DEC700 series

The DEC700 series (Diesel Electric Car) is a suburban low-capacity single-car diesel-electric multiple unit operated by the West Japan Railway Company since August 2021 for evaluation purposes.
==History==
The DEC700 series was first announced in late June 2021 as a train to be used by JR West to evaluate and standardize future fleets of diesel railcars. One car was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in late June 2021. The railcar is located at Shin-Yamaguchi Depot and began testing on 16 August 2021. There are no known plans to mass-produce the series, nor are there any known plans to use these to replace existing trains; a press release states that the ultimate use of the railcar apart from testing is unclear.
The DEC700 series railcar is used, as of 2022, to test "next-generation biofuels". JR West aims to mass-produce a diesel-electric multiple unit using the test results gathered from the DEC700 series tests.
The car is slated to be used in revenue service from 28 September to 24 November 2024 on special Hare no Mori services on the Kishi Line between Tsuyama and Niimi Stations.
==Design==
The DEC700 series use a contemporary squared-off design similar to many other modern J-TREC locomotives, featuring dual top-mounted headlights and a large front windshield; the railcars feature a design largely based on that of the 227 series cars. The car features yellow accents, the regional color of Japan's Chūgoku Region. The logo for the trains features a musical theme with a chromatic scale.
==Specifications==
Construction is of stainless steel based on Kawasaki's efACE concept. The trains are powered by a SA6D140HE-3 prime mover; each car is equipped with at least one of these prime movers, and can be converted into a hybrid train through the installation of 15.2 kWh lithium-ion battery banks. An onboard generator and battery input power into a transformer which power the motors for the car.
==Trivia==
*The "DEC" in the logo for the railcars are arranged so that they correspond to the positions of D, E and C on the chromatic scale.
Category:Diesel trainsets
Category:Diesel-electric trainsets
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Built in 2021