Thursday 6 October 2016

Red-colored Commuter Train on Kyushu Island

EMU JR Kyushu 813 series arrives at Togo Station on the Kagoshima Main Line

It was very hot this mid-summer in Japan. The maximum daytime temperature was often over 35 degrees Celsius in many places. Kyushu Island was no exception. During my vacation on this southern island, I suffered from intense heat every day. To make matters worse, I felt dizzy when a red-colored train approached me at Togo Station. What was that?

It was the EMU JR Kyushu 813 series on the Kagoshima Main Line. The 813 series was launched in 1994 as JR Kyushu's standard commuter train to replace the old models such as the 412, 423 and the 715 series. A total of 85 sets have been built by Kinki Sharyo and JR Kyushu Kokura Factory. This model is a 3-car train consisting of one motor car and two trailers. Two or three sets are used for making up one train. The 813 series is for the 1,067mm-gauge track with 20,000 V AC (60 Hz) overhead electric systems. It is equipped with VVVF (variable voltage and variable frequency) inverter electric control systems with induction motors. The maximum operating speed is 120 km per hour to compete with expressway bus services and the limited express train on the Nishi Nippon Railway.

The 813 series is like a flame, isn't it? Specifically, the red-colored face psychologically may add heat to passengers, as people associate the red color with heat or passion. Red is the corporate color of JR Kyushu, but it creates a strong impression to passengers in summer.

EMU JR Kyushu 813 series stands at Hakata Station on the Kagoshima Main Line