International Railroad Discussion > MUE-Train and E235 EMU (Japan)

I've gotten lucky and have run into East Japan Railway's (JR East) test trains during my visits the last two years.

MUE in MUE-Train stands for MUlti-purpose Experimental. Some of the testing done by the MUE is typical, like motor/brake performance, possible improvements in truck design, and rail/catenary/ATS/ATC performance (ATS = Autmatic Train Stop, ATC = Automatic Train Control). Foul weather testing is done with the MUE-Train also, like how a train set reacts to strong wind, braking/acceleration in the rain, and so forth. Even consumer high tech ammenities have known to be tested, namely WiMax (wireless technology) performance onboard the train.

A 1990s-era 209 Series EMU set was modified in 2008 and after receiving a unique paint scheme, MUE-Train began testing the same year. I was on my way to the Railway Museum in Omiya in April of 2014, when I saw it approaching in the distance, so I quickly got my camcorder out to record a quick video. There's a railfan with a Canon L lens who noticed it, too, and you see him at the beginning of the clip.

- MUE-Train parked at Omiya.
- Unique scheme on the train.

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Wikipedia article says the MUE-Train's two testing schedules occurred between 2008-2011, the first schedule for train set performance improvements, and second schedule for future feature enhancements. Informaton on railfan.jp says the April 2014 sighting was for testing on the Tohoku Line - apparently, the MUE-Train is popular enough with railfans where updates are posted on where it has been (but no heads ups).

- "Rear view" of the MUE-Train at Omiya - red marker lights. It's about to run north on the Tohoku Line.
- Got a shot of the equipment for analysis. No curtains to block my view here.

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Hiroshi posted a photo of the upcoming E235 EMU set earlier this year, when the Oi Maintenance Facility had an open house:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3823743,3823744#3823744

E235 is the next new EMU scheduled to go into service, as soon as November 30 this year on the famous Yamanote Line, Tokyo's loop line. I'm sure MUE-train's tests contributed to its design. Railfan media has been covering the E235 for several months now, so I was hoping to catch it when I visited last May, but I had no game plan, and didn't want to ride around Tokyo in circles for a fruitless search (tongue-in-cheek), so I came up empty, naturally. FYI, proper strategy is to wait at Osaki Station (大崎) where train sets come out from the Oi Maintenance Facility.

Instead, instant railfan karma got me in October.

After getting triple-blocked at Yoyogi while trying to record video of Freight Train #3086, I was not in a good mood. It was my last day in Japan, and I still had other items in Tokyo on my railfan to do list. I went downstairs to change from the Sobu Line platform to the Yamanote Line platform for my next endeavor, and suddenly saw a train set I've never seen before parked there, doors still closed, station agents "protecting" it, and announcements blaring that you can't board this train.

I realized that E235 was served to me on a silver platter. From bad to good in a matter of minutes - instant karma!

I was out of position, and it was quite a distance to the end of the platform where the safety doors wouldn't block my shot. I couldn't run, because of the station agents (plural), so in a desperate attempt, I started recording video while walking briskly. That's the first clip. Unfortunately, the E235 departed sooner than I wanted. OK, at least I got it documented. Note that I almost got to the end of the platform without getting yelled at from the station agents.

I hopped on the next Yamanote Line train, and thought to myself, how do I catch it again? Do I ride behind it hoping to pass it? Probably won't work. De-train, ride the other direction on the loop for an intercept? Maybe. The best plan was to hop on the Chuo Line train and cut across from Shinjuku to Tokyo to meet it there... wait, the doors just closed and my train is departing Shinjuku! (Shinjuku is the next stop north of Yoyogi, a very short 0.7 km or 0.44 mile)

Crap!!

There weren't many options left, except to ride behind it or ride the opposite loop and maybe catch the E235 go back to the Oi Maintenance Facility at Osaki... but suddenly, I realized I had one more option left. De-train at Takadanobaba (高田馬場, two stops north of Shinjuku), hop on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (subway), de-train at Otemachi (大手町) and make the long walk in the underground walkway to Tokyo Station.

Fortunately, I bought the Tokyo One-Day Free ticket in the morning for unlimited rides within the Tokyo 23 wards on JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, Toei Arakawa (streetcar) lines, as well as on the Toei buses - my JR Rail Pass had already expired. I had foamed the Toei Arakawa streetcar line earlier in the day, which I'll report on later. Anyway, the One Day ticket allowed me quick transfers, since I didn't have to go to ticket machines to buy separate tickets whenever I transferred from one transit organization to another, like I was doing at Takadanobaba.

Once onboard the Tozai Line subway, I looked at the system map and counted the number of stations until Otemachi and compared it to the number of stops the E235 had to make between Takadanobaba to Tokyo, to see if my plan will really work. I had no other choice, since I didn't have the detailed schedule of the Tozai Line available. 6 vs. 14, or 6 vs 12, since I suspected the E235 was about two stations ahead - I think I have a chance!

After the long brisk walk between Otemachi and Tokyo, I breezed through the gates thanks to the One-Day ticket, popped up on the platform opposite of where I expected the E235 to arrive, and in less than a minute I saw the E235 approaching. Wow, I made it! That's the second clip.

Yamanote Line E231 running the opposite direction arrived to block my view of the E235, but I was already walking to the other side of the platform, anticipating the blockage, so I could get the third clip, E235 departing Tokyo.

- E235 arriving at Tokyo Station.
- Video as described.

That's all for now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/15 10:56 by cchan006.

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I like the ped guides.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Thanks for posting and for both videos.  Again, quite an adventure that was well worth the effort.

You also caught in both video recordings the ubiquitous sound of "ATOS-3", alias the most recognizable railway platform music in Tokyo.  Put that in your ringtone.

Regarding the crowd barriers mentioned in the above post, at what I'm guessing is Otemachi Station.   Many subway stations around Taipei have such barriers with retractable doors that open when trains arrive and the subway car doors open, then close prior to departure after the subway car doors have closed.  This was done not only to prevent people (especially inebriated patrons) from falling off the platform, but the rising number of suicides.

d.

251F Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Happy Thanksgiving!  Thanks for posting and for
> both videos.  Again, quite an adventure that was
> well worth the effort.
>
> You also caught in both video recordings the
> ubiquitous sound of "ATOS-3", alias the most
> recognizable railway platform music in Tokyo. 
> Put that in your ringtone.
>
> Regarding the crowd barriers mentioned in the
> above post, at what I'm guessing is Otemachi
> Station.   Many subway stations around Taipei
> have such barriers with retractable doors that
> open when trains arrive and the subway car doors
> open, then close prior to departure after the
> subway car doors have closed.  This was done not
> only to prevent people (especially inebriated
> patrons) from falling off the platform, but the
> rising number of suicides.
>
> d.

The first clip, where you see the barrier is at Yoyogi Station on JR East's Yamanote Line. I didn't see the barriers on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, at least on the section I rode that day, but Tokyo Metro (the subway lines) are installing them on some of the lines as well. JR East has been installing them on select stations along the Yamanote Line loop, but not yet at Tokyo (as seen in the second and third clips), nor at Shinjuku. What's interesting is that where the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line share platforms between Tabata and Tamachi, only the Yamanote Line side has the barriers, but not the Keihin-Tohoku Line side.

Add distracted walking (cell phone zombies) to the list of hazards the barriers protect people from.

cchan006 Wrote:

> What's interesting is that where the Yamanote Line
> and Keihin-Tohoku Line share platforms between
> Tabata and Tamachi, only the Yamanote Line side
> has the barriers, but not the Keihin-Tohoku Line
> side.
>

Must be the folks from Tohoku (the frigid northeast) are more on the ball than the Tokyo/Kanto (zombie) denizens. じぇじぇじぇ!

d.