E2 Series Shinkansen

The E2 series (E2系^?) is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Tōhoku and Nagano Shinkansen high-speed lines in Japan since 1997. They are formed in 8- and 10-car sets. The 8-car sets are used on the Nagano Shinkansen, and the 10-car sets on Tōhoku Shinkansen services. The 10-car sets can be coupled to E3 series Komachi sets using couplers hidden behind retracting nose doors.

Their maximum speed is 275 km/h, and 260 km/h on the Nagano Shinkansen.

As of April 2010, there are 49 E2 series sets (14 N sets and 35 J sets) in service.^[1]

Variants

8-car N sets

The fleet of thirteen N sets was constructed for the new Asama services on the newly-constructed Nagano Shinkansen to Nagano from 1 October 1997, and are classified simply E2. Units N2 onwards were delivered from March 1997 to September 1997. These sets are compatible with both the 50 Hz supply used by JR East and the 60 Hz supply used west of Karuizawa on the Nagano Shinkansen, and are limited to a maximum speed of 260 km/h. Tōhoku Shinkansen set J1 was transferred to Nagano depot in October 2002 and renumbered as set N21.

Formation

Cars 4 and 6 are equipped with PS205 scissors-type pantographs.^[1]

Build history

10-car J sets (E2' series)

The initial fleet of six J sets was constructed as 8-car trains for the start of the new Akita shinkansen services starting in March 1997, and ran in conjunction with E3 series Akita Shinkansen units on Tōhoku Shinkansen Yamabiko/Komachi services between Tokyo and Morioka. These sets are classified E2', and are equipped with retractable nose-end couplers at the Morioka end. Units J2 onwards were delivered from December 1996 to March 1997.

As with the Nagano Shinkansen N units, these sets are also compatible with both 50 Hz and 60 Hz (25 kV) power supplies, and were also used on Nagano Shinkansen Asama services before they were lengthened to 10 cars. A further four J sets were delivered in October/November 1998 to augment the fleet to coincide with the introduction E2 series stock on four return Asahi services between Tokyo and Niigata on the Jōetsu Shinkansen from the start of the revised timetable in December 1998. From September 2002, the fleet of J sets (except J1) was augmented from 8 to 10 cars with the addition of newly built intermediate cars for use on Hayate services to Hachinohe commencing in December 2002. The red stripe on these lengthened sets was also changed to magenta, and the original "wind" bodyside logo was changed to the new Hayate logo.

Formation

Cars 4 and 6 are equipped with PS205 scissors-type pantographs.^[1]

Build history

10-car J50 sets (-1000 sub-series)

The prototype E2-1000 series train (unit J51) was delivered as an 8-car to Sendai depot in late December 2000, and entered revenue-earning service in November 2001 after extensive testing. Units J52 onwards were delivered as 10-car units from July 2002, entering service on the Tōhoku Shinkansen from December 2002, with a total of 14 units scheduled to be delivered by 2005. These trains replaced life-expired 200 series trains and augment JR East's fleet for use on new Hayate services following the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension to Hachinohe in December 2002.

The E2-1000 series incorporates a number of design improvements compared with the earlier batches, the most noticeable of which is the change from small windows for each seating bay to wide windows similar to the E4 series trains. A new single-arm pantograph design is used with an aerofoil-shaped mounting that eliminates the need for pantograph shrouds. The pre-production set, J51, was equipped with automatic couplers at both ends, but sets J52 onwards have couplers at the northern end only, as on the earlier E2' trains. Unlike the earlier J sets, these units are only compatible with the 50 Hz power supply of the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen routes. The flush-fitting plug doors of the earlier N and J sets were replaced by conventional sliding doors on these units. While J51 was delivered in the same livery as earlier E2 series trains, units J52 onward were delivered from new in the Hayate livery with a magenta waistline stripe in place of the previous red and a new "apple" logo in place of the "wind" logo on the original batch of J and N units.

Formation

Cars 4 and 6 are equipped with PS207 single-arm pantographs. Car 1 of set No. J51 is numbered E223-1101. ^[1]

Build history

Pre-production units

The pre-production E2' series unit S7 (renumbered as J1 and later as N21) was delivered in April 1995, with S6 (now numbered as N1) delivered in June of the same year. Visually, these two units differed from subsequent production standard units in having large pantograph shields resembling the original 300 series design. These were later changed to the current low profile design.

Operations

Nagano Shinkansen

• Asama

Tōhoku Shinkansen

• Hayate
• Yamabiko
• Nasuno

Past operations

Jōetsu Shinkansen

• Asahi
• Toki

Interior

Seating is 2+3 in standard class with a seat pitch of 960 mm, and 2+2 in green class with a seat pitch of 1,160 mm.

Test-running

An E2-1000 series train (J56) broke the Japanese rail speed record for a production train (i.e. not a dedicated test train) in April 2003 when it reached a speed of 362 km/h during a series of late-night high-speed test runs between Urasa and Niigata on the Jōetsu Shinkansen.

Exports

China ordered a number of 250 km/h trains based on the E2-1000 series design, renamed it as CRH2, becoming the second Shinkansen train exported after the 700T for Taiwan. These CRH2 trains consist of a total of 60 sets; the first three sets (2001-2003) were built in Japan, the next six sets were delivered in complete knock down (CKD) form and assembled by CSR Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock, the remaining 51 sets were built by Sifang through technology transfer from Japan. The first train arrived at the port of Qingdao on 8 March 2006.

Subsequent orders included 50 additional trains and a new order for 140 trains placed in 2009 with the Sino-Japanese joint venture.

See also

Media related to E2 series Shinkansen at Wikimedia Commons

References

External links

• E2 Series Hayate/Yamabiko/Nasuno/Asama (Japanese)