521 series


The 521 series is a dual-voltage AC/DC outer-suburban electric multiple unit train type operated by West Japan Railway Company, along with third-sector railway operators Hapi-Line Fukui, 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

Third-sector lines

Fleet

, JR West operates 50 two-car sets, allocated to Kanazawa depot and Tsuruga depot. The Ainokaze Toyama Railway operates 22 two-car sets, and the IR Ishikawa Railway operates eight two-car sets.
15 additional two-car sets were transferred to Hapi-Line Fukui in March 2024 following JR West's forefeiture of the Hokuriku Main Line within Fukui Prefecture.

Formations

Sets consist of one motored and one non-powered trailer car, and are formed as follows.
DesignationMcTpc'
NumberingKuMoHa 521KuHa 520
Capacity 129/48129/40
Weight43.2 t44.3 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 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.
In December 2019, the first three two-car 521-100 series sets 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 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 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and delivered to Kanazawa Depot in March 2021.

Other operators

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.

Ainokaze Toyama Railway

, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway 521 series fleet is as follows.
Set No.Former set No.ManufacturerDelivery date
AK01G06Kinki Sharyo27 October 2009
AK02G07Kinki Sharyo27 October 2009
AK03G08Kinki Sharyo22 December 2009
AK04G09Kinki Sharyo22 December 2009
AK05G11Kinki Sharyo15 February 2010
AK06G12Kinki Sharyo15 February 2010
AK07G13Kinki Sharyo2 March 2010
AK08G15Kinki Sharyo2 March 2010
AK09G16Kawasaki Heavy Industries18 December 2010
AK10G17Kawasaki Heavy Industries18 December 2010
AK11G18Kawasaki Heavy Industries18 December 2010
AK12G21Kawasaki Heavy Industries12 January 2011
AK13G23Kawasaki Heavy Industries26 January 2011
AK14G24Kawasaki Heavy Industries26 January 2011
AK15G31Kawasaki Heavy Industries24 February 2011
AK16G32Kawasaki Heavy Industries24 February 2011
AK17–Kawasaki Heavy Industries12 December 2017
AK21–Kawasaki Heavy Industries14 February 2023
AK22–Kawasaki Heavy Industries14 February 2023

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.

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.

IR Ishikawa Railway

, the IR Ishikawa Railway 521 series fleet is as follows.
Set No.Former set No.ManufacturerDelivery dateLivery accent colour
IR01G10Kinki Sharyo22 December 2009 Light green
IR02G14Kinki Sharyo2 March 2010 Purple
IR03G30Kawasaki Heavy Industries15 February 2011 Indigo
IR04J20Kinki Sharyo6 February 2015 Ochre
IR05J21Kinki Sharyo6 February 2015 Maroon
IR06–Kinki Sharyo3 December 2020–
IR07–Kinki Sharyo3 December 2020–
IR08–Kinki Sharyo3 December 2020–