JR Hokkaido new 733 trains for airport service

[bikkuri bahn]

Last week JR Hokkaido announced that this summer stainless-steel 733 series emus will be introduced on the airport kaisoku services running between Otaru and Shin-Chitose Airport.  These will be 6 car formations, with 5 cars in all-longitudinal seating configuration and one car with reserved ticket airline-style seating ("U-seat").  The 733 series used for these services will be designated the 3000 subseries.  Current 733 series units are run in 3 car formations, or in formations with other types as 6 cars. With the introduction of these units, the remaining 1960's era 711 series emus will be retired by the end of the fiscal year.

 

http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/press/2014/140514-1.pdf

 

733 series on the Chitose Line between Shimamatsu and Kita-Hiroshima:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFbqOVZbgbM

 

Simultaneous arrival of two 733 series trains at Shiroishi (the one on the right is coupled with a 731 series):

[E6系]

It will be sad to see the end of 711系.  At least the 733系 are still quite appealing, but 711系 looks like the hard worker that it has always been.  Reliable and friendly.

[Sacto1985]

The JR Hokkaido 731 and 733 EMU's look like a very modern version of the old 113/115 EMU units JNR bought. Imagine if JNR was still around today--the commuter trainsets would probably look a lot like the 731/733 EMU's.

[kvp]

The JR Hokkaido 731 and 733 EMU's look like a very modern version of the old 113/115 EMU units JNR bought. Imagine if JNR was still around today--the commuter trainsets would probably look a lot like the 731/733 EMU's.

I would vote for the 313 and 373 series. They look more like the old 113/115 series. Actually, i would really like to see a 313 series in the classic full yokosuka paint.

[Davo Dentetsu]

A bit of standardisation won't hurt, be good for them to do so for more effective costing of maintenance in the long run.  Plus they look like a smart unit and have done so since the original run of construction on the 731s.

[bikkuri bahn]

It will be sad to see the end of 711系.  At least the 733系 are still quite appealing, but 711系 looks like the hard worker that it has always been.  Reliable and friendly.

Yes, me too.  I try to catch a ride on the 711 types as much as possible, sometimes after work going all the way to Teine to catch the evening local which goes to Iwamizama, and then turns back to go to Otaru.  Not the fastest accelerating units, but very smooth and quiet, I liken them in naval terms to heavy cruisers, while the newer stainless steel stock are more like fast destroyers or torpedo boats.

[Guest ___]

Been wondering how much time the 711 had left. Yet, in the time I spent last year in Sapporo, I hadn't been on nor seen a single 711 series running to Chitose. They were mostly 721's.

[bikkuri bahn]

Missed this event, last month there was a showing of the new configuration to the media.  The last part shows the u-seat reserved section.

[Guest ___]

Is it a single green stripe on the new sets or is that a two-tone green stripe?