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
Scrapped	2013–
Number built	208 vehicles (26 sets)
Number in service	192 vehicles (24 sets) (as of 1 October 2014)
Number scrapped	16 vehicles (2 sets)
Formation	8 cars per trainset
Fleet numbers	P1–P22, P51–P52, P81–P82
Capacity	817 (54 Green + 763 Standard)
Operator(s)	JR East
Depot(s)	Niigata
Line(s) served	Joetsu 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'
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. 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 (150 mph).

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.

Fleet list

The build details are as shown below.As of 1 October 2014, 24 sets are still in service.

Set No.	Manufacturer	Delivered	Reliveried	Withdrawn
P1	Kawasaki HI	8 October 1997
P2	Hitachi	20 October 1997	-	3 July 2013
P3	Kawasaki HI	27 October 1997	-	26 July 2013
P4	Hitachi	10 February 1999
P5	Kawasaki HI	22 February 1999	3 April 2014
P6	Hitachi	15 March 1999	11 June 2014
P7	Hitachi	14 April 1999
P8	Kawasaki HI	31 May 1999
P9	Hitachi	21 June 1999
P10	Kawasaki HI	12 July 1999
P11	Hitachi	26 July 2000
P12	Hitachi	28 August 2000
P13	Kawasaki HI	11 September 2000
P14	Hitachi	13 October 2000
P15	Kawasaki HI	16 October 2000
P16	Hitachi	27 November 2000	1 May 2014
P17	Hitachi	21 March 2001	30 September 2014
P18	Kawasaki HI	4 June 2001
P19	Kawasaki HI	25 June 2001
P20	Hitachi	16 July 2001
P21	Kawasaki HI	9 October 2001
P22	Kawasaki HI	20 November 2001
P51	Kawasaki HI	31 January 2001	7 July 2014
P52	Kawasaki HI	20 February 2001	27 August 2014
P81	Hitachi	30 July 2003
P82	Kawasaki HI	20 November 2003

Variants

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.

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.

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.

• 

  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

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 Tohoku 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.

In September 2012, E4 series were entirely withdrawn from Tohoku Shinkansen services, and all allocated for use on Joetsu Shinkansen services only.

Livery change

The first set to be reliveried, P5, in April 2014

From 2014, the fleet of 24 sets still in service began to be repainted, receiving a new livery identical to that previously carried by the E1 series trains, with a toki (crested ibis) pink stripe separating the white on the upper body and blue on the lower body. The first reliveried set, P5, was returned to service in early April 2014, with the entire fleet due to be treated by the end of fiscal 2015.

• 

  The new logo, April 2014

Withdrawals

Withdrawals started in July 2013, with sets P2 and P3.

See also

• TGV Duplex, French double-deck high speed train
• List of high-speed trains

External links

• E4 Series Max Toki/Max Tanigawa (Japanese)