JR Hokkaido announces kiha 40 replacement

[bikkuri bahn]

Replacement for aging kiha 40 used on most rural lines. Will be based on the JR East GV-E400 but winterized for Hokkaido conditions. A pair of test prototypes will be introduced by February 2018, with a one year trial period thereon.

JR Hokkaido press release:

http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/press/2017/170712-2.pdf

[katoftw]

I'm guessing they are a small car? Say 17 meters?

[Kiha66]

That's a pretty large toilet space on a small car, and a lot of longitudinal seating for the length of many of the routes served by these cars .  I wonder what the time frame for the replacement will be, all at once (or as fast as they can build them) or as the older kiha's wear out over a span of a few years years.  Probably some lines wont last long enough to see the change, based on the current usage and conditions of many of the lines still served by kiha 40's.

[kvp]

They seems to have similar base bodies like the kiha100 series (so 16.5 to 20 meters) and one powered bogie with 2 electric motors. 18+18 seating configuration, so expected top long distance load is around 18 passengers. The large toilet space is probably intended to be wheelchair accessible. Imho these cars look like they are meant to carry schoolchildren, elderly people and the occasional tourists between rural stations and small towns.

 

Imho the future order of cars compared to the current fleet of older dmu-s could provide a rough estimate how many lines will be kept. It looks like JRH has at least 138 dmu cars over the age of 30 years with 13 at 40 years. Afaik these cars are planned to be replaced within a few years. (the 40 years old cars actually seem completly fine to me as hungary has around 250 dmu cars exactly the same age and they are mostly ok and running)

[Sacto1985]

I believe that the JR Hokkaido N100 is pretty much the same as the GV-E400--remember, the GV-E400 will operate in northern Tohoku region and in all of Niigata Prefecture, regions known to have a lot of snowfall in winter, which means the GV-E400 train is already a "winterized" model.

 

I think the next big replacement project will be all those 115 Series EMU's running between Shijori and Takao Stations on the Chūō Main Line. They could assign refurbished 211 Series EMU's (already being done in several places), but are there enough good-condition refurbished 211's to replace the 115's on the Chūō Main Line? That's why I have speculated in the past that the E129 could be a candidate to replace the 115's in Chūō Main Line service, since they can perfect for the winter conditions of the Japan Alps.

[Suica]

Meh.

 

That's a pretty large toilet space on a small car, and a lot of longitudinal seating for the length of many of the routes served by these cars .

This.

I'm sure people will appreciate it ...not

[Densha]

I think the next big replacement project will be all those 115 Series EMU's running between Shijori and Takao Stations on the Chūō Main Line. They could assign refurbished 211 Series EMU's (already being done in several places), but are there enough good-condition refurbished 211's to replace the 115's on the Chūō Main Line? That's why I have speculated in the past that the E129 could be a candidate to replace the 115's in Chūō Main Line service, since they can perfect for the winter conditions of the Japan Alps.

Are there really still 115s running along the Chuo Main Line? When I was there in February this year all local trains from Tachikawa to Matsumoto I saw and rode were 211s.

 

211 series in Shiojiri last year:

[Sacto1985]

Are there really still 115s running along the Chuo Main Line? When I was there in February this year all local trains from Tachikawa to Matsumoto I saw and rode were 211s.

 

211 series in Shiojiri last year:

 

Wow, that was fast. I didn't even know JR East was purging their 115 Series fleet so fast. I know on the Jōetsu Line, the 115's have been replaced by a combination of 211's (Minakami south) and E129's (Minkami north).

[Kitayama]

Meh.

 

This.

I'm sure people will appreciate it ...not

Most passengers are school children. They prefer the longitudinal seating. My experience from rural lines is that many other passengers travel only a few stops. They also use the longitudinal seating.

Hence, the number of seats per type of seating matches rather well the traffic pattern.

[bikkuri bahn]

As Kitayama says, the seating arrangement fits the passenger traffic profile i.e. very peaky, where standing space is needed in the AM and in the late afternoon for student groups, otherwise these trains run pretty empty and the tourists and elderly will be able to sit in a seat of their choice easy.  Been a rural commuter for two years and also observer of rural JR traffic 14+ years and that's the reality.