521 series


The 521 series is a dual-voltage AC/DC outer-suburban electric multiple unit train type operated by West Japan Railway Company and the third-sector railway operators IR Ishikawa Railway and Ainokaze Toyama Railway on local services in the Fukui and Kanazawa areas since November 2006.

Design

The 521 series was the first dual-voltage suburban EMU type to be built for JR West. The body of the first two batches was based on the 223-5000 series suburban EMU design, with the same WMT102C 230 kW traction motors. The sets are able to be used on wanman driver-only operation services.

Operations

JR West

, JR West operates 35 two-car sets, allocated to Kanazawa depot, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway operates 16 two-car sets, and the IR Ishikawa Railway operates five two-car sets.
19 third-batch two-car sets were delivered to Tsuruga Depot in fiscal 2013. The third-batch sets have cab ends based on the JR West 225 series EMUs, with improved crash resistance, and use LED lighting for interior lighting. These sets entered revenue service in spring 2014.

Formations

Sets consist of one motored and one non-powered trailer car, and are formed as follows.
DesignationMcTpc'
NumberingKuMoHa 521KuHa 520
Capacity 129/48129/40
Weight43.2 t44.3 t

The KuHa 520 cars are each fitted with one WPD28D single-arm pantograph.

Interior

Seating is arranged as 2+2 abreast transverse flip-over seats. The KuHa 520 cars include a toilet.

History

The first five sets, E01 to E05, were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Kinki Sharyo, and were delivered to Fukui depot between September and October 2006. These entered revenue service from 30 November 2006. The fleet was reallocated to Tsuruga Depot from 1 June 2010.
Ten more sets, G01 to G10, built by Kinki Sharyo, were delivered to Kanazawa depot between October 2009 and March 2010, entering revenue service from 13 March 2010. A further five sets, G11 to G15, were delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in December 2010 and January 2011. 15 more sets, M01 to M15, were delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries to Tsuruga Depot between January and March 2011.

Other operators

16 two-car 521 series sets were transferred to the third-sector railway operating company Ainokaze Toyama Railway for use from 14 March 2015 when JR West handed over ownership of the sections of the Hokuriku Main Line in Toyama Prefecture running parallel to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen. Likewise, three two-car sets were transferred to the IR Ishikawa Railway, which took over control of the section of the Hokuriku Main Line in Ishikawa Prefecture from 14 March 2015. Two more sets were newly built for the IR Ishikawa Railway.

Ainokaze Toyama Railway

, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway 521 series fleet is as follows.
Set No.Former set No.ManufacturerDelivery date
AK01G06Kinki Sharyo27 October 2009
AK02G07Kinki Sharyo27 October 2009
AK03G08Kinki Sharyo22 December 2009
AK04G09Kinki Sharyo22 December 2009
AK05G11Kinki Sharyo15 February 2010
AK06G12Kinki Sharyo15 February 2010
AK07G13Kinki Sharyo2 March 2010
AK08G15Kinki Sharyo2 March 2010
AK09G16Kawasaki Heavy Industries18 December 2010
AK10G17Kawasaki Heavy Industries18 December 2010
AK11G18Kawasaki Heavy Industries18 December 2010
AK12G21Kawasaki Heavy Industries12 January 2011
AK13G23Kawasaki Heavy Industries26 January 2011
AK14G24Kawasaki Heavy Industries26 January 2011
AK15G31Kawasaki Heavy Industries24 February 2011
AK16G32Kawasaki Heavy Industries24 February 2011
AK17-Kawasaki Heavy Industries12 December 2017

Five new two-car 521-1000 series sets are scheduled to be introduced over a period of six years, with the first set delivered in December 2017. These sets are based on the JR West 3rd-batch design, and are intended to replace the operator's ageing 413 series EMUs.

IR Ishikawa Railway

, the IR Ishikawa Railway 521 series fleet is as follows.
Set No.Former set No.ManufacturerDelivery dateLivery accent colour
IR01G10Kinki Sharyo22 December 2009 Light green
IR02G14Kinki Sharyo2 March 2010 Purple
IR03G30Kawasaki Heavy Industries15 February 2011 Indigo
IR04-Kinki Sharyo6 February 2015 Ochre
IR05-Kinki Sharyo6 February 2015 Maroon