6 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. JNR ef70 10 toyama: spaceaero2· CC BY 3.0
- 2. EF70-1001: Rsa· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. EF70-57: TRJN· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 4. JNR EF70 21 Toyama 19830830: 永尾信幸 at Japanese Wikipedia· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 5. JNR ef70 55 tsuruga2ku: spaceaero2· CC BY 3.0
- 6. JNR ef70 1 1001 tsuruga2ku: Spaceaero2· CC BY 3.0
what is it?
The Class EF70 (EF70形) is a Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement AC electric locomotive type operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in Japan from 1961 until the 1980s. 81 locomotives were built by Hitachi and Mitsubishi between 1961 and 1965.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 65 years ago, in 1961.
- 2.3 MW is about 27 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 16 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 16.8 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 26 years (1961–1987).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1961–1965
- in service from
- 1961
- retired
- 1987
- status
- retired
- number built
- 81
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Hitachi Rail, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- operators
- Japanese National Railways
- top speed
- 105 km/h
- power
- 2.3 MW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 20 kV AC at 60 Hz overhead wire
- wheel arrangement
- Bo-Bo-Bo
- length
- 16.8 m
- weight
- 96 t
- Dutch name
- JNR EF70
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q11421836, Wikipedia: JNR Class EF70 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.