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TWR 70-000 Series / 東京臨海高速鉄道70-000形

The 70-000 Series (70-000形) is a commuter type EMU operated by Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (TWR).

Entering service with the Rinkai Line's opening in 1996, the 70-000 series shares the basic design of JR East's 209 series. The design of the front cab was modified, and a glossy finish was given to the main body instead of the duller finish found on the JR East units. As TWR is a minor company without it's own maintenance depot, inspections are outsourced to JR East. Most equipment found on the type is built to the same specifications as the 209 series to reduce the amount of fees the company has to pay for maintenance. The 70-000 series was initially manufactured in 4 car sets, as the Rinkai Line did not have through running at the time of opening. However, with the completion of Osaki Station and the link with the Saikyo Line opening in 2002, non-through services were extended to 6 cars, and through services began operating with 10-car sets. With the timetable change in 2004 the entire fleet was unified to 10-car sets, extra trailer cars were manufactured, while 8 surplus leading cars and motor cars were sold to JR East and incorporated into the 209-3100 series. The total number of vehicles produced is 88, with 8 10 car sets currently in service with TWR and the remainder operated by JR East until their withdrawal in 2022. As the fleet is reaching 30 years of age, which is the type's intended service life, TWR has announced the 71-000 series for entry into service in FY2025, and all 70-000 sets will be retired by the end of FY2027.

Operator Background:

Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (TWR) is a third sector railway company operating on Tokyo's waterfront district. Opening in 1996, the 12.2km Rinkai Line is the only line owned by the company. It has a total of 8 stations and forms an important part of the transit network around the waterfront area. The line starts at Shin-Kiba Station in Koto Ward and runs east to terminate at Osaki Station in Shinagawa Ward. It has a number of connections with JR, Tokyo Metro, and other private and third sector railways. All trains start/terminate at Shin-Kiba Station, while at Osaki Station there are through-operations with the JR Saikyo Line, which continue onto the Kawagoe Line. The majority of the Rinkai Line's alignment is underground, but it is classified as a commuter railway and not a subway. TWR is over 90% owned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, while a number of other businesses along with JR East hold minor stakes. Due to the rapid development of the waterfront district in the 2000s, the company had posted operating profits in every year since 2006 with the exception of 2020. There are no planned extensions to the Rinkai Line, but it is reported that the Tokyo Government intends to have TWR as the operator of a planned subway line directly connecting Tokyo Station with the waterfront area. Daily passenger numbers was reported to be around 210,000 in FY2023, down from 259,000 in FY2019.

Basic Information:

Max Speed: 110km/h
Acceleration: 0.69m/s/s
Motor Output: 95kW x 4 per car
Seating: long
In Service: 1996-

The following formations are included:

70-000 Series (4 Car)

Configuration: 2M2T
Max Pax: 1208
-operations ended

70-000 Series (6 Car)

Configuration: 4M2T
Max Pax: 1832
-operations ended

70-000 Series (10 Car)

Configuration: 6M4T
Max Pax: 3080