of intercity and local rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company has it ...

(JR Shikoku) in Japan since August 2017 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 in

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

Design

The trains are built by

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headquartered in Minato, To ...

to a "Neo Japonisme" concept, combining traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern styling. The trains operate at a maximum speed of in service. The trains use the same pneumatic tilt system as the 8600 series EMU trains (instead of the pendulum system used in the older 2000 series trains) to allow faster speeds on curves. The train features a database of curves along the line, allowing the train to begin tilting before reaching the curve. File:JR shikoku SA6D140HE-2 at tokushima.jpg, One of the underfloor SA6D140HE-2 diesel engines File:JR shikoku S-DT68 at tokushima.jpg, An S-DT68 bogie

Operations

The 2600 series trains are used on the

Yosan Line The is the principal railway line on the island of Shikoku in Japan, connecting the major cities of Shikoku, and via the Honshi-Bisan Line, with Honshu. It is operated by the Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku), and is aligned approximately p ...

Dosan Line The is a railway line in Shikoku, Japan, operated by the Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku). It connects Tadotsu Station in Tadotsu, Kagawa, Tadotsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Kagawa, and Kubokawa Station in Shimanto, Kōchi (town), Shimanto, Kōchi ...

, and

Kōtoku Line The is a railway line in northeastern Shikoku, Japan that connects the prefectural capitals Takamatsu ( Kagawa) and Tokushima (Tokushima). Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) owns and operates the line, whose name comes from the characters in ...

from December 2017, replacing the ageing 2000 series DMU trains.

Formation

The trains are formed as two-car sets, with both cars powered (one axle per bogie).

Interior

Passenger accommodation consists of ordinary-class 2+2 abreast reclining seats, with the same seat design as used on the 8600 series EMU trains. Each seat is provided with an AC power outlet. The Mc car has maroon colour seat covers, while the Mc' car has dark blue seat covers. The Mc' car has a toilet, while the Mc car includes a wheelchair space and

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 ...

toilet.

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 ...

is used throughout.

History

Details of the new trains were officially announced on 30 January 2017. The first two trainsets were delivered from the

factory in

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

to Takamatsu Depot in February 2017. Regular revenue service commenced on 2 December 2017, but prior to this, the sets were first used in revenue service on 11 August 2017 on a special charter service between and . From 12 to 15 August 2017, the two sets were also used on additional seasonal ''Awadori'' limited express services operating between Takamatsu and Tokushima.

Future developments

In September 2017, JR Shikoku announced that the pneumatic tilting system used on the trains did not operate effectively, and future trains built based on the 2600 series design would use a pendular tilting system instead. This led to the development of the 2700 series, which was first announced in 2018, and entered revenue service on 6 August 2019.

References

External links

Official website (archived on March 30, 2019)
{{JR Shikoku trainsets 2600 series 2600 series Tilting trains Train-related introductions in 2017 Kawasaki multiple units