JR Freight Class EF510 ECO-POWER Red Thunder

Data (as of 5 Apr 2025)

History

Class EF510 is a type of dual-voltage electric locomotive, designed for freight trains on Hokuriku Main, Uetsu Main and Ou Main Lines. It is based on Class EF210, but the EF510 is dual-voltage, to replace Class ED76 and Class EF81. JR Freight has already been using Class EH500 for freight trains on Tohoku Main Line and those running Kanmon Tunnel (between the main island and Kyushu), but JR Freight concluded that it was too large, long and heavy for freight trains in other areas so that the company developed the Class EF510, which is slightly bigger than the Class EF81.

There are three groups: variant 0 (standard), variant 300 (for Kyushu) and variant 500 (initially for passenger sercvies). The Variant 500 was introduced by JR East to Sleeper Limited Express Hokutosei and Cassiopeia (Ueno - Sapporo), though all of them were resold to JR Freight when these sleeper trains were discontinued in 2016.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

Variants 0 and 500 are allocated to Toyama, and used for freight trains between Osaka and Aomori. Some also run in Nagoya and Okayama areas. The variant 300 runs in Kyushu, mostly on Kagoshima Main and Nippo Main Lines including Fukuoka area.

Photos

Sleeper Limited Express Hokutosei at Omiya station.

Those used in Kyushu are painted silver.