Kintetsu introduces a new Class 1A EMU
posted on 9th Jan 2026 20:23
On 8 January 2025, the private railway company Kinki-Nippon Tetsudō, better known as Kintetsu, has introduced the first of its new Class 1A EMUs. The design of the train and its interior layout are based on those of the Class 8A EMUs introduced to the Kintetsu fleet in 2024.
The four-car 1,435 mm gauge train consists of two powered cars (one end car and one intermediate car) and two trailers (one end and one intermediate car). The bodyshells are made of aluminium, their width is slightly wider than that of the old EMUs at 2,800 mm instead of 2,744 mm. As a result, the loading gauge clearance had to be carefully verified. The outside livery is blue as a a reminiscence of a seaside.
The cars are 20,720 mm long and 4,150 mm high above TOR. Each driving axle is equipped with a 240 kW traction motor, giving a total power output of the train of 1,920 kW. The traction inverter is of the SiC type and is fed from a 1,500 V DC catenary. The top service speed of the Kinki Sharyo-built EMUs is 120 km/h and the maximum capacity is 500 passengers.
The interior design is said to be inspired by the Man'yōshū ("Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves"), an anthology of ancient Japanese poetry written as haiku during the first half of the seventh century. The seats can be rotated in any direction: backwards, forwards or sideways. There are dedicated areas for people with prams, large luggage or on wheelchairs. This area is called Yasashiba, a label combining the Japanese words yasashii (kind) and ba (space). An addition to the special Yasashiba seat is a special feature - the wheel trap, which prevents luggage from moving around by itself. There is also a wheelchair-accessible toilet on board.
The first new Class 1A EMU will be inaugurated on 16 January on services from Nagoya. Kintetsu has also ordered three-car 1B EMUs, which are due to be delivered at a later date. Kintersu placed an order for three four-car EMUs (12 cars in total) for the Nagoya Line, and two four-car EMUs (eight cars in total) for the Osaka Line.
Furthermore, three more three-car EMUs (nine cars in total) for the Nagoya Line are to be built in the 2026 financial year designated as Class 1B.
The Kintetsu network consists of 501.1 km both 1,435 mm and 1,067 mm track gauge lines, making it the longest private railway network in Japan and the second largest after JR. The network spans the cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya, as well as the Mie Prefecture area.