E501 series

The E501 series is a Japanese dual-voltage commuter electric multiple unit operated by the East Japan Railway Company since December 1995, mostly around the Mito area on the Jōban Line.
==History==
The E501 series was designed in 1995 as a dual-voltage development of the 209 series sets introduced two years prior. The E501 series was also developed to improve the trains on the Jōban Line as a whole, in addition to reducing congestion at platforms. The first two sets were to be delivered in time for the introduction of the revised timetable in March 1995, however, due to the effects of the Great Hanshin earthquake in January that year, deliveries were postponed to May, and ultimately entered service on 1 December 1995 with the introduction of the revised timetable.
Originally, the E501 series sets operated on Jōban Line services out of Ueno in Tokyo, but a program of refurbishment started in 2005 and the sets were relegated to the Mito area from 18 March 2007, where they continue to operate today. All sets underwent a life-extension refurbishment program from 2011 to 2012, which involved the replacing of various electrical and brake equipment.
All sets are currently operational and are based at Katsuta Depot. The trains normally operate in a fifteen-car consist with a ten-car and five-car set coupled together.
==Design==
As a dual-voltage development of the 209 series, the E501 series sets heavily resemble the 209 series sets. The sets have white and "emerald green" accents.
==Specifications==
Construction is of stainless steel. Cars are 20 meters long and 2.8 meters wide. When originally manufactured, the E501 series sets used a very unique gate turn-off thyristor variable frequency drive manufactured by Siemens that produced a solfeggio scale on accelerating. Due to the unavailability of substitute parts for the train's long-outdated GTO-VVVF system, the traction system was replaced on all trains with a two-level insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drive manufactured by Toshiba, which produces a higher-pitched wooshing sound.
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Tokyu Car locomotives