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JR East E217 Series / JR東日本E217系

-Please note this type has been retired from service as of May 2025 and will no longer receive active updates.

The E217 (E217系) Series is an EMU operated by JR East on suburban routes in Greater Tokyo.

Introduced to relive congestion on medium-distance lines, the E217 series is the first JNR/JR suburban vehicle to adopt a 4 door design. The JNR 203 series used on many routes suffered from capacity limitations, as such this new type was introduced in 1994 to improve the quality of service. Formations were composed of a 11-car set and a 4-car additional consist to be used during busy periods. 6 cars per set of the main formation and all additional cars are capacity-focused long seating cars, while there are 3 cars with semi-cross seating for longer distance travellers, the remaining 2 cars are reserved only green cars. 745 vehicles were produced from 1994-1999, all were used on the Yokosuka/Sōbu Rapid Line through running service pattern. The timetable update in 2004 switched some Yokosuka/Sōbu Rapid Line services to the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line, this meant some E217 sets became surplus, and thus was relocated to the Tōkaidō Main Line. However, they were transferred back after the 2015 timetable update. In 2018, JR East announced that the type would be gradually retired starting from 2020, stating that deterioration of the car body and equipment had progressed faster than expected. Per the latest information, 464 cars have been retired leaving 281 in service.

-Regular service of the type ended on 31 March, 2025

Basic Information:

Max Speed: 120km/h
Acceleration: 0.56m/s/s
Motor Output: 95kW x 4 per car
Seating: long, semi-cross & reserved


The following formations are included:

4 Car (Yokosuka/Sōbu Rapid Line)

Configuration: 2M2T
Max Pax: 1214
In Service: 1994-2025

5 Car (Tōkaidō Main Line)

Configuration: 2M3T
Max Pax: 1498
In Service: 2004-2015

10 Car (Tōkaidō Main Line)

Configuration: 4M6T
Max Pax: 2609
In Service: 2004-2015

11 Car (Yokosuka/Sōbu Rapid Line)

Configuration: 4M7T
Max Pax: 2893
In Service: 1994-2025

11+4 Car (Yokosuka/Sōbu Rapid Line)

Configuration: 6M9T
Max Pax: 4107
In Service: 1994-2025