The is 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) train type operated by the

private railway A private railway is a railroad run by a private business entity (usually a corporation but not need be), as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector. Japan In Japan, , commonly simply ''private railway'', refers to a public transit railway o ...

operator

Nankai Electric Railway is a private railway in Japan, founded in 1884. The name ''Nankai'' (which means "South Sea") comes from the company's routes along the Nankaidō, the old highway that ran south from the old capital, Kyoto, along the sea coast. Nankai predate ...

in Japan on ''Semboku Liner''

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 between and in

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...

since 27 January 2017.

Design

Based on the

Nankai 12000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Nankai Electric Railway in Japan on ''Southern Premium'' limited express services between and since September 2011. Two four-car trainsets were deliver ...

EMU design introduced in 2011 on

Nankai Main Line The is one of the two main railway lines of Japanese private railway company Nankai Electric Railway, together with Nankai Kōya Line, Kōya Line. The route is from Namba Station in south downtown of Osaka to Wakayamashi Station in Wakayama, Wa ...

''Southern'' services, the Semboku 12000 series sports a gold livery and has different coloured seat covers in each of the four cars.

Operations

The 12000 series is used on ''Semboku Liner''

services operating between and , via the

Nankai Koya Line The is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the Nankai Electric Railway, a private railway operator. It connects Osaka and Koyasan, the capital of the Japanese Buddhist sect Shingon, via the ...

, Semboku Rapid Railway Line. Semboku12021 SembokuLiner.jpg, Set 12021 on a ''Semboku Liner'' service in February 2017

Formation

The 12000 series is a four-car trainset, accommodating a total of 242 seated passengers. It is formed as follows, with two driving motor ("Mc") cars and two non-powered intermediate trailer ("T") cars. Car 1 is at the Izumi-Chuo end. Cars 1 and 4 each have one PT7144-B2 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 ...

Interior

Passenger accommodation consists of 2+2-abreast unidirectional seating, and each car has different colour seats, with red, green, purple, and yellow seat covers. LED lighting is used, and passenger information displays provide information in four languages. Car 1 has a wheelchair space and also toilet facilities, including a urinal, a women-only toilet, a

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, and a washing area. A drink vending machine is located in car 4. File:Senboku-liner-1 shanai.jpg, The interior of car 1 (gold-coloured seats) File:Senboku-liner-2 shanai.jpg, The interior of car 2 (green-coloured seats) File:Senboku-liner-3 shanai.jpg, The interior of car 3 (purple-coloured seats) File:Senboku-liner-4 shanai.jpg, The interior of car 4 (red-coloured seats) File:Semboku12000 deck.jpg, The vestibule area of car 3, with the vending machine in the adjoining car 4 visible File:Semboku12000 Toilet.jpg, The universal access toilet in car 1

History

Initial details of a new train on order for the

Semboku Rapid Railway The is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Nankai Electric Railway. The line connects Izumi-Chūō Station and Nakamozu Station, with through operations to and from the Kōya Line up to Namba ...

were announced in October 2016. The four-car trainset, 12021, was delivered from the

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 ...

factory in Yokohama to Wakayamashi in October 2016. On 21 January 2017, set 12021 was used on an invitation-only preview run between and . The trainset entered revenue service on 27 January 2017, following an official send-off ceremony at Izumi-Chūō Station. On 10 May 2024, Semboku announced that the 12000 series would receive a redesigned livery. It returned to service in the new livery on 30 May. Following the merger of the Semboku Rapid Railway into its parent company on 1 April 2025, all sets became property of

References

External links

Semboku Railway news release
{{Semboku Rapid Railway navbox Electric multiple units of Japan Train-related introductions in 2017 Rail transport in Osaka Prefecture Semboku Rapid Railway 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan J-TREC multiple units ja:南海12000系電車#泉北高速鉄道12000系