10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. EH500-32: MaedaAkihiko This photo was taken with Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. JRF-EH500-31 2010-0828: Rsa This photo was taken with Nikon Coolpix 7600· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. EH500-3 Omiya Works 20070526: DAJF This photo was taken with Sony DSC-F707· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4. EH500-77: MaedaAkihiko· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. EH500-901 858 20151122: ttzshirasawa· CC BY 3.0
- 6. JRF-EH500-2 2011-0808: Rsa This photo was taken with Nikon Coolpix 7600· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. JRF EH500-16 TOYOTA-LONGPASS-EXPRESS: MaedaAkihiko This photo was taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 8. JRF EH500-8 Tohoku-Line: MaedaAkihiko This photo was taken with Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 9. JR Freight Class EH500-38 with Cheer up Tohoku banner-P1030014: Ellery This photo was taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX520· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10. EH500-5 Nagacho 20070320: Jet-0· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The Class EH500 (EH500形) is a Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′ wheel arrangement multi-system AC/DC two-unit electric locomotive type operated by JR Freight in Japan since 1997.
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 29 years ago, in 1997.
- 4 MW is about 47 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 22 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 25 m long: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
- Still in service after 28 years.
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1997
- in service from
- 1998
- status
- in service
- number built
- 82
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Toshiba
- operators
- Japan Freight Railway Company
- top speed
- 110 km/h
- power
- 4 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′Bo′
- length
- 25 m
- weight
- 134 t
- Dutch name
- JR Freight EH500
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q6108879, Wikipedia: JR Freight Class EH500 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.