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If anyone's spent some time in Japan, they probably rode the Saikyo line at least once, between Shin-Kiba and Kawagoe, passing through Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Akabane, and Omiya.

This train is an absolute mess. Cramped, dirty, rickety, noisey.....but now, they have a brand new EMU which will be phased in the next few years, the JR E233-7000 series EMU. This EMU is currently employed on the Chuo line, the Keihin-Tohoku line, and the Keiyo Lines. Newer models (the Keiyo, the new Saikyo ones, and the upcoming Yokohama line series) are built by a newly formed JR East R&D team in Kawasaki and are built on newer standards- LEDs, LCD information monitors on board, different materials for construction so the cabin is quieter....

I, by pure chance, had the honor to ride on board the new Saikyo EMU yesterday. It was amazing the difference a new EMU makes.

Some photos below:



E233-7001 (Set number 1) 平成25年 Year Heisei 25 (2013)

"E233系デビュー" "E233 Series Debut"

(photos suck cuz they were taken from my iPhone.)

Enjoy 

Finally! The Saikyo Line has been running the 205 series for the longest time now.

Now if only JR West can get some newer trains for the Osaka Loop Line...

Quoting HOONS90 (Reply 1): Now if only JR West can get some newer trains for the Osaka Loop Line...

Well not before I get to ride on some legit 103Kei's hahaha

In fact, Kawaski and J-TREC (as Tokyu Car Corporation is now known) are building a large number of E233 models for not only the JR East Saikyo Line, but also for the JR East Yokohama Line and JR East Nambu Line. Those well-worn 205's and 209's are now on their way out....

The 205's especially are cramped, lack station location indicators and the PA system works poorly during station approach announcements. So, if you insist on riding the old 205's, better hurry up and do it within the next 15-18 months or so....

I've heard that JR West is going to soon phase out all the old EMU's off the Osaka Loop Line and replace them all with possibly refurbished 221 Series EMU's.

By the way, this is only the beginning of a MASSIVE culling of old EMU's all over Japan. The well-worn JNR Class 115 EMU's seen in western Japan, the Niigata area and the Chuo Main Line will start to vanish over the next 3-4 years as JR East has announced the E129 model as a replacement for the Niigata area (possibly on the Chuo Main Line too) and JR West may soon place a big order for upgraded 225 Series EMU's (with more powerful traction motors to handle the steeper grades of the Sanyo Main Line in western Japan) so JR West can purge the 115 fleet.

Up in the north there's a li-ion battery powered diesel-electric hybrid MU that will be operating on many rural non-electrified lines in the inaka. My friend snapped some photos of the test train but I can't share them here for copyright reasons.

JR West, for whatever reason, still has been using the old rickety JNR-era EMUs for god knows how long....

JR West has a policy of moving their oldest EMU's to less-used trackage. That's why you see JNR Class 115 EMU's west of Himeji on the Sanyo Main Line.

There are still 103's and 201's on the Osaka Loop Line, but I do think the 103's will retire soon. The 201's will stay for (maybe) 5 to 6 years because most of that fleet underwent a major refurbishment in 2003 and 2004.

This was the first I heard about Nambu Line converting over. I'm looking forward to seeing the new sets, but part of me feels quite sad. Lots of memories on those 205s, and I guess to me they have "character."

Time to go out with the camera for a Nambu line day!

Quoting PHX787 (Thread starter): If anyone's spent some time in Japan, they probably rode the Saikyo line at least once, between Shin-Kiba and Kawagoe, passing through Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Akabane, and Omiya. This train is an absolute mess. Cramped, dirty, rickety, noisey.....

That's the best part!!! I have fond memories of Saikyo and Yamanote Lines.

Quoting Pellegrine (Reply 7): That's the best part!!! I have fond memories of Saikyo and Yamanote Lines.

Don't get me wrong I love the trip but I don't like dying of heat exhaustion on board. the Yamanote at least has its entire fleet changed over to the more modern trainsets.

But I do love that one Yamanote train that's all green. Looks much cooler than the bare metal with green stripe

(where have we heard this argument before?  )

Quoting Westjet_737 (Reply 6): Time to go out with the camera for a Nambu line day!

   the Musashino-line still has some of the old trains rolling around there.

Quoting PHX787 (Reply 8): the Musashino-line still has some of the old trains rolling around there.

As does Nambu, haha! A.NET meetup at Fuchu Racetrack?

Seriously, you can't blame me... I'd love to be at HND everyday, but Nambu line is pretty much the most interesting thing I see everyday. Other then Odakyu and those Romancecars...