The is a dual-voltage AC/DC outer-suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), along with third-sector railway operators Hapi-Line Fukui (as of March 2024), IR Ishikawa Railway, and Ainokaze Toyama Railway on local services in the Fukui, Kanazawa, and Toyama areas.

Design The 521 series was the first dual-voltage suburban EMU type to be built for JR West. The body of the first two batches was based on the 223-5000 series suburban EMU design, with the same WMT102C traction motors. The sets are able to be used on wanman driver-only operation services.

Operations

JR West 521-0 series Hokuriku Main Line ( – ) Kosei Line ( – ) Obama Line ( – , sometimes substituted for 125 series) 521-100 series Nanao Line (from 3 October 2020)

Third-sector lines Hapi-Line Fukui Line IR Ishikawa Railway Line Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line

Fleet , JR West operates 20 two-car sets (E01-E05, U01-U15), allocated to Kanazawa depot and Tsuruga depot. The Ainokaze Toyama Railway operates 22 two-car sets (AK01-AK22), the IR Ishikawa Railway operates 24 two-car sets (IR01-IR24), and the Hapi-Line Fukui operates 16 two-car sets (HF01-HF16).

JR West , the JR West 521 series fleet is as follows.

521-0 series (Hokuriku Main Line sets) Set No. Manufacturer Delivery date E01 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 28 September 2006 E02 12 October 2006 E03 E04 E05 Kinki Sharyo 24 October 2006

521-100 series (Nanao Line sets) Set No. Manufacturer Delivery date U01 Kinki Sharyo 25 December 2019 U02 U03 U04 16 July 2020 U05 U06 U07 6 August 2020 U08 U09 U10 10 September 2020 U11 U12 U13 27 October 2020 U14 U15

Ainokaze Toyama Railway

, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway 521 series fleet is as follows.

Set No. Former set No. Manufacturer Delivery date AK01 G06 Kinki Sharyo 27 October 2009 AK02 G07 AK03 G08 22 December 2009 AK04 G09 AK05 G11 15 February 2010 AK06 G12 AK07 G13 2 March 2010 AK08 G15 AK09 G16 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 18 December 2010 AK10 G17 AK11 G18 AK12 G21 12 January 2011 AK13 G23 26 January 2011 AK14 G24 AK15 G31 24 February 2011 AK16 G32 AK17 – 11 January 2018 AK18 – 4 March 2020 AK19 – 8 March 2021 AK20 – 21 February 2022 AK21 – 20 February 2023 AK22 –

Five new two-car 521-1000 series sets are scheduled to be introduced over a period of six years, with the first set delivered in December 2017. These sets are based on the JR West 3rd-batch design, and are intended to replace the operator's ageing 413 series EMUs. On 22 June 2023, it was announced that some of the two-car sets would be lengthened to three cars each in the future after fiscal 2025 to increase transportation capacity on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line.

Sets AK21 and AK22 were delivered in February 2023.

IR Ishikawa Railway

, the IR Ishikawa Railway 521 series fleet is as follows.

Set No. Former set No. Manufacturer Delivery date Livery accent colour IR01 G10 Kinki Sharyo 22 December 2009 Light green IR02 G14 2 March 2010 Purple IR03 G30 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 15 February 2011 Indigo IR04 J20 Kinki Sharyo 6 February 2015 Ochre IR05 J21 Maroon IR06 – 3 December 2020 – IR07 – IR08 – IR09 G14 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 12 January 2011 Light green IR10 G15 IR11 G17 26 January 2011 IR12 G21 4 February 2011 Purple IR13 G23 15 February 2011 IR14 G29 8 March 2011 IR15 J02 Kinki Sharyo 6 November 2013 Indigo IR16 J04 11 December 2013 IR17 J05 IR18 J06 Maroon IR19 J07 22 January 2014 IR20 J08 IR21 J17 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 21 February 2014 Ochre IR22 J18 IR23 J19 IR24 J22 1 April 2021

Hapi-Line Fukui

15 more two-car 521 series sets were transferred to the third-sector railway operating company Hapi-Line Fukui for use from 16 March 2024 when JR West handed over ownership of the sections of the Hokuriku Main Line in Fukui Prefecture running parallel to the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tsuruga.

, the Hapi-Line Fukui 521 series fleet is as follows.

Set No. Former set No. Manufacturer Delivery date HF01 G20 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 4 February 2011 HF02 G22 HF03 G24 15 February 2011 HF04 G28 24 February 2011 HF05 G30 8 March 2011 HF06 J01 Kinki Sharyo 6 November 2013 HF07 J03 HF08 J09 8 January 2014 HF09 J10 HF10 J11 HF11 J12 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 27 January 2014 HF12 J13 HF13 J14 Kinki Sharyo 4 March 2014 HF14 J15 HF15 J16 HF16 J23 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 1 April 2021

Formations Sets consist of one motored and one non-powered trailer car, and are formed as follows.

Designation Mc Tpc' Numbering KuMoHa 521 KuHa 520 Capacity (total/seated) 129/48 129/40 Weight 43.2 t 44.3 t

The KuHa 520 cars are each fitted with one WPD28D single-arm pantograph.

Interior Seating is arranged as 2+2 abreast transverse flip-over seats. The KuHa 520 cars include a toilet.

History The first five sets, E01 to E05, were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Kinki Sharyo, and were delivered to Fukui depot between September and October 2006. These entered revenue service from 30 November 2006. The fleet was reallocated to Tsuruga Depot from 1 June 2010.

Ten more sets, G01 to G10, built by Kinki Sharyo, were delivered to Kanazawa depot between October 2009 and March 2010, entering revenue service from 13 March 2010. A further five sets, G11 to G15, were delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in December 2010 and January 2011. 15 more sets, M01 to M15, were delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries to Tsuruga Depot between January and March 2011.

Nineteen third-batch two-car sets (J01 to J19) were delivered to Tsuruga Depot in fiscal 2013. The third-batch sets have cab ends based on the JR West 225 series EMUs, with improved crash resistance, and use LED lighting for interior lighting. These sets entered revenue service in spring 2014.

16 two-car 521 series sets were transferred to the third-sector railway operating company Ainokaze Toyama Railway for use from 14 March 2015 when JR West handed over ownership of the sections of the Hokuriku Main Line in Toyama Prefecture running parallel to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen. Likewise, three two-car sets were transferred to the IR Ishikawa Railway, which took over control of the section of the Hokuriku Main Line in Ishikawa Prefecture from 14 March 2015. Two more sets were newly built for the IR Ishikawa Railway.

In December 2019, the first three two-car 521-100 series sets (U01 to U03) for the Nanao Line were built by Kinki Sharyo. Unlike older JR West 521 series sets, the 521-100 series sets feature red waistline striping, reminiscent of the body colour used by older 413 and 415 series trains operated on the line. By October 2020, a total of fifteen two-car sets were built for JR West. Three more sets for the IR Ishikawa Railway (IR06 to IR08) were delivered on 3 December 2020. The 521-100 series fleet entered service on the Nanao Line from 3 October 2020.

Two more 521-0 series two-car sets (J22 and J23) were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and delivered to Kanazawa Depot in March 2021.

References

Further reading

External links

JR West 521 series (Japan Railfan Magazine)