Trains are formed in 10-car and 5-car sets. 15-car formations are generally run between and. 10- and 5-car sets operate singly north of Tsuchiura, and 5-car sets are used on the Mito Line.
Formations
The E531 series sets are formed as shown below with car 1 at the Ueno end. All sets are based at Katsuta Depot.
10-car sets
Sets K401–426 :
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Designation
Tc'
M'
M
Tsd'
Tsd
T'
M'
M
T
Tc
Numbering
KuHa E530
MoHa E530
MoHa E531-1000
SaRo E530
SaRo E531
SaHa E530-2000
MoHa E530-2000
MoHa E531-2000
SaHa E531
KuHa E531
Cars 3 and 8 have one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1, 5, and 10 have toilets. Car 9 is numbered in the SaHa E531-2000 series for sets K412 to 422.
5-car sets
Sets K451–483 :
Car No.
11
12
13
14
15
Designation
Tc'
M'
M
T
Tc
Numbering
KuHa E530-2000
MoHa E530-1000
MoHa E531
SaHa E531
KuHa E531-1000
Car 13 has one single-arm pantograph. Car 11 has a toilet. Sets K551–557:
Car No.
11
12
13
14
15
Designation
Tc'
M'
M
T
Tc
Numbering
KuHa E530-5000
MoHa E530-4000
MoHa E531-3000
SaHa E531-3000
KuHa E531-4000
Original 10-car sets (July 2005 – March 2007)
The original 10-car sets delivered without bilevel Green cars were formed as follows.
Sets K401–406
Cars 3 and 8 had one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1 and 10 had toilets.
Sets K407–411
Cars 3 and 8 had one single-arm pantograph each. Cars 1 and 10 had toilets.
Interior
History
The first E531 series trains entered service on 9 July 2005. Pairs of double-deck "Green" cars were added to the 10-car sets from 6 January 2007, and all 10-car sets included Green cars by the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007. In September 2014, an additional 10-car set, K423, was delivered from the J-TREC factory in Yokohama, four years after construction of the original fleet had ceased. This was followed in December 2014 by a five-car set, K469, also delivered from J-TREC in Yokohama.
Build details
The build details for the fleet as of 1 October 2014 are as shown below.
10-car sets
Note that many sets incorporate cars built by manufacturers other than those listed above due to reforming when Green cars were inserted between 2005 and 2006.
