KiHa 40 series explained

KiHa 40 series
KiHa 41
KiHa 47
KiHa 48
Service:1977–present
Manufacturer:Fuji Heavy Industries, Niigata Tekkō
Yearconstruction:1977 - 1983
Numberbuilt:888 vehicles
Numberservice:714 vehicles (as of 2018)
Formation:Various
Depots:Various
Lines:Various
Carbody:Steel
Carlength:21300mm
Width:2900mm
Doors:2 per side
Maxspeed:95km/h
Transmission:DW10 (hydraulic)
Multipleworking:KiHa 58 (San'in Main Line only)

The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type introduced by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1977 and operated by all Japan Railways Group companies on suburban and rural services in Japan.[1] Since 2017, the train type has seen use by other private railway companies in Japan, following the removal of services by Japan Railways groups. Additionally, it has also seen use in overseas operations in Myanmar since 2011 and is also scheduled to be used in Thailand.

Overview

The KiHa 40 series diesel multiple unit was introduced in 1977 by JNR to replace ageing KiHa 10 series DMUs on suburban and rural services nationwide.[2] A total of 888 vehicles were built between 1977 and 1982, broadly divided into three main types: KiHa 40, KiHa 47, and KiHa 48. These were subdivided as shown below, with further variants and modifications made later in their lives by the various JR Group companies.[3]

Type No. of cabs Doors Subclass Region ToiletQuantityNumberingRemarks
KiHa 402 Single-leaf-100 Hokkaido
(Extreme cold) 		Yes150101–250
-500 Cold94501–594
-1000 Warm No1481001–1007Former KiHa 40-2000 cars with toilets removed
-2000 Yes2001–2148
KiHa 471 Pairs -0 Warm Yes1931–193
-500 Cold22501–522
-1000 Warm No1341001–1134
-1500 Cold211501–1521
KiHa 481 Single-leaf -0 Warm Yes61–6
-300 Hokkaido
(Extreme cold)		4301–304
-500 Cold59501–559
-1000 Warm No41001–1004
-1300 Hokkaido
(Extreme cold)		31301–1303
-1500 Cold501501–1550

"Cold" regions refers to the Tohoku and Chubu regions.

JR Hokkaido

Following the privatization and splitting of JNR in April 1987, JR Hokkaido received a total of 157 KiHa 40 series vehicles (150 KiHa 40s and 7 KiHa 48s)., JR Hokkaido operates 153 KiHa 40 series vehicles, classified as follows.[3]

JR East

Following the privatization and splitting of JNR in April 1987, JR East received a total of 219 KiHa 40 series vehicles (117 KiHa 40s, 28 KiHa 47s, and 74 KiHa 48s). As of 1 April 2010, JR East operates 159 KiHa 40 series vehicles, classified as follows.[3] KiHa 48 502 and KiHa 48 1512 were derailed and badly damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, and were withdrawn.

Joyful Train sets

JR Central

Following the privatization and splitting of JNR in April 1987, JR Central received a total of 59 KiHa 40 series vehicles (14 KiHa 40s, 5 KiHa 47s, and 40 KiHa 48s). By April 2010, JR Central operated 59 KiHa 40 series vehicles, classified as follows.[3] These were withdrawn by 2016.

JR West

Following the privatization and splitting of JNR in April 1987, JR-West received a total of 257 KiHa 40 series vehicles (63 KiHa 40s, 189 KiHa 47s, and 5 KiHa 48s)., JR-West operates 255 KiHa 40 series vehicles, classified as follows.[3]

Joyful Train sets

JR Shikoku

Following the privatization and splitting of JNR in April 1987, JR Shikoku received a total of 53 KiHa 40 series vehicles (11 KiHa 40s and 42 KiHa 47s)., JR Shikoku operates 43 KiHa 40 series vehicles, classified as follows.[3]

Joyful Train sets

JR Kyushu

Following the privatization and splitting of JNR in April 1987, JR Kyushu received a total of 142 KiHa 40 series vehicles (36 KiHa 40s and 106 KiHa 47s). As of 1 April 2010, JR Kyushu operates 140 KiHa 40 series vehicles, classified as follows.[3]

Joyful Train sets

Resale

Nishikigawa Railway

In 2017, KiHa 40 1009 was taken over by Nishikigawa Railway, that ended operation on the Karasuyama Line by JR East in March 2017. The former diesel train is remodeled in retro style, and started operation on September 16 of the same year.[4]

Kominato Railway

Two KiHa 40 carriages (KiHa 40 2021 and KiHa 40 2026), which ended operation on the Tadami Line in March 2020, were transferred to Kominato Railway in May 2020 with the Tohoku livery.[5] [6]

Hojo Railway

The latest acquisition purchased by the third-sector railway company which has been funded by the local government of Kasai City to purchase a retired unit from JR East which had been recently ended their local services in Gono Line on 2021.[7] [8] [9] The local government had been successfully collected their crowdfunding at a cost of about 30 million yen (approx. $220,000) for purchasing cost, shipment from the Akita prefecture and for remodeling or refurbishment to make it like new. The railcar has been successfully remodeled and started began their operation in March 2022 with retaining its former livery used in Gono Line by JR East.[10] [11]

Conversions

Aizu Railway's AT-400 DMU was converted from a former JR East KiHa 40.[12]

Overseas operations

Myanmar

A large fleet of former KiHa 40 series cars from JR East, JR Hokkaido, JR Shikoku, and JR Central were shipped to Myanmar between 2011 and 2016. A total of 48 diesel cars (including KiHa 40, KiHa 47, & KiHa 48) have been shipped to Myanmar for overseas operations.[13] The cars are used on the Yangon Circular Railway.

Thailand

A total of 20 former KiHa 40 & 48 cars from JR East are expected to be shipped to Thailand for overseas operations by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).[14] On 27 March 2024, these cars were handed over to the Thai railway operator prior to shipping from Niigata Port.[15] On June 2, 2024, KiHa 40 & 48 arrived in Thailand. Laem Chabang,Chonburi Province Parked near Laem Chabang train station. To adjust the width of the wheel axle base from 1,067 mm Japan to 1,000 mm Thailand.[16]

List of Kiha 40 & 48 that the State Railway of Thailand has received

Preserved examples

In popular culture

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Haraguchi, Takayuki . Encyclopedia of JR's Railway Cars: JR全車輌 . Sekai Bunka . 2009 . Japan . 126–127 . 978-4-418-09905-4.
  2. Book: ja: JR全車輌ハンドブック2009 . JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2009. Neko Publishing . 2009 . Japan . 461–470. 978-4-7770-0836-0. Jēāru zensharyō handobukku: Rail Magazine 2009.
  3. Nishiwaki . Kōji. Fujita. Gorō. ja: キハ40系一族. The KiHa 40 Series Family. . 51. 597. 15–63. Koyusha Co., Ltd.. Japan . January 2011.
  4. Web site: 山口）「キハ４０形」錦川鉄道に到着 ９月以降に運行. Toshihiko. Ninomiya. www.asahi.com. ja. 2020-05-24. 15 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200915012547/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK524KG8K52TZNB00Y.html. dead.
  5. Web site: 鉄道ダイヤ情. www.kotsu.co.ja. ja. 2020-05-24. 23 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200523132247/https://www.kotsu.co.jp/service/publication/dj/. live.
  6. Web site: 小湊鉄道 レア車両搬入で撮り鉄"密状態"に困惑「気持ちは分かるが、こんな時期なんで」. www.sponichi.co.jp. ja. 2020-05-24. 28 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200528170720/https://www.sponichi.co.jp/society/news/2020/05/21/kiji/20200521s00042000190000c.html. dead.
  7. News: 北条鉄道 キハ40形購入. https://web.archive.org/web/20210531100225/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/hyogo/news/20210531-OYTNT50010/. 読売新聞. 2021-05-31. 2021-05-31. 2021-05-31.
  8. News: 「キハ40」ようこそ北条鉄道へ 五能線の引退車両、来春から運行 人気の希少カラーリング. https://web.archive.org/web/20211215232626/https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sougou/202112/0014909761.shtml. 神戸新聞. 神戸新聞社. 2021-12-12. 2021-12-19. 2021-12-15.
  9. Web site: 旧国鉄時代の「キハ４０形」　希少な「白青」で走行へ　北条鉄道 . 神戸新聞NEXT . 神戸新聞社 . 2021-08-27 . 2021-08-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211215232834/https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/hokuban/202108/0014625464.shtml . 15 December 2021 . live.
  10. Web site: 国鉄時代に製造のレア車両「キハ４０形」再び出発進行！　北条鉄道. 神戸新聞NEXT. 神戸新聞社. 2022-03-13. 2022-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220402134555/https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sougou/202203/0015132523.shtml . 2 April 2022 . live.
  11. Web site: 北条鉄道で『キハ40満喫列車』運転 . 2022-03-14 . 2022-03-16 . 交友社 . 鉄道ニュース . https://web.archive.org/web/20220403104640/https://railf.jp/news/2022/03/14/114000.html . 3 April 2022 . live.
  12. Web site: 見たことある？ 隠されていた“キハ40顔” ベール脱いだ会津鉄道の改造車 . Japanese . 26 November 2023 . trafficnews.jp . Mediavague Co., ltd. . 26 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231126120725/https://trafficnews.jp/post/129531 . 26 November 2023 . live.
  13. http://www.2427junction.com/mmrrbetop.html Diesel Railcars from Japan
  14. Web site: タイ国鉄に譲渡されるキハ40・48形がすべて新潟東港に集結 . All KiHa 40 and 48 series trains to be transferred to the State Railway of Thailand are gathered at Niigata East Port . RM News . Neko Publishing . 31 May 2024 . Japan . Japanese . 2 April 2024.
  15. Web site: JR東日本からタイ国鉄へ…元秋田地区のキハ40譲渡 . JR East to transfer former Akita KiHa 40 cars to the State Railway of Thailand . RM News . Neko Publishing . 31 May 2024 . Japan . Japanese . 3 April 2024.
  16. Web site: ขบวนรถดีเซลรางฯ รุ่น Kiha 40 - Kiha 48 จากญี่ปุ่นถึงไทยแล้ว .
  17. Web site: キハ40 764 . KiHa 40 764 . 22 April 2014 . rail.hobidas.com . Neko Publishing . 11 July 2019 . 11 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190711165148/https://rail.hobidas.com/photo/archives/2014/04/40_764.html . live .
  18. Book: Microsoft Train Simulator - Engineer's Handbook . 2001 . Microsoft . 86 . The Routes.
  19. Web site: Japan Railway Journal Episode 35 - The Unsung Hero of Japanese Railways: Series Kiha 40 Diesel Trains, Originally Aired Friday, June 16, 2017 . 26 September 2019 . . . 25 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210725074354/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yNSeU9rKN0 . live .

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