#4356
117 series
🇯🇵 Japan ·built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries· from 1979· Japanese suburban electric multiple unit train type
5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. JNR 117 series EMU 533 W: Tennen-Gas· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. JNR 117 series 002B: Daylight9899· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. JNR 117 series EMU 037 C: Tennen-Gas· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. JR-WEST 117 series "WEST EXPRESS GINGA" at JR-Sojiji: さりと· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. JRW EC 117-series rapid Sun liner: Mitsuki-2368· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The 117 series (117系, 117-kei) is a Japanese suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type introduced in 1979 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West). The train type was operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) from 1987 until 2013. A total of 216 cars were manufactured.
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 47 years ago, in 1979.
- Weighs about as much as 5 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 20 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 34 years (1979–2013).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1979
- in service from
- 1979
- retired
- 2013
- status
- retired
- number built
- 216
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kinki Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo, Japan Transport Engineering Company
- operators
- Japanese National Railways, West Japan Railway Company, Central Japan Railway Company
- top speed
- 115 km/h
- power
- 120 kW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- 1,500 V DC overhead line
- formation
- 4/6/8 cars per trainset
- length
- 20 m
- weight
- 31.3 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4547618, Wikipedia: 117 series (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.