N700 Series Shinkansen
Encyclopedia
The is a Japanese Shinkansen
high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West for use on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen
lines, and also operated by JR Kyushu on the Kyushu Shinkansen
line.
N700 series trains have a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), and tilting of up to one degree allows the trains to maintain 270 km/h (168 mph) even on 2500 m (8,202.1 ft) radius curves that previously had a maximum speed of 255 km/h (158.4 mph). Another feature of the N700 is that it accelerates quicker than other shinkansen trains, with an acceleration rate of 2.6 km/h/s. This enables it to reach 270 km/h (167.8 mph) in only three minutes. Because of these improvements, trains can travel between Tokyo
and Osaka
on a Nozomi run in as little as 2 hours and 25 minutes (5 minutes faster than before).
N700 series trains are presently replacing 300, 500 and 700 series-operated Nozomi runs on a regular basis. By the end of February 2009, the N700 were responsible for 74 Nozomi services per day.
All Nozomi through runs (over the full route between Tokyo and Hakata) were scheduled to use the N700 exclusively by 2009. By 2011, all regularly scheduled Nozomi services, including runs limited only to the Tokaido Shinkansen, will be operated by the N700.
The N700 is also used on select Hikari services during the day, as well as some early-morning and late-night Kodama runs between Tokyo
and Mishima
/Hamamatsu
.
Since March 2009, the N700 series trains have been equipped with wireless internet available for use between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.
, and cars 15 and 16 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries
.
The first full-production Z set (Z1) was delivered to JR Central in April 2007, and trains entered revenue service on 1 July 2007, with eight daily Nozomi service runs.
The prototype set Z0 remains as a JR Central test train with cars numbered in the -9000 series, and is not used in revenue service.
Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.
services. The first set, N1, was delivered in June 2007, entering service on 1 July 2007. 14 sets were in service as of April 2010.
Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.
and Mizuho
services between Shin-Osaka
and Kagoshima-Chūō
on the Kyushu Shinkansen
since 12 March 2011. The pre-production set (S1) was delivered to Hakata Depot in October 2008. These trains do not feature the tilting mechanism of the earlier N700 trains, as they do not run on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
External livery is pale blue intended to evoke the colour of traditional porcelain with indigo and gold bodyside lining.
Full-production JR West sets were delivered to Hakata Depot from early April 2010.
Cars 2 and 7 each have one single-arm pantograph.
saloon in half of one car (car 6) consisting of 24 seats (6 rows) arranged in 2+2 abreast configuration with 480 mm wide seats and a seat pitch of 1,160 mm. Cars 4 to 8 (including half of car 6) are designated as "reserved seating" cars with 2+2 abreast configuration, 465 mm wide seats and a seat pitch of 1,040 mm. Cars 1 to 3 are "non-reserved seating" cars with 2+3 abreast configuration, 440 mm wide seats (460 mm in middle of 3-seat row) and a seat pitch of 1,040 mm.
and Mizuho
services between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chūō on the Kyushu Shinkansen since 12 March 2011.
External livery is identical to the N700-7000 series "S" sets.
The first set, R1, was delivered to Kumamoto Depot in July 2010. Test running on the unopened section of the Kyushu Shinkansen began on 31 August 2010.
Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.
sets. The new version will be known as the "N700A" (with "A" standing for "Advanced") and classified as "N700-1000". Externally identical to the existing N700 series sets, the new design will include modified brake discs, bogie vibration detection, and ATC improvements. 6 sets are scheduled to be introduced during fiscal 2012, with 7 more sets introduced during fiscal 2013.
and Kyoto
. The high-speed run was conducted as a demonstration for approximately 160 international guests attending a high-speed railway symposium in Nagoya.
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...
high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West for use on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Shinkansen
The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...
lines, and also operated by JR Kyushu on the Kyushu Shinkansen
Kyushu Shinkansen
The ' is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima in Kyushu, running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company . The southern 127 km opened on 13 March 2004...
line.
N700 series trains have a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), and tilting of up to one degree allows the trains to maintain 270 km/h (168 mph) even on 2500 m (8,202.1 ft) radius curves that previously had a maximum speed of 255 km/h (158.4 mph). Another feature of the N700 is that it accelerates quicker than other shinkansen trains, with an acceleration rate of 2.6 km/h/s. This enables it to reach 270 km/h (167.8 mph) in only three minutes. Because of these improvements, trains can travel between 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 Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
on a Nozomi run in as little as 2 hours and 25 minutes (5 minutes faster than before).
N700 series trains are presently replacing 300, 500 and 700 series-operated Nozomi runs on a regular basis. By the end of February 2009, the N700 were responsible for 74 Nozomi services per day.
All Nozomi through runs (over the full route between Tokyo and Hakata) were scheduled to use the N700 exclusively by 2009. By 2011, all regularly scheduled Nozomi services, including runs limited only to the Tokaido Shinkansen, will be operated by the N700.
The N700 is also used on select Hikari services during the day, as well as some early-morning and late-night Kodama runs between Tokyo
Tokyo Station
is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
and Mishima
Mishima Station
is an interchange railway station in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan for the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Tōkaidō Shinkansen of Central Japan Railway Company and was a freight terminal of the Japan Freight Railway Company...
/Hamamatsu
Hamamatsu Station
is an interchange railway station in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The station is 257.1 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station. Hamamatsu is on the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Tōkaidō Shinkansen of Central Japan Railway Company...
.
Since March 2009, the N700 series trains have been equipped with wireless internet available for use between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.
16-car Z sets
The prototype 16-car train (Z0) was delivered in March 2005 for extensive testing and endurance running. Cars 1 to 4 were built by Hitachi Ltd., cars 5 to 14 were built by Nippon SharyoNippon Sharyo
, , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2004. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange...
, and cars 15 and 16 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
.
The first full-production Z set (Z1) was delivered to JR Central in April 2007, and trains entered revenue service on 1 July 2007, with eight daily Nozomi service runs.
The prototype set Z0 remains as a JR Central test train with cars numbered in the -9000 series, and is not used in revenue service.
Formation
The 16-car Z sets are formed as follows.| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Tc | M2 | M'w | M1 | M1w | M' | M2k | M1s | M's | M2s | M'h | M1 | M1w | M' | M2w | T'c |
| Numbering | 783 | 787 | 786-500 | 785 | 785-300 | 786 | 787-400 | 775 | 776 | 777 | 786-700 | 785-600 | 785-500 | 786-200 | 787-500 | 784 |
| Seating capacity | 65 | 100 | 85 | 100 | 90 | 100 | 75 | 68 | 64 | 68 | 63 | 100 | 90 | 100 | 80 | 75 |
Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.
16-car N sets (N700-3000 series)
The 16-car N sets are operated by JR West on Tōkaidō and Sanyō ShinkansenSanyō Shinkansen
The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...
services. The first set, N1, was delivered in June 2007, entering service on 1 July 2007. 14 sets were in service as of April 2010.
Formation
The 16-car N sets are formed as follows.| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Tc | M2 | M'w | M1 | M1w | M' | M2k | M1s | M's | M2s | M'h | M1 | M1w | M' | M2w | T'c |
| Numbering | 783-3000 | 787-3000 | 786-3500 | 785-3000 | 785-3300 | 786-3000 | 787-3400 | 775-3000 | 776-3000 | 777-3000 | 786-3700 | 785-3600 | 785-3500 | 786-3200 | 787-3500 | 784-3000 |
| Seating capacity | 65 | 100 | 85 | 100 | 90 | 100 | 75 | 68 | 64 | 68 | 63 | 100 | 90 | 100 | 80 | 75 |
Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.
8-car S sets (N700-7000 series)
The N700-7000 series variant are 8-car sets operated by JR West on through-running SakuraSakura (train)
The is a high-speed shinkansen service operated between and Kagoshima in Japan since 12 March 2011. It was formerly a limited express sleeper train service operated by JR Kyushu, which ran from to and in Kyūshū, Japan...
and Mizuho
Mizuho (train)
The is a limited-stop shinkansen service operated between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima in Japan since 12 March 2011, following the completion of the Kyūshū Shinkansen.-History:...
services between Shin-Osaka
Shin-Osaka Station
is a train station in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is the western terminus of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and the eastern terminus of the Sanyō Shinkansen. The lines are physically joined, and many trains offer through service....
and Kagoshima-Chūō
Kagoshima-Chuo Station
is the main railway station in Kagoshima, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the Kyūshū Shinkansen and is located on the Kagoshima Main Line, and Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line...
on the Kyushu Shinkansen
Kyushu Shinkansen
The ' is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima in Kyushu, running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company . The southern 127 km opened on 13 March 2004...
since 12 March 2011. The pre-production set (S1) was delivered to Hakata Depot in October 2008. These trains do not feature the tilting mechanism of the earlier N700 trains, as they do not run on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.
External livery is pale blue intended to evoke the colour of traditional porcelain with indigo and gold bodyside lining.
Full-production JR West sets were delivered to Hakata Depot from early April 2010.
Formation
The 8-car S sets are formed as follows.| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Mc | M1 | M' | M2 | M2w | M's | M1h | M'c |
| Numbering | 781-7000 | 788-7000 | 786-7000 | 787-7000 | 787-7500 | 766-7000 | 788-7700 | 782-7000 |
| Seating capacity | 60 | 100 | 80 | 80 | 72 | 36+24 | 38 | 56 |
Cars 2 and 7 each have one single-arm pantograph.
Interior
These sets feature a Green carFirst class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
saloon in half of one car (car 6) consisting of 24 seats (6 rows) arranged in 2+2 abreast configuration with 480 mm wide seats and a seat pitch of 1,160 mm. Cars 4 to 8 (including half of car 6) are designated as "reserved seating" cars with 2+2 abreast configuration, 465 mm wide seats and a seat pitch of 1,040 mm. Cars 1 to 3 are "non-reserved seating" cars with 2+3 abreast configuration, 440 mm wide seats (460 mm in middle of 3-seat row) and a seat pitch of 1,040 mm.
8-car R sets (N700-8000 series)
The N700-8000 series variant consists of ten 8-car sets operated by JR Kyushu alongside JR West N700-7000 series "S" sets on through-running SakuraSakura (train)
The is a high-speed shinkansen service operated between and Kagoshima in Japan since 12 March 2011. It was formerly a limited express sleeper train service operated by JR Kyushu, which ran from to and in Kyūshū, Japan...
and Mizuho
Mizuho (train)
The is a limited-stop shinkansen service operated between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima in Japan since 12 March 2011, following the completion of the Kyūshū Shinkansen.-History:...
services between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chūō on the Kyushu Shinkansen since 12 March 2011.
External livery is identical to the N700-7000 series "S" sets.
The first set, R1, was delivered to Kumamoto Depot in July 2010. Test running on the unopened section of the Kyushu Shinkansen began on 31 August 2010.
Formation
The 8-car R sets are formed as follows.| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Mc | M1 | M' | M2 | M2w | M's | M1h | M'c |
| Numbering | 781-8000 | 788-8000 | 786-8000 | 787-8000 | 787-8500 | 766-8000 | 788-8700 | 782-8000 |
Cars 5 and 12 each have one single-arm pantograph.
Interior
As with the JR West N700-7000 series sets, the R sets feature a Green car saloon in half of one car (car 6) consisting of 24 seats (6 rows) arranged in 2+2 abreast configuration. Cars 4 to 8 (including half of car 6) are designated as "reserved seating" cars with 2+2 abreast configuration. Cars 1 to 3 are "non-reserved seating" cars with 2+3 abreast configuration.N700A (N700-1000)
JR Central announced on 30 May 2011 that a new version of the N700 series design would be introduced from 2012 with design improvements to replace older 700 series700 Series Shinkansen
The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built between 1997 and 2006, and entering service in 1999. Originally designated as "N300", they formed the next generation of shinkansen vehicles jointly designed by JR Central and JR West for use on both Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen...
sets. The new version will be known as the "N700A" (with "A" standing for "Advanced") and classified as "N700-1000". Externally identical to the existing N700 series sets, the new design will include modified brake discs, bogie vibration detection, and ATC improvements. 6 sets are scheduled to be introduced during fiscal 2012, with 7 more sets introduced during fiscal 2013.
N700-I Bullet
This is a proposed export version of the N700 series design announced by JR Central Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai at an international high-speed railway symposium held in Nagoya on 16 November 2009. Nominally specified as an 8-car set with a maximum operating speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), the train can be configured in lengths from 6 to 15 cars to suit customer requirements.High-speed trials
On 16 November 2009, JR Central conducted a late-night high-speed demonstration run using N700 series trainset Z0, recording a maximum speed of 332 km/h (206 mph) on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between MaibaraMaibara Station
is a train station in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the West Japan Railway Company Hokuriku Main Line, and the boundary of control between JR West and JR Central over the Tōkaidō Main Line....
and Kyoto
Kyoto Station
is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof...
. The high-speed run was conducted as a demonstration for approximately 160 international guests attending a high-speed railway symposium in Nagoya.