JR West KiHa 187 Series / JR西日本キハ187系
The KiHa 187 Series (キハ187系) is a DMU of JR West operating Limited Express services in the San’in Region.
Introduced to modernize and improve services along the San’in Main Line, the KiHa 187 Series was designed to better compete again express busses in the region. In addition to raising the maximum speed to 130km/h, the type features tilting capabilities which greatly reduced travel times on the steep mountainous lines it operated on. Efforts were made during the design process to standardize equipment with JR’s West EMUs, in particular the 233 series, which lead to lower production and maintenance costs. The interior was designed with the concept of providing a sense of warmth, wood-based materials were used for handrails and window frames to give a high-class feeling. Unlike most limited express stock, the KiHa 187 series have a simple exterior, likely to save costs. The cars were also produced with financial support from Tottori and Shimane Prefectures, as the routes operated are quite unprofitable. 26 cars were produced from 2000-2003, they serve Limited Express Super Matsukaze, Super Oki, and Super Inaba with various service patterns on the San’in Main Line and to/from Okayama. The base configuration is a 2-car set, although it is not fixed, and odd numbers of cars in a formation are possible. Services are typically operated as just 2 cars, as passenger demand in the San’in region is low, but can reach up to 6 cars during busy periods.
Basic Information:
Max Speed: 130km/h
Acceleration: 0.67m/s/s
Engine Output: 450 PS x 2 per car
In Service: 2001-
The following formations are included:
KiHa 187 Series
Configuration: 2-12 cars
Max Pax: 118-708
