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JR Kyushu KiHa 200 Series / JR九州キハ200系

The KiHa 200 Series (キハ200系) is a DMU operated by JR Kyushu since 1991.

Developed to serve unelectrified commuter lines around Greater Fukuoka-Kitakyushu, the KiHa 200 series replaced many aging JNR diesel cars produced in the 1960s. With the fitting of a more powerful engine to each car, this type would raise the operating top speed to 110km/h from the 95km/h of previous vehicles. The KiHa 200 series is arranged in fixed two cars sets for lines on the urban periphery, while in 1997 a dual cab single car variant was introduced as the Kiha 220 type. In the same year, the KiHa 200-500/1500 series with long seats entered service, and the KiHa 220's also had cross seat and long seat types (KiHa 220-1100 and Kiha 220-1500 respectively). The total number of cars manufactured is 64, divded into 24 sets of KiHa 200's and 18 KiHa 220's. In the late 90s and early 2000s, a number of lines around Greater Fukuoka was electrified, and the type was thus replaced by EMUs. Excess cars were transferred to increasingly more remote areas to replace the remaining KiHa 40's and KiHa 47's. A portion of the cross car seats were also converted to long seat in the 2010s, although some cross seat units remain. 2 cars were scrapped due to accidents and natural disaster damage respectively, and another was converted to the track inspection vehicle BE220 "BIG EYE" after flooding damaged the interior in 2023. Presently, cars of this series are placed in the Oita, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima rolling stock centers. All vehicles except the 3 mentioned above are in active service.

Basic Information:

Max Speed: 110km/h
Acceleration: 0.51m/s/s
Engine Output: 450PS x 1 per car

The following formations are included:

KiHa 220-1100 Series (Single Car)

Max Pax: 133
Seating: cross
In Service: 1997-
-can be coupled up to 5 cars

KiHa 220-1500 Series (Single Car)

Max Pax: 158
Seating: long
In Service: 1997-
-can be coupled up to 5 cars

KiHa 200-0/1000 Series (2 Car)

Max Pax: 318
Seating: cross
In Service: 1991-
-can be coupled up to 3 sets

KiHa 200-500/1500 Series (2 Car)

Max Pax: 378
Seating: long
In Service: 1997-
-can be coupled up to 3 sets