The is a diesel multiple unit that has been operated on express services since 1980 under

Japan National Railways The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

and later under

JR Hokkaido The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to by its official abbreviation: . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart c ...

and

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 ...

. Some variants were eventually built, including resort trains (the KiHa 183-5000 ''Niseko Express'', the KiHa 183-5100 ''Crystal Express Tomamu & Sahoro'', and the KiHa 183-5200 ''North Rainbow Express''). The sets remaining in service in Hokkaido were withdrawn after JR Hokkaido's March 18, 2023 timetable revision. Three cars (two KiHa 183-200 cars and one KiHa 183-5000 ''Niseko Express'' car) had their restoration crowdfunded and are stored in locations around Hokkaido. 17 cars were donated to the

State Railway of Thailand The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) (, abbrev. รฟท., ) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport (Thailand), Ministry of Transport in Thailand. History The SRT was founded as the Royal State Rail ...

, a further 19 cars were donated to

Myanmar Railways Rail transport in Myanmar consists of a railway network with 960 stations. The network, generally spanning north to south with branch lines to the east and west, is the second largest in Southeast Asia, and includes the Yangon Circular Railway ...

for use on the Mandalay-Nay Pyi Taw route and services using these cars ran from 2009 until 2012, when they were withdrawn. Several units were exported to

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

and

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

after withdrawal. The remaining cars were scrapped.

History

After finishing development in 1979, the 183 series went through a year and a half of testing, before entering service in 1981. In 1986, the 500/1500 variant was introduced, replacing the

KiHa 80 series The was a diesel multiple unit type that operated on express services from 1960 to 2002, under Japan National Railways and later under JR Hokkaido and JR Central. Two variants were initially built: the to replace the then steam-operated '' Ha ...

trains completely; in 1988, new owner

would introduce the 550/1550 variant, which was used on limited express services. In 2008, 19 KiHa 183 diesel cars were transferred to

for donation which they are supposed to be scrapped but instead, JR Kyushu managed to recondition these units for shipment to overseas for commercial use in Yangon, Myanmar. Operations started in 2009 on the Mandalay-Nay Pyi Taw route and ran until 2012, when Myanmar Railways discontinued the use of the KiHa 183 series. In September 2021, it was announced that 17 cars would be donated by JR Hokkaido to the

, with them bearing the shipping costs. In July 2022, JR Hokkaido announced plans to withdraw the KiHa 183 series from ''

Okhotsk Okhotsk ( rus, Охотск, p=ɐˈxotsk) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Okhotsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk. Population: ...

'' and '' Taisetsu'' limited-express services on the

Sekihoku Main Line is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between in Asahikawa and Abashiri Station in Abashiri. The name comes from the first Kanji characters of and , names of 19th century provinces along t ...

during the fiscal year; these services are expected to be taken over by newer

KiHa 283 series The is a tilting train, tilting diesel-hydraulic diesel multiple unit, multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) on limited express services in Hokkaido, Japan, since 1997. They were based on the KiHa 281 ...

trains. On 16 December 2022, JR Hokkaido finalized the date of withdrawal of the KiHa 183 series, announcing that they would be withdrawn ahead of JR Hokkaido's March 18 2023 timetable revision. In 2023, seven former JR Hokkaido cars were exported to the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

, where they are to be operated on the

Matadi–Kinshasa Railway The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway ( French: ''Chemin de fer Matadi-Kinshasa'') is a railway line in Kongo Central province between Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the port of Matadi. The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway was bu ...

. Most recently, several units of KiHa 183 DMUs exported to

and

respectively.

Manufactured cars

Prototype cars (183-900 series)

In 1979, 12 prototype cars were manufactured, which were numbered the -900 series. They were intended to be in sets made up of 7 cars, which could be extended to 10 cars for long-distance services. All cars were eventually modified to be included in production sets; they were eventually scrapped by 2001 due to age. :

Initial production sets (183-0 series)

The initial production sets were manufactured between 1981 and 1983, resulting in 89 cars, which were divided into 4 types. With the introduction of successor vehicles such as the

and KiHa 261-1000 series, all vehicles were scrapped by 2018. :

Later models

183-500 & 183-1500 series

36 cars of what would become the 183-500 and 183–1500 series were manufactured in 1986 at Niigata Engineering Co., Ltd. and

Fuji Heavy Industries , formerly , is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was named ...

, with the main purpose of improving the management base of JR Hokkaido. These cars were also known as the N183 series.

183-550 & 183-1550 series

28 cars of what would become the 183-550 and 183-1550 series were manufactured by

between 1988 and 1990. Also known as the NN183 series, these cars would feature changes to the bathroom and interior from the N183 series cars. These cars would also see installation of a fresh air intake to ensure no engine smoke entered the cabin.

Resort trains (183-5000, 183-5100 and 183-5200 series)

Due to the Sekishō Line opening in 1981 and the number of passengers to resort areas in the Central Hokkaido area increasing, a decision was made to modify the ''Alpha Continental'' 56 series train in 1985. After adding two services (the ''Furano Express'' and ''Tomamu-Sahoro Express'') based on the 80 series trains, the design was changed to that of the 183 series. In total, 3 sets (12 cars) were built, and the new sets began service, starting with the ''Niseko Express'' in 1989. This was followed by the ''Crystal Express Tomamu & Sahoro'' set in the same year and the ''North Rainbow Express'' set in 1992. The ''North Rainbow Express'' set originally consisted of three cars, but in December 1994, it was lengthened to five cars. Due to age, the ''Crystal Express'' set was withdrawn from service on 30 November 2019, and was scrapped in May 2020. In July 2022, JR Hokkaido announced that the ''North Rainbow Express'' set would be withdrawn from service in Q1 2023.

= 183-5000 series (''Niseko Express'')

= ; KiHa 183-5000 (5001–5002) : An ordinary driving car with a capacity of 48 people and equipped with a bathroom. Two cars of this type were built in 1988. ; KiHa 182-5000 (5001) : An intermediate passenger car with a capacity of 56, equipped with a telephone room.

= 183-5100 series (''Crystal Express Tomamu & Sahoro'')

= ; KiHa 183-5100 (5101–5102) : An ordinary driving car equipped with an observation deck. It had eight observation seats, but due to risk mitigation measures caused by a

789 series The is an AC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) on limited express services in Hokkaido, Japan, since 2002. Two variants exist: the original 789 series for use on ''Lilac'' services (form ...

train colliding with a level crossing in January 2010, the deck was closed off. ; KiHa 182-5100 (5101) : An intermediate passenger car with a capacity of 56 people, equipped with a skylight. ; KiSaRoHa 182-5100 (5101) : A double-deck car built in December 1990. It is not equipped with an engine.

= 183-5200 series (''North Rainbow Express'')

= ; KiHa 183-5200 (5201–5202) : An ordinary driving car with a capacity of 47 people. KiHa 183-5201 was damaged in an accident in February 1997, and was substituted with the KiHa 183-1 car while repair works took place. ; KiHa 182-5200 (5201, 5251) : An intermediate passenger car with a capacity of 60 people. ; KiSaHa 182-5200 (5201) : A double deck passenger car with a capacity of 36 people, equipped with a buffet room on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor. :

183-1000 series (JR Kyushu)

Four cars of what would be known as the 183-1000 series were manufactured between 1988 and 1989, originally for services to the Holland Village located in

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

. Due to the Tosu to Mojikō section of the

Kagoshima Main Line The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojiko Station, Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it ...

experiencing high demand, a coupler was added to the front end to enable joint working with

485 series The (and the earlier 481 and 483 series variants) was a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit (EMU) type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and later operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), West Jap ...

trains. ; KiHa 183-1000 (1001, 1002) : Two cars were produced in 1988. They do not have an in-built power supply. ; KiHa 182-1000 (1001, 1002) : An intermediate car; one (1001) was manufactured in 1988, and was equipped with a power supply as well as cafe and small rooms. Another car (1002) was manufactured in 1989 and came equipped with an engine as well as having an onboard children's play area. :

Special services

''Asahiyama Zoo''

In 2007, several KiHa 183–0 series cars were renovated for use on the ''Asahiyama Zoo'' limited express service (which was named because of the zoo's popularity) from

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

Asahikawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city i ...

, which also made stops at

Iwamizawa is a city in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sorachi Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 75,949 and the density of 158 persons per km2. The total area is . On March 27, 2006 ...

and Takikawa stations. Designed by former zookeeper and children's book author Hiroshi Abe, the complete set consisted of the ''Polar Bear'' (KiHa 183–3), ''Wolf'' (KiHa 182–46), ''Lion'' (KiHa 182–47), ''Chimpanzee'' (KiHa 182–48), and ''Penguin'' (KiHa 183–4) cars, and the external livery consisted of drawn children and animals. In addition to changes to the children's playroom in the ''Polar Bear'' car and the introduction of a nursing room in the ''Penguin'' car, each car was equipped with a seat that was shaped like an animal (known as a "hug-hug" chair), intended for photography. These were replaced with stuffed animals in some seats in 2013. This set ran from 2007 (with a brief pause between April and July 2013 due to refurbishment works) to March 2018, when the set was scrapped. The ''Asahiyama Zoo'' service was transferred to

trains, and was eventually integrated with ''Lilac'' services.

Preserved cars

183-214, 183-220

The restoration of 183-214 was funded by crowdfunding, and after being restored to JNR colors, it eventually was placed in the Abira Roadside Station, alongside 183–220. Whilst 183-214 is on public display, 183-220 is in storage.

183-5001 (''Niseko Express'')

After having its restoration crowdfunded, it is now stored at the Arishima Memorial Hall.

References

{{JR Kyushu rolling stock

183 Year 183 ( CLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 936 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...

Rolling stock of Thailand Passenger rail transport in Myanmar Passenger rail transport in Cambodia Japanese National Railways

Train-related introductions in 1980