Catawba – Rhododendron catawbiense

The E993 series (E993系) "AC Train" was an experimental 5-car electric multiple unit (EMU) train operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan between 2002 and 2006.^[1][2]

The E993 series "AC Train" ("Advanced Commuter Train") was developed by JR East to test and evaluate a number of new technologies and features for possible use in future commuter train designs.^[1] These included features intended to reduce life-cycle costs, improve the interior passenger environment, improve accessibility, and increase environmental friendliness.^[2]

The train incorporated the following features for evaluation.^[2]

• Articulated cars with shared bogies
• Direct drive motors (DDM)
• Double-skin body construction
• Externally slung sliding doors
• Advanced Train Information Management System (AIMS)

The 5-car articulated set was based at Kawagoe Depot on the Kawagoe Line and formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Kawagoe end, and car 5 at the Shinjuku end.^[3] Cars 1 and 2 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe, and cars 3 to 5 were built by Tokyu Car Corporation in Yokohama.^[2]

Cars 2 and 4 were each fitted with one single-arm pantograph.^[3]

Cars 1 and 2 had double-skin aluminium bodies, cars 3 to 5 had stainless steel bodies with double-skin construction used for cars 3 and 5.^[2]

• 
  KuHa E992-1
• 
  MoHa E992-1
• 
  MoHa E993-1
• 
  SaHa E993-1
• 
  KuHa E993-1

The train was delivered to JR East's Kawagoe Depot on 17 January 2002.^[2] Test running commenced on the Kawagoe Line and Saikyo Line the following month.^[2]

The train was officially withdrawn on 14 July 2006.^[4] No cars are preserved.

Features tested on the E993 series, including articulated cars and direct drive motors, were subsequently incorporated in the E331 series prototype train delivered in 2006.