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The E233 series is a Japanese commuter electric multiple unit operated by the East Japan Railway Company since December 2006 on both urban commuter and suburban long-distance services. It is one of a few main types of rolling stock used on urban commuter services on JR East, with another being the E231 series sets, which the E233 series sets are designed to complement.

History[]

The E233 series was designed in 2006 to replace various city commuter trains like 103, 201, 203, 205, 207 series and 209 series sets due to aging. The first set, H43, was delivered in September 2006 and began test running that month; the sets entered service on 26 December 2006 on the Chūō Line (Rapid). However, the E233 series weren't manufactured to replace the rolling stock of the Chūō-Sōbu Line, as the E231 series sets on the line are sufficient enough to last a few more years.

Most cars are still in service and are based at various depots around Japan. A total of seven cars have been scrapped due to accident damage.

Design[]

The E233 series uses a modern design with an unpainted stainless steel body very much like most JR East commuter trains. The basic designs of the sets was designed by industrial designer Kenji Ekuan of GK Design Group. Each set has a different color scheme to indicate which area the sets serve. Unlike the E231 series sets however, the E233 series sets have a standardized body style for all lines, with the exception of the narrow-bodied E233-2000 series sets. Most E233 series sets have dual top-mounted high-intensity discharge headlights; some sets have had those headlights switched out for more modern square-shaped LED fixtures.

Variations[]

Livery variations
Variant Front end Body side Lines served

E233-0 series

Chūō Line (Rapid), Fuji Kyuko Line, Hachikō Line, Itsukaichi Line, Ōme Line


E233-1000 series

Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Negishi Line


E233-2000 series

Jōban Line, Odakyu Odawara Line, Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line


E233-3000 series

Ryōmō Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line, Tōkaidō Main Line, Ueno-Tokyo Line, Utsunomiya Line


E233-5000 series

Keiyō Line


E233-6000 series
Yokohama Line, Negishi Line

E233-7000 series

Kawagoe Line, Saikyō Line, TWR Rinkai Line


E233-8000/E233-8500 series

Nambu Line

Cab design variations

There are two cab design variations of the E233 series. One is used for the E233-2000 series sets and the other is a standard body design used on all other variations; within the standard body design, there is a small variation in where the location of the service number LED display is placed.

Specifications[]

Construction is of stainless steel. Cars are 20 meters long, 2.95 meters wide and 3.98 meters high. Almost all variants of the E233 series use Mitsubishi insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives; these make a hissing sound when accelerating from idle. However, the later E233-3000 series sets use a different kind of variable frequency drive; a two-level IGBT drive manufactured by Hitachi, which makes a higher-pitched wooshing sound.

The E233 series sets are one of a few sets which are the blueprints for successive trains developed by JR East; others include the E231 and 209 series sets. The sets came with full-color LED destination displays from new, with LED end-of-train lights located next to the destination displays.

Incidents[]

Ōme E233-0 Ao661 Aftermath 2008

Extent of the damage to Ao661

On 8 September 2008, a Ōme Line ten-car E233-0 series set Ao661 rammed into a truck that was stuck at a level crossing at 6:25pm JST. The truck was completely destroyed by the crash, while six cars of the set were damaged, of which five sustained severe damage. The truck driver escaped with minor injuries, but there were no injuries to the train driver, conductor or passengers due to crushable zones built-in to the E233 series' cabs. Five replacement cars were manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries; the replacement cars retained their original numbers, while the five cars severely damaged by the crash were scrapped at the Tokyo General Rolling Stock Centre.

Keihin-Tōhoku E233-1000 177 Kawasaki

Extent of the damage to Ura177

Keihin-Tōhoku Line E233-1000 series set Ura177 collided with a track maintenance vehicle on 23 February 2014 at 1:11am JST while carrying an empty stock train near Kawasaki Station; the first two cars of the set derailed with the first car ending up on its side. The driver and conductor escaped the incident with minor injuries; no passengers were on board at the time. The reason for the crash was determined to be the track maintenance crew; the crew accidentally dispatched the track maintenance vehicle, forgetting about the last train service on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line. Both of the cars that derailed suffered severe damage and were officially withdrawn on 4 December 2016 and scrapped the same month.

Trivia[]

  • Because of tetraphobia in Japan, no E233-4000 series trains were ever designed or manufactured; this is due to one of a few ways to say the number "4" being notably similar to one of a number of ways the word "death" is said in Japan.

References[]

JR East rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: E2E3E5E6E7E8
Non-revenue Shinkansen: E926E956
Commuter: 701719E721
Limited Express: E751
DC EMUs Commuter: 115E127E129E131205209211E217E231E233E235
Limited Express: 185253E257E259E261E353
Non-revenue: 209-0
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 415E501E531
Limited Express: E653E657
Charter: E655
Non-revenue: E491E493
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 100KiHa 110KiHa E120KiHa E130
Non-revenue: KiYa E193KiYa E195
AC BEMUs Commuter: EV-E801
DC BEMUs Commuter: EV-E301
Hybrid MUs Commuter: KiHa E200HB-E210GV-E400
Charter: E001HB-E300
Non-revenue: GV-E197
Fuel cell MUs Non-revenue: FV-E991
Other MUs Non-revenue: E991
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 200400E1E4
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 925952/953E954E955
Commuter: 715717
Non-revenue: 740743
DC EMUs Commuter: 12101103105107113123201203207215301E331
Limited Express: 157165167169183189251255E351
Non-revenue: 90143145193901E993
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 417451453455457
Limited Express: 485489583651
Non-revenue: 441443497E991
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 38KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 58
Charter: KiHa 141
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
Hybrid MUs Non-revenue: KiYa E991KuMoYa E995
Future Hybrid MUs Commuter: HB-E220
JR rolling stock
Shinkansen
Active JR West 500700N700N700SW7
JR East E2E3E5E6E7E8
JR Central N700N700S
JR Kyushu N700N700S800
JR Hokkaido H5
Withdrawn JR West 0100300
JR East 200400E1E4
JR Central 0100300700
Future JR Central L0
Non-revenue JNR 9229259419519619621000
JR West 922923500-900
JR East 925952/953E926E954E955E956
JR Central 922923955
RTRI FGT-9000GCT01GCT01-200ML100ML500ML500RMLU001MLU002MLU002NMLX01
Other JR Central Super Hikari Model
JR East rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: E2E3E5E6E7E8
Non-revenue Shinkansen: E926E956
Commuter: 701719E721
Limited Express: E751
DC EMUs Commuter: 115E127E129E131205209211E217E231E233E235
Limited Express: 185253E257E259E261E353
Non-revenue: 209-0
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 415E501E531
Limited Express: E653E657
Charter: E655
Non-revenue: E491E493
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 100KiHa 110KiHa E120KiHa E130
Non-revenue: KiYa E193KiYa E195
AC BEMUs Commuter: EV-E801
DC BEMUs Commuter: EV-E301
Hybrid MUs Commuter: KiHa E200HB-E210GV-E400
Charter: E001HB-E300
Non-revenue: GV-E197
Fuel cell MUs Non-revenue: FV-E991
Other MUs Non-revenue: E991
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 200400E1E4
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 925952/953E954E955
Commuter: 715717
Non-revenue: 740743
DC EMUs Commuter: 12101103105107113123201203207215301E331
Limited Express: 157165167169183189251255E351
Non-revenue: 90143145193901E993
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 417451453455457
Limited Express: 485489583651
Non-revenue: 441443497E991
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 38KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 58
Charter: KiHa 141
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
Hybrid MUs Non-revenue: KiYa E991KuMoYa E995
Future Hybrid MUs Commuter: HB-E220
JR West rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: 500700N700N700SW7
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 923
DC EMUs Commuter: 103105113115117123125201205207213221223225227321323
Limited Express: 271273281283285287289381
Non-revenue: 145
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 521
Limited Express: 681683
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 120KiHa 121/126KiHa 122/127
Limited Express: KiHa 187KiHa 189
Non-revenue: KiYa 141KiYa 143
Hybrid DEMUs Charter: 87
Non-revenue: DEC700DEC741
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100300
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 922500-900
DC EMUs Commuter: 428384101211
Limited Express: 165167183
Non-revenue: 9091213/223-9000441
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 413415419455457471475
Limited Express: 485489583
Non-revenue: 443
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 33KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 45KiHa 52
Express: KiHa 58KiHa 65
Limited Express: KiHa 181
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
Hybrid BEMUs Commuter: DGBC2
JR Central rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: N700N700S
DC EMUs Commuter: 211213311313315
Limited Express: 285373383
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 11KiHa 25KiHa 75
Limited Express: HC85
Non-revenue: KiYa 95KiYa 97
Withdrawn AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100300700
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 922923955
DC EMUs Commuter: 12103105113115117119123
Limited Express: 165371381
Non-revenue: 90145193
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 30KiHa 40
Express: KiHa 58KiHa 65
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 85
Future DC EMUs Limited Express: 385
Maglevs Maglev: L0
Proposed AC EMUs Shinkansen: Super Hikari Model
JR Kyushu rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: N700N700S800
Commuter: 713811813815817821
Limited Express: 783787883885
DC EMUs Commuter: 103303305
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 415
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 40KiHa 125KiHa 200
Limited Express: KiHa 71KiHa 72KiHa 183-1000KiHa 185
Charter: KiHa 125-400
Non-revenue: BE220
AC BEMUs Commuter: BEC819
Hybrid MUs Commuter: YC1
Withdrawn AC EMUs Commuter: 715717
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 457475
Limited Express: 485
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 31KiHa 35KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 58KiHa 65KiHa 66
JR Hokkaido rolling stock
Active AC EMUs Shinkansen: H5
Commuter: 721731733735737
Limited Express: 785789
DMUs Commuter: H100KiHa 40KiHa 54KiHa 141KiHa 150KiHa 201
Limited Express: KiHa 261KiHa 281KiHa 283
Non-revenue: KiYa 291
Withdrawn AC EMUs Commuter: 711
Limited Express: 781
Dual-current EMUs Limited Express: 485583
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 22KiHa 45KiHa 130
Express: KiHa 56
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 183 series(KiHa 183-5000KiHa 183-5100KiHa 183-5200)
Non-revenue: KiHa 160KiHa 285
Future Fuel cell MUs Commuter: Unclassified
JR Shikoku rolling stock
Active DC EMUs Commuter: 1131215000600070007200
Limited Express: 80008600
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 32KiHa 40KiHa 54100012001500
Limited Express: KiHa 1852000N200026002700
Withdrawn DC EMUs Commuter: 111
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 20KiHa 35KiHa 45
Express: KiHa 57KiHa 58KiHa 65
Limited Express: KiHa 181
Future Hybrid MUs Commuter: Unclassified
JR Group motive power
JNR Diesel prototype DB10DC10DC11DD10
4-axle diesel DD11DD12DD13DD14DD15DD16DD17DD20DD21DD40DD41DD42DD50DD51DD53DD54DD90DD91DD92DD93
5-axle diesel DE10DE11DE15DE50
6-axle diesel DF40DF41DF50DF90DF91 (gen 1)DF91 (gen 2)DF92DF93
Shinkansen 911912
Narrow-gauge diesel Ke DB10Ke DB11
Early 2/4-axle freight electric AB10EB10ED10ED11ED12ED13ED14ED15ED16ED17ED18 (gen 1)ED18 (gen 2)ED19ED23ED24
Early 4-axle passenger electric ED50ED51ED52ED53ED54ED55ED56ED57
Early 6-axle freight electric EF10EF11EF12EF13EF14EF15EF16EF18
Early 6-axle passenger electric EF20EF50EF51EF52EF53EF54EF55EF56EF57EF58EF59HEF10HEF50
Early 8-axle electric EH10EH50HEH50HEH150
Early Abt rack rail electric EC40ED40ED41ED42
Acquired from private railways ED20ED21ED22ED25 (gen 1)ED25 (gen 2)ED26 (gen 1)ED26 (gen 2)ED27 (gen 1)ED27 (gen 2)ED28 (gen 1)ED28 (gen 2)ED29 (gen 1)ED29 (gen 2)ED30 (gen 1)ED31ED32ED33ED34ED35ED36ED37ED38Ke ED10DeKi 1RoKo 1DeKi 501RoKo 1000
DC 4-axle ED60ED61ED62ED63ED95
AC 4-axle ED44ED45ED70ED71ED72ED73ED74ED75ED76ED77ED78ED79ED90ED91ED93ED94
DC 6-axle EF60EF61EF62EF63EF64EF65EF66EF67EF90
AC 6-axle EF70EF71
Dual-current ED30 (gen 2)ED46ED92EF30EF80EF81
Other AH100
JR Group Dual-current electric ED500EF500EF510EH500
DC electric EF200EF210EH200
DC EMU M250
AC electric EH800
Diesel DD18DD19DB500DD200DF200ENR-1000
Hybrid HD300
Railway Technical Research Institute rolling stock
Active DC BEMUs LH02
Dual-current EMUs FGT-9000
Fuel cell MUs R291
Withdrawn Dual-current EMUs 497GCT01GCT01-200
Maglev ML100ML500ML500RMLU001MLU002MLU002NMLX01
JGR/JNR rolling stock
JGR Wooden-bodied EMUs Commuter: 963625062606280628563006310634033400335004320063100
Steel-bodied EMUs Commuter: 303132334042505162637072
Express: 5280
Non-revenue EMUs Non-revenue: 793
DMUs Constant mesh gearbox: KiHa 01KiHa 04KiHa 07KiHa 5000KiHa 40000
Diesel-electric: KiHaNi 36450KiHa 43000KiHa 44000
Miscellaneous: KiSaHa 04
Miscellaneous Steam railcar: HoJi 6005
JNR AC EMUs Shinkansen: 0100200
Non-revenue Shinkansen: 9229259419519619621000
Commuter: 711713715717
Limited Express: 781
Non-revenue: 791
DC EMUs Commuter: 101103105111113115117119121123201203205207211213301
Limited Express: 151153155157159161165167169181183185189381
Conversions: 1101112
Non-revenue: 141143145147191193
Proposed: 187
Dual-current EMUs Commuter: 413415417419
Limited Express: 451453455457471473475481483485489581583
Non-revenue: 212290441443493495591
DMUs Commuter: KiHa 08KiHa 10KiHa 15KiHa 20KiHa 31KiHa 32KiHa 35KiHa 37KiHa 38KiHa 40KiHa 45KiHa 54KiHa 66
Express: KiHa 55KiHa 56KiHa 57KiHa 58KiHa 60KiHa 65KiHa 90
Limited Express: KiHa 80KiHa 181KiHa 183KiHa 185
Non-revenue: KiYa 191
GTLs Non-revenue: KiHa 391
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