521 series

The 521 series was the first dual-voltage suburban EMU type to be built for JR West. The body of the first two batches was based on the 223-5000 series suburban EMU design, with the same WMT102C traction motors. The sets are able to be used on wanman driver-only operation services. ==Operations==

JR West • 521-0 series • Hokuriku Main Line ( – ) • Kosei Line ( – ) • Obama Line ( – , sometimes substituted for 125 series) • 521-100 series • Nanao Line (from 3 October 2020) Third-sector lines • Hapi-Line Fukui Line • IR Ishikawa Railway Line • Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line • Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line ==Fleet==

, JR West operates 50 two-car sets (E01-E05, G14-G15, G17, G20-G24, G28-G30, J01-J19, U01-U15), allocated to Kanazawa depot and Tsuruga depot. The Ainokaze Toyama Railway operates 22 two-car sets (AK01-AK22), and the IR Ishikawa Railway operates eight two-car sets (IR01-IR08). 15 additional two-car sets were transferred to Hapi-Line Fukui in March 2024 following JR West's forefeiture of the Hokuriku Main Line within Fukui Prefecture. ==Formations==

Sets consist of one motored and one non-powered trailer car, and are formed as follows. The KuHa 520 cars are each fitted with one WPD28D single-arm pantograph. ==Interior==

Seating is arranged as 2+2 abreast transverse flip-over seats. The KuHa 520 cars include a toilet. File:Series521 Kuha520-13 Inside.jpg|Interior of a 2nd-batch set in April 2022 File:JRW Kumoha521-36 Inside.jpg|Interior of a 3rd-batch set in July 2022 File:JRW Kumoha521-36 Priority-seat.jpg|Priority seating in July 2022 File:JRW Kuha520-53 Toilet.jpg|Toilet in July 2022 File:JRW Kuha520-53 Inside LED.jpg|LED passenger information display in July 2022 File:Jrw521 unchinhyo.jpg|Fare indicator board for driver-only operated services File:JRW Kuha520-43 Cab.jpg|Driver's cab in April 2022 ==History==

The first five sets, E01 to E05, were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Kinki Sharyo, and were delivered to Fukui depot between September and October 2006. These entered revenue service from 30 November 2006. The fleet was reallocated to Tsuruga Depot from 1 June 2010. 15 more sets, M01 to M15, were delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries to Tsuruga Depot between January and March 2011. The third-batch sets have cab ends based on the JR West 225 series EMUs, with improved crash resistance, and use LED lighting for interior lighting. These sets entered revenue service in spring 2014. Unlike older JR West 521 series sets, the 521-100 series sets feature red waistline striping, reminiscent of the body colour used by older 413 and 415 series trains operated on the line. By October 2020, a total of fifteen two-car sets were built for JR West. Three more sets for the IR Ishikawa Railway (IR06 to IR08) were delivered on 3 December 2020. Two more 521-0 series two-car sets (J22 and J23) were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and delivered to Kanazawa Depot in March 2021. ==Other operators==

16 two-car 521 series sets were transferred to the third-sector railway operating company Ainokaze Toyama Railway for use from 14 March 2015 when JR West handed over ownership of the sections of the Hokuriku Main Line in Toyama Prefecture running parallel to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen. Likewise, three two-car sets were transferred to the IR Ishikawa Railway, which took over control of the section of the Hokuriku Main Line in Ishikawa Prefecture from 14 March 2015. Two more sets were newly built for the IR Ishikawa Railway. These sets are based on the JR West 3rd-batch design, and are intended to replace the operator's ageing 413 series EMUs. Sets AK21 and AK22 were delivered in February 2023. Hapi-Line Fukui 15 more two-car 521 series sets were transferred to the third-sector railway operating company Hapi-Line Fukui for use from 16 March 2024 when JR West handed over ownership of the sections of the Hokuriku Main Line in Fukui Prefecture running parallel to the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tsuruga. ==References==