Parts of this article (those related to the status of the 651-0 series fleet) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2022)
Trains originally operated as 7+4-car formations on Super Hitachilimited express services between Ueno in Tokyo and Sendai via the Jōban Line, but were withdrawn from regular scheduled services from the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2013.[2] The majority of the fleet was subsequently modified to become the 651-1000 series, and re-employed on Akagi and Kusatsu limited express services from March 2014.
Variants
651-0 series: Original (nine 7-car and nine 4-car) AC/DC sets built from 1989
651-1000 series: 7-car and 4-car DC-only sets modified from 651-0 series
Izu Craile: Rebuilt 4-car resort trainset entering service in July 2016
Beginning in April 2019, a four-car 651-0 series set operated as a local service on a segment of Jōban Line between Iwaki and Tomioka, making 2 round trips a day.
Formations
651-0 series
As of 1 October 2015[update], the fleet of original 651-0 series trainsets consisted of three (out of the original nine) seven-car sets (K102, 103, 105) and five (out of the original nine) four-car sets (K201, 202, 204, 205, 207), based at Katsuta Depot.[4]
7-car sets
The seven-car sets, K101 to K109, were formed as follows, with four motored ("M") cars and three non-powered trailer ("T") cars, and car 1 at the Ueno (southern) end.[4]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Designation
Tc2
M'2
M2
Ts
M'1
M1
Tc1
Numbering
KuHa 650
MoHa 650-100
MoHa 651-100
SaRo 651
MoHa 650
MoHa 651
KuHa 651
Cars 2 and 5 were each fitted with one PS26 lozenge-type pantograph.[4]
The four-car sets, K201 to K209, were formed as follows, with two motored ("M") cars and two non-powered trailer ("T") cars, and car 8 at the Ueno (southern) end.[4]
Car No.
8
9
10
11
Designation
Tc2
M'1
M1
Tc1
Numbering
KuHa 650
MoHa 650
MoHa 651
KuHa 651-100
Car 9 was fitted with one PS26 lozenge-type pantograph.[4]
As of 1 October 2015[update], the fleet consisted of six seven-car sets (numbered OM201 to OM206) and three four-car sets (numbered OM301 to OM303), all based at Omiya Depot.[4]
7-car sets
The seven-car sets, OM201 to OM206, were formed as follows, with four motored ("M") cars and three non-powered trailer ("T") cars, and car 1 at the Ueno (southern) end.[4][3]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Designation
Tc2
M'2
M2
Ts
M'1
M1
Tc1
Numbering
KuHa 650-1000
MoHa 650-1100
MoHa 651-1100
SaRo 651-1000
MoHa 650-1000
MoHa 651-1000
KuHa 651-1000
Seating capacity
52
64
58
36
68
64
56
Cars 2 and 5 were each fitted with one PS33D single-arm pantograph.[4]
The four-car sets, OM301 to OM303, were formed as follows, with two motored ("M") cars and two non-powered trailer ("T") cars, and car 8 at the Ueno (southern) end.[4][3]
Car No.
8
9
10
11
Designation
Tc2
M'1
M1
Tc
Numbering
KuHa 650-1000
MoHa 650-1000
MoHa 651-1000
KuHa 651-1100
Seating capacity
52
68
64
56
Car 9 was fitted with one PS33D single-arm pantograph.[4]
The converted four-car set IR01 (formerly OM301) was formed as follows, with two motored ("M") cars and two non-powered trailer ("T") cars, and car 1 at the southern end.[5]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
Designation
Tsc2
M'1
Ms1
Tsc
Numbering
KuRo 650-1007
MoHa 650-1007
MoRo 651-1007
KuRo 651-1101
Former number
KuHa 650-1007
MoHa 650-1007
MoHa 651-1007
KuHa 651-1101
Weight (t)
36.3
41.1
37.8
31.1
Seating capacity
24
-
22
52
Car 2 was fitted with one PS33D single-arm pantograph.[5]
Interior
Internally, Green car (first class) accommodation was arranged 2+1 abreast with a seat pitch of 1,160 mm (46 in), and Standard class is arranged 2+2 abreast with a seat pitch of 970 mm (38 in).[1][6]
Green class seating
Interior view of standard class car
History
The 651 series trains were introduced on new Super Hitachi limited services between Ueno and Sendai on 11 March 1989,[1] and the trains received the 33rd Blue Ribbon Award presented annually in Japan since 1958 by the Japan Railfan Club.[7]
From 2 December 2000, the Green car (car 4) was made entirely non-smoking, and the internal partitions were removed between December 2000 and January 2001.[8] Three seats were added to the Green car in June 2004, increasing the seating capacity to 36.[8] All cars became no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.[8] The refreshment vending machines were discontinued from 31 March 2008.[8]
From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, six pairs of 651 series trains were removed from service and put into storage, replaced by new 10-car E657 series EMUs on Super Hitachi services.[9] The entire fleet was replaced by the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2013, but the sets were however retained for seasonal and additional workings.[2]
From 1 October 2013, one 11-car 651 series formation was brought back into service for use on two Fresh Hitachi services daily while the E657 series fleet undergoes modification work to add LED seat reservation status indicators above each seat.[10] This continued until March 2015.[10][4]
651-1000 series conversions
Between late 2013 and early 2014, a number of 651 series sets were modified and renumbered 651-1000 series for use on Akagi and Kusatsu limited express services from the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, replacing ageing 185 series EMUs.[3][10] In 2018, seven-car set K102 also underwent this conversion.[11] The modifications included disconnecting (but not removing) the original AC electrical equipment, replacing the original PS26 lozenge-type pantographs with the same PS33D single-arm pantographs used on E233 series suburban EMUs, and adding an orange bodyside stripe below the windows.[3] No changes were made to the interiors.[3]
Izu Craile resort train
Four-car set OM301 was rebuilt as a resort train set named Izu Craile (伊豆クレイル) between November 2015 and April 2016, and entered service on the Ito Line and a section of the Tokaido Line between Odawara and Atami from 16 July 2016.[5][12] The name is a portmanteau formed from "Cresciuto" (Italian for "mature"), "train", and the suffix "-ile".[13] Car 1 has window-facing counter seats on the seaward side, car 2 has a bar counter and lounge, car 3 has semi-open compartments, and car 4 has conventional unidirectional 2+2-abreast seating. based at Kōzu Depot.[5] On 30 January 2020, with the introduction of the E261 series on Saphir Odoriko services, JR East announced that the Izu Craile service would no longer be necessary, and that it would be retired. The train had its last run on 28 June 2020,[14][15] and was subsequently transported to Nagano General Rolling Stock Centre for scrap in October 2020.[16]
Retirement
From the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2023, the 651 series sets were withdrawn from Kusatsu, Swallow Akagi, and Akagi services, hence marking the end of regular service by the 651 series.[17]
The last surviving trainset, OM201, was sent for scrap in October 2023.[18]
Fleet details
The delivery, refurbishment, and conversion dates for the fleet are as shown below. All sets were originally built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Hyogo.[3][19][11]
^ abcde JR全車輌ハンドブック2009 [JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2009]. Japan: Neko Publishing. 2009. pp. 187–188. ISBN978-4-7770-0836-0.
^ ab651系・E653系が定期運用から離脱 [651 series and E653 series removed from regular services]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
^ abcdefghijklmno JR電車編成表 2016冬 [JR EMU Formations - Winter 2016] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 18 November 2015. pp. 42, 65. ISBN978-4-330-62315-3.
^ abcd 651系「IZU CRAILE」 [651 series "Izu Craile"]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 56, no. 663. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2016. pp. 92–94.
^常磐線特急に新型車両を導入! [New trains to be introduced on Jōban Line limited express services] (PDF). jreast.co.jp (in Japanese). East Japan Railway Company. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
^ JR特急列車年鑑2013 [Limited Express Annual 2013]. Tokyo, Japan: Ikaros Publications Ltd. 20 December 2012. pp. 70–71. ISBN978-4-86320-654-0.
^ abcd JR電車編成表 2009夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2009]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. June 2009. p. 43. ISBN978-4-330-06909-8.
^"E657系投入にともなう651・E653系の動き" [651/E653 series changes following E657b series introduction]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 52 (613): 70–71. May 2012.
^ abcMatsumoto, Norihisa (April 2014). 転用進むJR特急車 [JR Limited Express Trains and Continuing Reassignment]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). 54 (636): 33–35.
^ ab"651系OM207編成が配給輸送される" [651 series set OM207 transported]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^「IZU CRAILE」(伊豆クレイル)報道公開 [Izu Craile Press Release]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 27 April 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
^651系改造のリゾート列車 2016年夏デビュー [Rebuilt 651 series resort train to debut in summer 2016]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 21 January 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
^JR東日本「伊豆クレイル」引退へ 6/28ラストラン [JR East Izu Craile will be retired June 28]. Tetsudo Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
^ZUCRAILE「静岡デスティネーションキャンペーンアフターキャンペーン」では特別運行を行います! [IZU CRAILE Shizuoka Destination Campaign will be running a special service!] (PDF). JR East Yokohama Branch (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
^ ab"651系1000番代IR01編成 長野へ" [651-1000 series set IR01 is sent to Nagano]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^"「JR東日本初の特急車両」ついに勇退へ 車両の保存はある? 3月改正で定期運用消滅" ["JR East's first limited express train" to finally be retired. Will it be preserved? Regular service will cease to exist in March.]. Traffic News (in Japanese). Japan: Mediavague Co., Ltd. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^ ab"651系OM201編成が郡山へ" [651 Series Set OM201 heads to Koriyama]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 November 2024.
^Shibata, Togo (March 2013). さよなら651系〈スーパーひたち〉 E653系〈フレッシュひたち〉 [Farewell 651 series "Super Hitachi" & E653 series "Fresh Hitachi"]. Rail Magazine (in Japanese) (354): 39–45.
^"651系OM207編成が郡山へ" [651 series set OM207 is sent to Koriyama]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^"651系1000番代OM202編成が郡山総合車両センターへ" [651-1000 series set OM202 is sent to Koriyama Rolling Stock Centre]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^"651系OM203編成が郡山へ" [651 series set OM203 is sent to Koriyama]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
^"651系1000番代OM204編成が郡山へ" [651-1000 series set OM204 is sent to Koriyama]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^"651系1000番代OM205編成が郡山へ" [651-1000 series set OM205 is sent to Koriyama]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^"651系1000番代OM206編成が郡山へ" [651-1000 series set OM206 is sent to Koriyama]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Koyusha Co., Ltd. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^ JR電車編成表 2014冬 [JR EMU Formations - Winter 2014]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 1 December 2013. p. 355. ISBN978-4-330-42413-2.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to JR East 651.