JR Kyushu will add seven suburban diesel-electric cars, the “YC1 series,” to its fleet of 59 cars on July 1 (Tue), 2025, to replace the aging old diesel cars in the Saga and Nagasaki areas.
Dramatic changes around conventional trains behind Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen
In response to the shortening of the operating area of conventional express trains due to the opening of the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, the electrification equipment was removed from Hizen-Hama Station to Nagasaki Station on the Nagasaki Main Line, making it a non-electrified section where electric trains cannot run. In response to this, the Kiha 47 diesel cars used by the Japanese National Railways were transferred from other areas of Kyushu and renovated with a blue exterior painted in the image of the Ariake Sea. They will begin operating as local trains in this area at the same time as the Shinkansen opens in September 2022.
On the other hand, JR Kyushu has developed the next-generation energy-saving YC1 series vehicle, which uses hybrid technology to generate electricity by converting the driving force of a diesel engine into AC power and rotate the motor like a train to run. It is also equipped with a storage battery that charges the regenerative power generated during braking, and by efficiently assisting during driving, it has reduced fuel consumption and reduced noise from the engine.
The Kiha 47 renewal trains short-lived
The initials of the development concept “gentle and strong (Yasashikute Chikaramochi)” are the origin of the model name YC, and the service aspect has been improved, such as three double-opening boarding and alighting doors on one side that eliminate steps. The YC1 series began operation in March 2020, and the Kiha 66 and 67 diesel railcars that it replaced ended commercial operation in June 2021. With this increase, the YC1 series will start operating for the first time between Kohoku Station and Konagai Station on the Nagasaki Main Line, and the operating area will be expanded to the entire Sasebo Line and Omura Line between Kohoku Station and Nagasaki Station on the Nagasaki Main Line.
As a result, all Kiha 47s, which were renewed just under three years ago, will be replaced by the YC1 series, and their role as a stopgap between the opening of the Shinkansen and the introduction of new trains will come to an end. The only exception to this is the Kiha 40 and 47s, which have been converted into the tourist train “Futatsuboshi 4047” that runs between Nagasaki Station and Takeo Onsen Station on a circular route, and will continue to operate as the only JNR trains in this area.
