E4 Series Shinkansen
| E4 series | |
|---|---|
 E4 series at Ōmiya Station, March 2011 |
|
| In service | 1997–Present |
| Manufacturer | Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Family name | "Max" |
| Constructed | 1997–2003 |
| Number built | 208 vehicles (26 sets) |
| Number in service | 208 vehicles (26 sets) |
| Formation | 8 cars per trainset |
| Fleet numbers | P1–P22, P51–P52, P81–P82 |
| Capacity | 817 (54 Green + 763 Standard) |
| Operator | JR East |
| Depot(s) | Niigata, Sendai |
| Line(s) served | Tōhoku Shinkansen, Jōetsu Shinkansen, Nagano Shinkansen |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Car length | End cars: 25,700 mm (84 ft 4 in), Intermediate cars: 25,000 mm (82 ft 0 in) |
| Width | 3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in) |
| Doors | 2 per side |
| Maximum speed | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Weight | 428 t |
| Traction system | 16 x 420 kW (560 hp) AC traction motors |
| Power output | 6.72 MW (9,010 hp) |
| Acceleration | 1.65 km/h/s |
| Deceleration | 2.69 km/h/s (service), 4.04 km/h/s (emergency) |
| Power supply | overhead catenary |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV AC, 50 Hz |
| Current collection method | Pantograph |
| UIC classification | 2'2'+Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo'+2'2'+2'2'+Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo'+2'2' (8 car set) |
| Braking system(s) | Pneumatic and Regenerative |
| Safety system(s) | ATC-2, DS-ATC |
| Multiple working | 400/E3-1000/E3-2000 series |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
The E4 series (E4系) 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.[1] 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.[2]
26 units were built between 1997 and 2003. As with the earlier E1 series trains, maximum speed is 240 km/h.
Contents |
Formation [edit]
| 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.[3]
Variants [edit]
Sets P51 and P52, delivered in January and February 2001 were designed to cope with the steep gradients of the Nagano Shinkansen for use on services to Karuizawa.[3]
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.[3]
Interior [edit]
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.[4]
-
Green class saloon (upper deck), February 2011
-
Standard-class reserved car lower deck with 2+3 seating
-
Standard-class non-reserved car upper deck with non-reclining 3+3 seating
-
Vestibule area and stairway
History [edit]
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.[3]
All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.[3]
In March 2011, it was announced that the entire E4 series fleet would be withdrawn by around 2016.[5]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ JR全車輌ハンドブック2006 [JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2006]. Japan: Neko Publishing. 2006. ISBN 4-7770-0453-8.
- ^ 鉄道のテクノロジーVol1：新幹線 [Railway Technology Vol.1: Shinkansen]. Japan: Sanei Mook. April 2009. ISBN 978-4-7796-0534-5.
- ^ a b c d e JR電車編成表 2010夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2010]. Japan: JRR. May 2010. p. 9. ISBN 978-4-330-14310-1.
- ^ Saito, Masatoshi (9 March 2011). "ＪＲ東：２階建て新幹線「Ｍａｘ」５年後全廃 老朽化進み" [JR East to withdraw all "Max" double-decker trains within 5 years]. Mainichi jp (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
External links [edit]
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