733 series

733 series
B3111 and B3211 in August 2023
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Type of locomotive	Electric multiple unit
Family name	efACE
Constructed	2012 – 2018
Number built	141 cars
Dimensions	853 in (21,670 mm) (end cars) × 114 in (2,892 mm) × 159 in (4,045 mm)
Gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Power supply	Pantograph
Electric system(s)	20 kV AC (50 Hz)
Traction system	Variable frequency (IGBT)
Traction system model	Hitachi N-CI733 Hitachi N-CI733-2
Service information
In service	1 June 2012 – Present
Formation	3 or 6 cars per set
Number in service	105 cars
Fleet numbers	B101 – B121, B1001 – B1004, B3101 – B3111, B3201 – B3211
Preservation information
Preserved	0
Number scrapped	0

The 733 series is a Japanese suburban electric multiple unit operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company since June 2012.

History

The 733 series sets have been constructed since 2012 as the first commuter train type ordered by JR Hokkaido that was able to satisfy a variety of needs with the introduction of new technology, including barrier-free compliance along with being of a universal design.

The sets have been built since 2012 by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and entered service on 1 June 2012 on suburban services. As of June 2018, 117 cars have been built, with 105 cars currently in service, all in three- or six-car formations. All cars are based at either Sapporo or Hakodate Depot; three-car sets are used for normal suburban services, while six-car sets are mostly used on Rapid Airport services and feature special U-seat cars.

The sets can operate in multiple with the 721, 731 and 735 series sets, but cannot operate in multiple with the KiHa 201 series sets.

Design

The 733 series sets adopted a new body style started by the 731 series sets that forms the basic design language for later suburban-style trains that were to be built for JR Hokkaido, although there are some differences between both sets' body styles; while their appearance is practically identical, the 733 series sets' body is slightly wider than the 731 series sets it is based on. The sets have two pairs of headlights; a pair of top-mounted headlights and a pair of body-mounted headlights. The sets' body-mounted headlights use a combination of high-intensity discharge and shield-beam headlights, while the top-mounted headlights are simply shield-beam headlights; later-build sets feature a combination of high-intensity discharge and LED fixtures for both pairs of headlights.

The 733 and 733-3000 series sets sport an unpainted stainless steel body with green accents, a color scheme very similar to that used on the 721 series sets. However, the 733-1000 series sets, the newest variant of the 733 series sets, sport a different paintjob altogether, with an unpainted stainless steel body and purple accents. U-seat cars sport blue and red accents on their sides, along with the U-seat logo.

Due to their color scheme, the 733 series sets appear extremely similar to the 735 series sets; however, there are ways to tell them apart. Other than the fleet numbers of the sets being entirely different (i.e. B1001 for the 733 series and A101 for the 735 series), the most telltale difference between both sets is that the 735 series sport completely unpainted aluminum bodies with no green stripe down the side, as opposed to the 733 series sets which sport a green stripe down the side.

Specifications

Construction is of stainless steel. End cars are 21.67 meters long, 2.892 meters wide and 4.045 meters high. The 733 series sets use insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives produced by Hitachi which produce a low hissing sound.

References

• Wikipedia.org