Kintetsu 5800 series

The Kintetsu 5800 series (近鉄5800系), nicknamed the "L/C car", is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Kintetsu Railway on standard gauge commuter services in the Kansai area since 1998.

The series won the Laurel Prize in 1998 by the Japan Railfan Club for having the most innovative features for trains entering service that year.

Overview
Perpendicular seating has long been provided on long-distance services on the Osaka and Nagoya lines. In previous Kintetsu 2600 series trainsets and related counterparts, fixed perpendicular seats were a common feature on these services. However, passengers complained about their lack of comfort.

In the early to mid-1990s, the railway began experimenting with seats that could change between longitudinal (perimeter) and transverse (row) seating configurations. In January 1996, A 4-car 2600 series set would be retrofitted with rotating seats. During peak hours, the seats would be configured in the transverse configuration and then switch to longitudinal configuration during off-peak hours. By March of that year, the experiment was deemed a success and the feature would be implemented onto trains being ordered for the long-distance services.

The 5800 series trainsets would enter service in 1998 on the Osaka and Nagoya lines. One 4-car train and seven 6-car trains would be produced. These would also be the last trainsets to feature the signature conventional body design introduced in 1984, as Kintetsu would switch to a new body and livery starting with the 21 series introduced in 2000.

The series is the first to be delivered with rotating longitudinal/transverse seating. Other private railways such as Tobu, Keikyu, Keio, and Seibu would later implement rotating longitudinal/transverse seating on future rolling stock additions.

As of 2021, the seat configuration on all Kintetsu trains equipped with rotating seats is dependent on the line and time of day.

Formations
, the fleet consists of seven six-car sets and one four-car set, formed as follows.

Four-car set
The lone four-car set is allocated to Tomiyoshi Depot.

Six-car sets
Six-car sets are allocated to Koan Depot and Saidaiji Depot, each with three sets.