10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. EF81 137: Rsa· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. JRE-EF81-80: MaedaAkihiko· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. Asakaze EF81: Atsasebo· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. EF81-140: MaedaAkihiko· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. EF81-455 Kagoshima-line: MaedaAkihiko· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 6. EF81-742 627: Rsa· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. EF81-95+Yutori: まも· Public domain
- 8. EF81 302 Takeshita Station 20130326: 夕焼け駅長 (Yuyake-ekicho)· CC BY 2.5
- 9. EF81 303 Takeshita Station 20130325: 夕焼け駅長· CC BY 2.5
- 10. EF81 304 Koga Station 20130325: 夕焼け駅長 (Yuyake-ekicho)· CC BY 2.5
what is it?
The Class EF81 is a six-axle Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement multi-voltage AC/DC electric locomotive type operated on passenger and freight services in Japan since 1968. As of 1 April 2016, 44 locomotives remained in service, operated by JR Freight, JR East, and JR West.
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 58 years ago, in 1968.
- 2.6 MW is about 30 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 17 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 18.6 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Still in service after 58 years.
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1968–1992
- in service from
- 1968
- status
- in service
- number built
- 161
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- operators
- Japanese National Railways, Japan Freight Railway Company, East Japan Railway Company, West Japan Railway Company, Kyushu Railway Company
- top speed
- 110 km/h
- power
- 2.6 MW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 1,500 V DC /, 20 kV AC at 50/60 Hz, overhead wire
- wheel arrangement
- Bo′Bo′Bo′
- length
- 18.6 m
- weight
- 101 t
- Dutch name
- JNR EF81
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q1072087, Wikipedia: JNR Class EF81 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.