E4 Series Shinkansen
Encyclopedia
The is a high-speed shinkansen
train type operated by East Japan Railway Company
(JR East) in Japan. They were the second series of completely bi-level Shinkansen trainsets to be built in Japan (the other being the E1 series
). They operate on the Tōhoku
and Jōetsu Shinkansen
, and occasionally on the Nagano Shinkansen
. E4 series trains feature double-decker cars to accommodate additional commuter traffic around Tokyo
and other urban areas. They were often coupled to 400 series
trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen
between Tokyo and Fukushima before the latter retired in April 2010.
Two eight-car sets can be coupled together for extra capacity: a sixteen-car E4 series formation trainset carries a total of 1,634 seated passengers - the highest-capacity high-speed rail trainset in the world.
26 units were built between 1997 and 2003. As with the earlier E1 series trains, maximum speed is 240 km/h.
Cars 4 and 6 are each equipped with a PS201 pantograph.
for use on services to Karuizawa.
Sets P81 and P82, delivered in July and November 2003 were designed to cope with the steep gradients of the Nagano Shinkansen
, and are also capable of operating under 50 Hz and 60 Hz overhead power supplies for use on services to Nagano.
All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.
In March 2011, it was announced that the entire E4 series fleet would be withdrawn by around 2016.
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
train type operated by East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
(JR East) in Japan. They were the second series of completely bi-level Shinkansen trainsets to be built in Japan (the other being the E1 series
E1 Series Shinkansen
The is a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company in Japan since 1994. They were the first double-deck trains built for Japan's Shinkansen...
). They operate on the Tōhoku
Tohoku Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...
and Jōetsu Shinkansen
Joetsu Shinkansen
The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei...
, and occasionally on the Nagano Shinkansen
Nagano Shinkansen
The is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano...
. E4 series trains feature double-decker cars to accommodate additional commuter traffic around Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and other urban areas. They were often coupled to 400 series
400 Series Shinkansen
The was a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company between 1992 and 2010 on Tsubasa services on Japan's first Mini-shinkansen line, the Yamagata Shinkansen branch from the main Tōhoku Shinkansen....
trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen
Tohoku Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...
between Tokyo and Fukushima before the latter retired in April 2010.
Two eight-car sets can be coupled together for extra capacity: a sixteen-car E4 series formation trainset carries a total of 1,634 seated passengers - the highest-capacity high-speed rail trainset in the world.
26 units were built between 1997 and 2003. As with the earlier E1 series trains, maximum speed is 240 km/h.
Formation
| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | T1c | M1 | M2 | T | Tk | Mp | Ms | Tpsc |
| Numbering | E453-100 | E455-100 | E456-100 | E458 | E459-200 | E455 | E446 | E444 |
| Seating capacity | 75 | 133 | 119 | 124 | 110 | 122 | 91 | 43 |
Cars 4 and 6 are each equipped with a PS201 pantograph.
Variants
Sets P51 and P52, delivered in January and February 2001 were designed to cope with the steep gradients of the Nagano ShinkansenNagano Shinkansen
The is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano...
for use on services to Karuizawa.
Sets P81 and P82, delivered in July and November 2003 were designed to cope with the steep gradients of the Nagano Shinkansen
Nagano Shinkansen
The is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano...
, and are also capable of operating under 50 Hz and 60 Hz overhead power supplies for use on services to Nagano.
Interior
As with the earlier E1 series, the upper deck saloons of non-reserved cars 1 to 3 are arranged 3+3 with no individual armrests, and do not recline. The lower decks of these cars, and the reserved-seating saloons in cars 4 to 8 have regular 2+3 seating. The Green car saloons on the upper decks of cars 7 to 8 have 2+2 seating. The trains have a total seating capacity of 817 passengers.History
The first E4 series set, P1, was delivered to Sendai Depot on 8 October 1997, with the first sets entering revenue-earning service on the Tōhoku Shinkansen from 20 December 1997.All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.
In March 2011, it was announced that the entire E4 series fleet would be withdrawn by around 2016.