E353: JR East's E351 replacement?

[Sacto1985]

On 3/16/2018 at 8:57 AM, Densha said:

Do you know if the one on 7 April will be the last run for the E351 series altogether? Or can we still expect them to appear on special services for a while?

 

I believe JR East has four complete 9+3 car E353 trainsets operational. I expect several more 9+3 trainsets to be built and enter service since the E353 will also replace the E257's now running the Azusa services that range as far as Chiba to Minami-Otari. The E257's will be re-assigned to other limited-express routes (primarily the Odoriko limited express train, which means we could see the end of the 185 Series).

[railsquid]

On 17/03/2018 at 12:57 AM, Densha said:

Do you know if the one on 7 April will be the last run for the E351 series altogether? Or can we still expect them to appear on special services for a while?

 

Per Wikipedia: "そして、同年4月7日の「ありがとうE351系 松本～新宿ラストランの旅」をもって全ての運用を終了する予定[11]。なお、運用離脱後は廃車される予定である", i.e. heading for scrapping after this last run.

[JR 500系]

anyone knows what is the reason for the E353 for being 9 + 3 ? I mean, the E351 was 8 + 4... 

 

Actually I am kinda confused too as to why a 8+4 set was required.... do the E351 really runs as a 8-car set or a 4-car set, and will the E353 follow suit, as a 9 car set and a 3 car set on its own? 

[kvp]

 

1 hour ago, JR 500系 said:

anyone knows what is the reason for the E353 for being 9 + 3 ? I mean, the E351 was 8 + 4... 

 

Actually I am kinda confused too as to why a 8+4 set was required.... do the E351 really runs as a 8-car set or a 4-car set, and will the E353 follow suit, as a 9 car set and a 3 car set on its own? 

The idea for these mixed sets is to be able to build different train lengths. The 8+4 configuration allows 4, 8, 12 car long trains, while the 9+3 allows 3, 6, 9, 12 cars long trains, depending on the actual required capacity. The smaller sets are usually only used as boosters or run in solo during very low demand, but in this case, by using two smaller sets could form an exactly half capacity set or using 3 small sets you could even get 4 9 car trains.

[Sacto1985]

I think the smaller 3-car trainsets are intended for one purpose: operating on the JR East portion of the Ōito Line from Matsumoto to Minami-Otari. I wouldn't be surprised that once more E353 trainsets are built, they'll starting testing on the Ōito Line.

[Suica]

3 hours ago, Sacto1985 said:

I think the smaller 3-car trainsets are intended for one purpose: operating on the JR East portion of the Ōito Line from Matsumoto to Minami-Otari. I wouldn't be surprised that once more E353 trainsets are built, they'll starting testing on the Ōito Line.

Yes, 4 car E351 have been used on the Oito-line before, so the same thing should apply to the 3 car E353 sets. This makes sense as the Oito-line has a lot of seasonal business. Especially Hakuba is a popular wintersport destination but not all that popular during the rest of the year. Also, all except one 183/189 series sets which were used on seasonal services were retired last month. The 183/189 series Moonligh Shinshu consisted of 6 and 9 cars. So to match those, JR East could run either 2x3 or a 9 car E353 set.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Suica

[katoftw]

The route between Shinjuku and Matsumoto has been getting busier.  Especially with increases in international visitors, so makes sense to become a 9 + 3 consist.  One extra car per regular services.

[Suica]

6 minutes ago, katoftw said:

The route between Shinjuku and Matsumoto has been getting busier.  Especially with increases in international visitors, so makes sense to become a 9 + 3 consist.  One extra car per regular services.

The total number of cars for the regular servives is the same, as those run as 12 car trains.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Suica

[katoftw]

They don't always ran as 12 cars.

[gmat]

The second to the last time that I shot the E351. Taken at Shinjuku, 10 Feb. 2018, 7:56 AM.

 

 

E351-S4. Super Azusa.

 

Departing at 8:00AM for Matsumoto. Fans were gathering to get shots.

 

 

 

More fans on the opposite platform.

 

 

 

 

 

Taken the same day. E351-S3 Super Azusa heading to Tokyo. Taken from platform 6, the Narita Express platforms.

 

 

 

More to come,

Grant

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by gmat

[gmat]

Thank You E351: Matsumoto to Shinjuku Last Run (ありがとうE351系 松本～新宿ラストランの旅 )

I went as far as I could using the Seishun 18 ticket on April 7th. I rode the Rapid Fujisan 1 to Kawaguchi-Ko on a Boso Express E257 until Otsuki and caught the Holiday Rapid View Yamanashi E215-NL-4 and rode it until Enzan Station. I thought that it would be far enough so that no many fans would be around. Even then one other fan showed up after I got there at this crossing.

Old #1 Ome-kaido crossing. 旧第一青梅道踏切  (kyudaiichi-omekaido-fumikiri)

 

 

 

Looking towards Enzan Station.

 

Looking the other way, West towards Kofu. The tracks are on a slight rise in the distance. 

 

 

Slightly out of focus but really nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's all for now.

Grant

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by gmat

[railsquid]

Nice photos :)

 

Unfortunately work and family commitments meant I had to miss this last run...

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Sayonara E351. I was luck enough to travel on one back in 2014; lovely comfy ride, in a stylish unit.

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by Claude_Dreyfus

[Sacto1985]

And the videos by YouTube member ichi pika has shown multiple E351 trainsets now sitting at the scrap line at the Nagano Comprehensive Vehicle Center train yard a bit geographical northeast of Nagano Station. 

[Densha]

Yet another sayonara E351 picture... although taken a year ago.

[gmat]

30 Apr 2015 Shinjuku Station Platform 7 E351-S4 Chuo Liner for Tokyo. 6:43 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The platform destination sign says JR, not Chuo Liner.

 

 

 

 

Taken earlier the same day. Looking towards platforms 1&2. 

 

I'm looking for pictures from 2015 up to now.

More later,

Grant

 

[Densha]

The E353 series will take over even more E257 series services from 1 July 2018. From that date on, the E353 series will be used for all Super Azusa, 3 Azusa and 9 Kaiji roundtrips per day. The E257 series will only remain in use for 7 Azusa and 3 Kaiji roundtrips.

 

E353 series will be introduced on all Super Azusa, Azusa and Kaiji services in the near future, although the exact timeline is not yet specified. The E257 series previously used on the Chuo Main Line will then get a renewal, after which they will be used for Tokaido Main Line services.

 

Source: https://www.jreast.co.jp/nagano/pdf/180516-01.pdf

[Sacto1985]

I believe the plan is that the E353's will replace all the E351's and E257's on Azusa/Super Azusa services. The E257's will be refurbished and transferred to the Odoriko services (and possibly Home Liner services in the Kanto region).

[railsquid]

Finally got to go on one of these:

 

 

Nice-but-bland inside, if it wasn't for the E353 logo on the seat backs it could have been any modern Japanese limited express...

 

This is very subjective, but I think the E351 was a smoother ride, however it's a big improvement over the E257, which tended to jerk about a bit on curvy sections. The unit pictured above was presumably replacing an E257, as it was a normal Azusa (not Super Azusa service) which has been an E257.

Edited July 27, 2018 by railsquid

[Densha]

Just a small announcement. Along with the introduction of the new timetable on 16 March 2019, the "Super Azusa" name will be abolished. From that date, all services will uniformly be called "Azusa".

 

Source: https://tetsudo-ch.com/3720033.html

[bill937ca]

Only in Japan would splitting a train draw such a crowd.  Spitting E353s at Otsuki.  Video by 6 o'clock.

 

 

[railsquid]

Big timetable change on the Chuo line this weekend, this will be one of the new service patterns.