Introduced in 1994 to replace the 113 series EMUs running on the Sōbu Line and Yokosuka Line, it was the first outer-suburban train type in Japan to feature four pairs of doors per side on car. The basic design was developed from the 209 series commuter EMUs. It replaced all the Yokosuka Line 113 series trains by 1999. The trains were built jointly by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Tokyu Car, and JR East. They use Mitsubishi IGBT transistors and VVVF inverters with Mitsubishi MT68 traction motors. Gear ratio is 97:16.
Three 10-car sets were based at Kōzu Depot and formed with four motored cars and six non-powered trailer cars.
Cars 3 and 9 each had one scissors pantograph.
Cars 1 and 10 had an accessible/priority "free space".
Cars 1, 5, and 10 each had a toilet.
Car 8 was designated as a mildly air-conditioned car.
Cars 4 and 5 were bilevel Green Cars with transverse seating.
Cars 9 and 10 had a mix of longitudinal and transverse box seating.
5-car Tōkaidō Line sets
Three five-car sets were based at Kōzu Depot and formed with two motored cars and three non-powered trailer cars.
Car 13 had a scissors pantograph.
Cars 11 and 15 had an accessible/priority "free space".
Car 11 had a Japanese-style toilet.
Car 14 had a mix of longitudinal and transverse box seating.
Interior
History
The E217 series trains entered revenue service from 3 December 1994. In March 2006, three 15-car trains were reformed as 10+5-car sets and transferred to Kōzu depot for use from 14 March 2006 on Tōkaidō Main Line duties out of Tokyo alongside E231 series trains. The sets were repainted into the same Shonancolor scheme of orange and green bodyside stripes as applied to the E231s. These sets were all transferred back to Yokosuka/Sōbu Line services by March 2015. A programme of refurbishment on the fleet commenced from 2008 and was completed in 2012. Externally, sets received lighter blue and cream stripes. The sets are to be replaced by the newer E235-1000 series from fiscal 2020.
Incidents
On December 25, 2014, an 11+4 car train consisting of sets Y12 and Y129 broke down on the Yokosuka Line due to electrical problems; another 11+4 car train consisting of sets Y23 and Y130 was sent to tow the faulty set from Tokyo Station to Kamakura Depot, creating an immensely long thirty-car train. While this was happening, the entire train did not stop at any stations to pick up any passengers.
