New J-TREC trains enter service in Greater Tokyo

Series 2000 EMU from J-TREC in the Greater Tokyo. Source: XIAORING/X

Japan: Ten-car Series 2000 sets began carrying passengers at the end of January in Japan’s capital region on 1.5 kV DC line with the non-standard 1,372 mm gauge. Private operator Keio plans to introduce all four ordered trains by March 2027.

The rolling stock is based on the Sustina platform featuring stainless steel bodies. Each train has five motor cars equipped with asynchronous motors. Hitachi SiC-based traction converters are claimed to reduce energy consumption by 20% compared to the existing Series 7000.

Each car has areas for prams and wheelchairs, while a special mid-train area nicknamed Hidamari Space has larger windows. The train features GoA2 automation level, enabling single-driver operation, although the line currently lacks the required infrastructure.