417 series

417 series
K4 stored at Sendai Shinkansen Depot in June 2017
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	Hitachi
Type of locomotive	Electric multiple unit
Constructed	1977 – 1978
Number built	15 cars (5 sets)
Dimensions	787 in (20,000 mm) × 114 in (2,900 mm) × 144 in (3,654 mm)
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Power supply	Pantograph
Electric system(s)	20 kV AC (50/60 Hz), 1,500 V DC
Traction system	Resistor control
Service information
In service	3 August 1978 – 1 July 2007
Formation	3 cars per set
Number in service	None
Fleet numbers	K1 – K5
Scrapped	2008, 2019
Preservation information
Preserved	None
Number scrapped	15 cars (5 sets)

The 417 series was a Japanese dual-voltage suburban electric multiple unit operated by the Japanese National Railways and its successor the East Japan Railway Company from August 1978 to July 2007.

History

The 417 series was constructed as a train which could cope with the increased traffic in metropolitan areas and to be able to cope with cold weather. Five three-car sets, numbered K1 to K5, were built by Hitachi and were introduced on the Tōhoku Main Line on 3 August 1978.

These sets were mainly used on the Tōhoku Main Line, sometimes even on Sendai City Rabbit services. With the introduction of the E721 series sets, however, the sets slowly began to retire, and the last set retired on 1 July 2007. With their retirement, all five sets were stored in Rikuzen-Sannō Station for a time; most were scrapped later on.

After their retirement, set K1 was converted to become the lone AbukumaExpress A417 series set in 2007 that began operation in October 2008 on that railway; it was retired in May 2016 and subsequently scrapped. Set K4 was stored at Sendai Shinkansen Depot where it acted as a training set; it was removed in August 2019 with the introduction of 719 series set H40 as its replacement.

Design

The 417 series appears very similar to the older 415 series sets; in fact, the 417 series is a cold weather variation of the 415 series sets. However, there are ways to distinguish both sets; the main way being that the 417 series sets have two doors per side instead of three.

Specifications

Construction is of steel. Each car is 20 meters long. The traction system used in the sets is resistor-controlled, which was standard for the time.

Preservation

The following 417 series cars were preserved in the past but have since been scrapped:

Car number	Manufacturer	Date manufactured	Date retired	Previous sets	Last location	Notes
KuMoHa 417-3	Hitachi	March 1978	July 2007	K3	Sendai General Shinkansen Depot, Sendai, Japan	Complete 3-car set, used as training set; removed August 2019 and scrapped
MoHa 416-3
KuHa 416-3

See also

• AbukumaExpress A417 series, a set used on the Abukuma Express Line converted from former 417 series set K1