717 series

The 717 series was a Japanese suburban electric multiple unit operated by the Japanese National Railways and its successor companies from April 1986 to July 2014.
==History==
The 717 series sets, along with the very similar 413 series sets, were rebuilt from older 457 series sets from 1986 to 1995 as an improved type of train that could be used on suburban services in the Sendai and Kyushu region. A total of forty-six cars were built, for a total of eighteen sets, with ten three-car sets and eight two-car sets making a total of forty-six cars.
The first set, T3, was introduced on 27 April 1986, with subsequent sets introduced over the coming years. JR East's ten sets were stationed at Sendai Depot, while JR Kyushu's eight sets were stationed at Kagoshima Depot. With the introduction of more E721 series sets on JR East lines and 817 series sets on JR Kyushu lines, the obsolescence of the 717 series sets began to show, and they were slowly retired starting from 2008; JR East's entire fleet was retired by August 2008, while the last two sets, HK203 and HK204, both owned by JR Kyushu, were retired on 14 July 2014 and were later sent to JR Kyushu's Kokura Works.
No 717 series cars have been preserved.
==Design==
The 717 series' body design is very similar to trains of the era, such as the 413, 415, 417, 711 and 713 series sets.
==Specifications==
Construction is of steel. Each car is 20 meters long. The 717 series sets use resistor-controlled traction motors, which would have been deemed obsolete at the time due to the advent of the variable frequency drive.
==See also==
*413 series, very similar EMUs used for a very similar purpose
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:Kagoshima Works locomotives
Category:Kokura Works locomotives
Category:Kōriyama Works locomotives
Category:Tsuchizaki Works locomotives