The trains are built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries to a "retro-future" concept, with black front ends intended to evoke images of a steam locomotive.[3] The exterior livery includes orange and green highlights evoking the satsuma oranges and olives for which the region is famous.[2] Each vehicle is built at a cost of approximately 250 million yen, financed partially by national infrastructure investment subsidies.[2] The trains will operate at a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) in service, although they have a maximum design capability of 140 km/h (87 mph).[3] Tilting capability enables the trains to negotiate curves with a radius of 600 metres (2,000 ft) or more at a speed 30 km/h (19 mph) higher than the limit for conventional non-tilting trains.[3]
Formations
Three-car sets E1–E3
The three-car sets, numbered E1 to E3, include "Green" car (first class) accommodation in half of one car, and are formed as follows, with one motored car and two non-powered trailer cars.[4]
Designation
Mc
T
Tsc
Numbering
8600
8800
8700
Weight (t)
41.9
32.1
39.0
Capacity
56
68
12 green + 17 ordinary
Facilities
Vending machine, toilets
Green car seating, wheelchair space, toilets
The "Tsc" car is fitted with a single-arm pantograph.[4]
Two-car sets E11–E14
Two-car set E12 in June 2014
The two-car sets, numbered E11 to E14, are formed with one motored "M" car and one trailer "T" car, as shown below.
The "Tc" car is fitted with a single-arm pantograph.[3]
Car 8602 of set E12
Car 8752 of set E12
Interior
Passenger accommodation consists of ordinary-class 2+2 abreast reclining seats with a seat pitch of 980 mm (39 in) and "Green car" (first class) 2+1 abreast reclining seats with a seat pitch of 1,170 mm (46 in).[4] Each seat is provided with an AC power outlet.[3] The "Mc" car has a "Fresh Green" theme with light-green and dark-green seat covers; the "Tc" car has a "Shine Orange" theme, with orange and brown seat covers.[3] The "Tc" car has a wider (900 mm (35 in)) door for wheelchair accessibility, and includes a wheelchair space and universal access toilet. LED lighting is used throughout.[3]
Interior of car 8601
Interior of car 8751
History
The first two sets, E11 and E12, being delivered in February 2014
The first two pre-series sets, E11 and E12, were delivered to Takamatsu Depot from the Kawasaki Heavy Industries factory in Kobe in February 2014.[5] Test running commenced in March.[6] The trains entered service on Ishizuchi limited express services between Takamatsu and Matsuyama on 23 June 2014.[7]
The next four full-production sets (three-car sets E1 and E2 and two-car sets E13 and E14) were delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in October 2015.[8]
In 2017, JR West borrowed two 8600 series sets to test the feasibility of pneumatic tilting on the Hakubi Line[9][10] for a new rolling stock type for its Yakumo limited express services. The pneumatic tilting system proved unsuitable for the line, and JR West decided that the new rolling stock would use a pendular tilting system instead.[11]
Three-car set E3 was delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in January 2018,[12] entering service on 14 February.[13]
^特急形直流電車の新製について [New DC limited express trains to be built]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: Shikoku Railway Company. 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
^ abcＪＲ四国、21年ぶり電車新造 14年６月に高松—松山間 [JR Shikoku to build new trains for first time in 21 years - In service between Takamatsu and Matsuyama from June 2014]. Nikkei Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: Nikkei Inc. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
^ abcdefg 8600系量産先行車 [8600 series pre-series trainsets]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). 54 (637): 57–61. May 2014.
^ abcYoshimoto, Eisaburo (January 2016). 8600系量産車 [8600 series full-production trainsets]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). 56 (657): 65–69.
^新型特急車輌8600系甲種輸送される [New 8600 series limited express trains delivered]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Ltd. 27 February 2014. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
^"JR四国8600系の試運転が始まる" [JR Shikoku 8600 series test running starts]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
^"JR四国8600系が営業運転を開始" [JR Shikoku 8600 series enters revenue service]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^JR四国8600系の量産車が出場 [JR Shikoku 8600 series full-production sets delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
^JR四国8600系が伯備線で試運転 [JR Shikoku 8600 series commissioned on the Hakubi Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
^JR四国8600系が再び伯備線で走行試験 [JR Shikoku 8600 series commissioned on the Hakubi Line again]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 14 September 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
^カーブ克服して速度アップ｢振り子式車両｣の進化 [The evolution of tilting trains – overcoming curves, increasing speed]. Toyo Keizai Online (in Japanese). 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
^JR四国8600系E3編成が甲種輸送される [JR Shikoku 8600 series set E3 delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
^8600系E3編成が営業運転を開始 [8600 series set E3 enters revenue service]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
Further reading
"8600系量産先行者" [8600 series pre-series trains]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 54 (638): 60–66. June 2014.
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