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| 113 series | |
|---|---|
| Name | 113 series |
| Caption | 113 series EMU |
| Service | 1963–present |
| Manufacturer | Japanese National Railways, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo, Hitachi, Kinki Sharyo |
| Family | 113 series family |
| Yearconstruction | 1963–1972 |
| Yearservice | 2 March 1963 |
| Refurbishment | 1970s–2000s |
| Numberbuilt | 1,400+ cars |
| Formation | 2/4/6/8/10 cars per set |
| Fleetnumbers | various |
| Operator | Japanese National Railways; East Japan Railway Company; West Japan Railway Company; Central Japan Railway Company; Shikoku Railway Company |
| Depot | multiple depots across Honshu and Shikoku |
| Carbody | Steel |
| Doors | 3 per side |
| Maxspeed | 100 km/h |
| Traction | Resistor control (early), chopper control (later) |
| Electric system | 1,500 V DC overhead |
| Collectionmethod | Pantograph |
113 series is a Japanese suburban and regional electric multiple unit introduced in the early 1960s for commuter and semi-express services. Designed during the era of Japanese National Railways modernization, it formed a core part of postwar rolling stock alongside contemporaries used by successor companies such as East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company. The type was deployed widely on lines across Honshu and Shikoku and underwent multiple modifications reflecting changing demands from daily commuters and regional travelers.
The 113 series was developed from the earlier 101 series and 103 series concepts, adopting a welded steel carbody and three-door arrangement per side to optimize passenger flow on busy suburban routes alongside designs like the 165 series and 153 series. Bogie designs derived elements from FS-xxx family patterns used by domestic builders such as Nippon Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, while traction originally used resistor control equipment similar to systems in 113系 predecessors and later retrofits introduced chopper or improved resistor units comparable to upgrades found on 115 series and 117 series. Electrical collection used standard 1,500 V DC overhead systems like those on Tokaido Main Line services, and braking combined dynamic and electro-pneumatic systems akin to those on the 485 series. Typical formations ranged from 2-car local sets to 10-car commuter formations, matching operational needs on routes served by operators including Central Japan Railway Company.
Multiple variants addressed region-specific requirements: suburban 113-0 batches for high-density routes, coastal-weather-adapted batches for lines paralleling the Sea of Japan, and air-conditioned retrofits paralleling conversions seen on contemporaries like the 113 series adaptations. Specialized conversions produced driving trailer cars and refurbished intermediate cars for use with other series such as the 115 series and 117 series in combined formations. Private refurbishment programs by JR East and JR West yielded subseries distinguished by interior layout, electrical components, and external details, following precedents set by the modernization of the 103 series and the reclassification practices of Japanese National Railways in the 1970s.
Initially focused on trunk routes including the Tokaido Main Line and Sanyo Main Line, the trains also saw extensive use on suburban networks serving Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and regional centers like Hiroshima and Kobe. After the 1987 privatization of Japanese National Railways, successor companies redistributed fleets: JR Central concentrated on commuter duties around Nagoya, JR West assigned sets to Kansai-area lines, JR Shikoku operated modified units on island networks, and JR East retained examples for local services in the Kanto region. The type operated mixed-duty diagrams including rapid and local services, with occasional positioning on limited-stop semi-express workings similar to assignments historically given to the 153 series.
Original liveries mirrored the era’s corporate schemes used by Japanese National Railways with cream and green or cream and maroon variants matching lines like the Tokaido Main Line and Joban Line. Post-privatization repaints reflected individual identities of JR East, JR West, JR Central, and JR Shikoku with colors and banding comparable to treatments applied to the 103 series and 113 series contemporaries. Interior refurbishments introduced longitudinal seating, improved lighting, and air conditioning, paralleling upgrades on the 165 series. Some preservation and special-event units received retro liveries evoking the Showa period aesthetics.
Throughout its decades of service, some sets were involved in incidents from level-crossing collisions to derailments on routes such as coastal and mountainous lines, comparable in profile to incidents involving the 101 series and 115 series. Investigations typically involved agencies like the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism procedures and produced recommendations mirroring safety revisions applied across the JR group fleet. Major accidents prompted withdrawals of damaged cars and accelerated refurbishment programs for surviving stock across companies including JR West.
Gradual withdrawal began as newer models like the E231 series and 223 series and regional EMUs entered service, following withdrawal patterns seen for the 103 series and 113 series peer models. Several driving cars and intermediate vehicles were rescued for preservation by local museums and railway societies such as the Railway Museum (Saitama) and regional heritage groups in Shikoku and the Kansai area. A small number remain in limited departmental use or as special-event units under JR East and JR West custodianship.
The 113 series has been reproduced in model form by manufacturers including Kato (company), Tomix, and Greenmax, and appears in enthusiast publications and timetables alongside coverage of series like the 115 series and 117 series. It features in railfan culture, photography exhibitions, and local tourism campaigns referencing postwar rail modernization narratives tied to figures and institutions such as Japanese National Railways and the privatization era. Its visual presence in regional memory contributes to documentary and popular histories of Japanese rail transport.
Category:Japanese train types