The is a commuter

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 ...

type operated by

Nagoya Railroad , publicly trading as , is a private railway company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Some of the more famous trains operated by Meitetsu include the ''Panorama Car'' and the ''Panorama Car Super'', both of whic ...

(Meitetsu) in Japan since 1978. There is also a 200 series type, operated since 1991, which is very similar to the 100 series. The 100 series and 200 series trains run on the

Inuyama Line The is a 26.8 km Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu), which connects Biwajima Junction in Kiyosu with station in Kakamigahara. Together with the Meitetsu Kakamigahara Line, the line f ...

and

Toyota Line The is a railway line in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad) connecting Umetsubo station in Toyota with Akaike Station in Nisshin. The line operates a through service onto the Nagoya ...

and provide through service to the

Tsurumai Line The is a subway line in Nagoya, Japan, part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system. It runs from Kami-Otai in Nishi-ku, Nagoya to Akaike in Nisshin. The Tsurumai Line's color on maps is light blue and stations are labeled with the prefix " ...

Nagoya Municipal Subway The , also referred to as simply the Nagoya Subway, is a rapid transit system serving Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture in Japan. It consists of six lines that cover of route and serve 87 stations. Approximately 90% of the subway's total t ...

History

Background

In the 1950s,

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

saw a surge in population thanks to its local car industry. Despite this increase, no railway connected Toyota to

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

, forcing local residents to use cars. The area around Nagoya suffered from frequent traffic congestions due to spike in automobile usage. After a proposal in 1972 proposing around 139km of railway network around Nagoya including existing lines, Meitetsu gave away construction permits for the section between

Yagoto is a neighbourhood that straddles Mizuho ward, Shōwa ward, and Tempaku ward in eastern Nagoya, central Japan. History The area is also known as Yagotoyama. During the Edo period, the area thrived as a pilgrimage area with various temple ...

and Akaike which was inherited from one of the railway companies Meitetsu absorbed to the

, while also building the section between Akaike and

Toyotashi Station file:Meitetsu-Mikawa-line-Toyotashi-station-platform-20150503-162634.jpg, 270px, Platforms is a junction train station, railway station in the city of Toyota, Aichi, Japan, operated by Nagoya Railroad, Meitetsu. Lines Toyotashi Station is serve ...

. The two groups agreed to run through service from Toyotashi to Kami-Otai, which went through the

and

Meitetsu Toyota Line The is a railway line in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad) connecting Umetsubo Station, Umetsubo station in Toyota, Aichi, Toyota with Akaike Station (Aichi), Akaike Station in Nisshi ...

. The Meitetsu 100 series was designed for this through service.

After entering service

Future

On 8 May 2025, Meitetsu announced its plans to replace the 100 series fleet with new 500 series trains from fiscal 2026.

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{Meitetsu trainsets Electric multiple units of Japan 100 series Train-related introductions in 1978 Nippon Sharyo multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan