E993 series

The E993 series "AC Train" ("Advanced Commuter Train") was developed by JR East to test and evaluate a number of new technologies and features for possible use in future commuter train designs.[1] These included features intended to reduce life-cycle costs, improve the interior passenger environment, improve accessibility, and increase environmental friendliness.[2]

The train incorporated the following features for evaluation.[2]

• Articulated cars with shared bogies
• Direct drive motors (DDM)
• Double-skin body construction
• Externally slung sliding doors
• Advanced Train Information Management System (AIMS)

The 5-car articulated set was based at Kawagoe Depot on the Kawagoe Line and formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Kawagoe end, and car 5 at the Shinjuku end.[3] Cars 1 and 2 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, and cars 3 to 5 were built by Tokyu Car Corporation in Yokohama.[2]

Cars 2 and 4 were each fitted with one single-arm pantograph.[3]

Cars 1 and 2 had double-skin aluminium bodies, cars 3 to 5 had stainless steel bodies with double-skin construction used for cars 3 and 5.[2]

• 
  KuHa E992-1
• 
  MoHa E992-1
• 
  MoHa E993-1
• 
  SaHa E993-1
• 
  KuHa E993-1

The E993 series train being hauled to Koriyama Works for scrapping, July 2006

The train was delivered to JR East's Kawagoe Depot on 17 January 2002.[2] Test running commenced on the Kawagoe Line and Saikyo Line the following month.[2]

The train was officially withdrawn on 14 July 2006.[4] No cars are preserved.

Features tested on the E993 series, including articulated cars and direct drive motors, were subsequently incorporated in the E331 series prototype train delivered in 2006.