400 Series Shinkansen

400 series
A 400 series train, painted in later livery, at Yonezawa Station
In service1 July 1992 – 18 April 2010 (17 years, 291 days)
ManufacturerKawasaki Heavy Industries[a]
Family nameMini-Shinkansen
Constructed1992–1995
Refurbished1999–2001
Scrapped2009–2010
Number built84 vehicles (12 sets)
Number in serviceNone
Number preserved1 vehicle
Number scrapped83 vehicles
SuccessorE3 series
Formation7 cars per trainset
Fleet numbersL1–L12
Capacity399 (20 Green + 379 Standard)
Operator JR East
DepotYamagata
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length
  • End cars: 22.825 m (74 ft 10.6 in)
  • Intermediate cars: 20.5 m (67 ft 3 in)
Width2.947 m (9 ft 8 in)
Doors1 per side
Maximum speed240 km/h (150 mph)
Traction system24 × 210 kW (280 hp) thyristor drive
Power output5,040 kW (6,760 hp)
Acceleration1.6 km/(h⋅s) (0.99 mph/s)
Deceleration2.6 km/(h⋅s) (1.6 mph/s)
Electric systems
Current collectionPS204 pantograph
Bogies
  • Motored: DT204
  • Trailer: TR7006
Safety systemsATC-2, DS-ATC, ATS-P
Multiple workingUp to two units: 200 or E4 series
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The 400 series (Japanese: 400系) was a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between 1992 and 2010 on Tsubasa services on Japan's first mini-Shinkansen line, the Yamagata Shinkansen branch from the main Tōhoku Shinkansen.

The fleet of 400 series trains was leased by JR East from the owning company, Yamagata JR Chokutsū Tokkyū Hoyū Kikō (山形ジェイアール直通特急保有機構(株)), a third-sector company jointly owned by JR East and Yamagata Prefecture.[1]

The trains were originally formed as six-car sets, but a seventh car was added to each set in 1995 due to the popularity of the Tsubasa services.

Pre-series set

The pre-series set, S4, was delivered in October 1990 and unveiled to the press on 26 October 1990. It was a six-car set, arranged as shown below, with all cars motored.[2]

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Numbering 401-1 402-1 403-1 404-1 405-1 406-1
Seating capacity 20 67 60 68 64 56

The unit featured three different types of bolsterless bogies: DT9028 on cars 1 and 3, DT9029 on cars 2 and 4, and DT9030 on cars 5 and 6. The Green car seats were fitted with seat-back television screens, a feature not adopted on subsequent production sets.[2]

Cars 1 and 2 were built by Tokyu Car Corporation, cars 3 to 4 were built by Hitachi, and cars 5 to 6 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.[3] Cars 12 and 14 were equipped with pantographs.[4]

Test running began on the Ōu Main Line between Niwasaka and Itaya on 14 November 1990. From 23 January 1991, testing was conducted in conjunction with a newly converted eight-car 200 series K set on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Sendai and Kitakami. On 26 March 1991, set S4 established a new Japanese speed record of 336 km/h (209 mph) on the Jōetsu Shinkansen in the Yuzawa Tunnel between Echigo-Yuzawa and Urasa. On 19 September 1991, the train set a further record of 345 km/h (214 mph) on the same section of track.[5]

Test running continued into 1992, with set S4 reaching Tokyo for the first time on 20 May 1992. The pre-series set was subsequently modified to production-standard specifications, becoming set L1 on 29 June 1992.[5]

History

Introduction

The fleet of twelve six-car sets entered service on Tsubasa Shinkansen services from 1 July 1992.[6] Owing to sustained demand, all sets were later lengthened to seven cars. This took place between November and December 1995, with the insertion of a new type 429 trailer car as car 15.[6]

Withdrawal

Withdrawals began in December 2008, starting with set L1.[6] The entire fleet was scheduled to be withdrawn by summer 2009 and replaced by E3-2000 series trains.[7] However, one set, L3, remained in service until 18 April 2010, with the date chosen to mark 18 years of service.[8] This final 400 series Shinkansen was coupled to an E4 series train during its last run.

Preservation

The first eleven sets to be withdrawn were all cut up at Sendai General Depot, but one car (Green car 411-3) of the last set to be withdrawn, L3, was stored at the former Fukushima depot before being moved to Omiya in Saitama Prefecture in December 2017 where it is preserved at the Railway Museum.[9]

Formation

The production 400 series sets were configured as shown below following the addition of a trailer car (car 15) in late 1995.[3]

Car No. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Designation Msc M' M M' T M M'c
Class Green Ordinary reserved Ordinary non‑reserved
Numbering 411 426-200 425 426 429 425 422
Capacity 20 67 60 68 64 64 56
Facilities Toilet, wheelchair space Payphone Toilet, payphone Luggage space Toilet, luggage space Toilet, payphone Luggage space
  • 411-3 (car 11)
  • 426-203 (car 12)
  • 425-3 (car 13)
  • 426-3 (car 14)
  • 429-3 (car 15)
  • 425-203 (car 16)
  • 422-3 (car 17)

Fleet details

Set No. Manufacturer[3] Delivered 7th car added Refurbished DS-ATC added Withdrawn Remarks
L1 Tokyu Car, Hitachi, Kawasaki 1 November 1990 14 November 1995 3 March 2000 27 July 2005 1 January 2009[10] Originally pre-series set S4, converted 29 June 1992.
L2 Kawasaki 17 January 1992 20 November 1995 14 September 2001 7 October 2005 23 January 2009[10]
L3 28 January 1992 2 December 1995 11 June 2001 12 September 2005 18 April 2010 Last set to be withdrawn. Car 411-3 preserved at the Railway Museum.
L4 6 March 1992 12 December 1995 16 December 1999 28 May 2005 18 September 2009[1] First set to be refurbished and repainted.
L5 23 March 1992 10 December 1995 28 July 2000 26 November 2005 21 April 2009[11]
L6 2 April 1992 8 December 1995 16 October 2001 24 December 2005 26 May 2009[11]
L7 13 April 1992 6 December 1995 19 September 2000 2 November 2005 15 May 2009[11]
L8 1 May 1992 4 December 1995 19 June 2000 24 June 2005 3 April 2009[11]
L9 11 May 1992 20 December 1995 14 April 2000 22 March 2006 21 February 2009[10] Car 15 built by Hitachi.
L10 29 May 1992 14 December 1995 30 March 2001 28 February 2006 7 August 2009[1]
L11 12 June 1992 16 December 1995 19 February 2001 6 February 2006 20 June 2009[11]
L12 25 June 1992 18 December 1995 29 May 2000 27 April 2005 19 March 2009[10]

Source:[4]

Design

Exterior

The 400 series was originally painted medium silver-grey, with a darker roof and darkened areas around the cab windows and underframe. Between 1999 and 2001, the fleet was refurbished and repainted, adopting a revised livery featuring a higher area of dark bluish-grey on the lower body, rising to just below the side windows and separated from the silver-grey upper body by a green stripe. The dark grey treatment on the roof and around the cab windows was removed.

Compared with the purpose-built high-speed Shinkansen lines, the Yamagata Shinkansen route is constrained by its legacy infrastructure. While the track gauge was widened, the original loading gauge was retained, requiring the 400 series to be designed with a narrower cross-section, leading to the "mini-Shinkansen" designation. When stopping at stations on the purpose-built high-speed Shinkansen lines, a retractable step flips up from beneath the doors to bridge the platform gap.

Interior

As a result of the narrower cross section, ordinary-class cars were fitted with 2+2 abreast seating, compared with the 3+2 configuration used on most Shinkansen trains. Green cars featured 2+1 abreast seating, compared with the 2+2 layout typical of other Shinkansen services. On subsequent mini-Shinkansen rolling stock, Green cars also adopted 2+2 seating, matching standard-class layouts. Seat pitch was 1,160 millimetres (46 in) in Green class (car 11), 980 mm (39 in) in reserved-seating cars (cars 12–15), and 910 mm (36 in) in non-reserved cars (cars 16 and 17).[6]

During the life-extension refurbishment programme carried out between 1999 and 2001, the interiors were also upgraded with new moquette seat coverings. Green cars received blue moquette, reserved-seating cars received red moquette, and non-reserved seating cars were fitted with turquoise moquette.[6]

  • Refurbished standard-class reserved-seating car
  • Refurbished Green car seating

See also

References

  • 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.
  1. ^ a b c つばさの世代交代 [Tsubasa transition]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 49 (584). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd.: 42–43 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b 在来線直通新幹線電車　400系デビュー [400 series mini-shinkansen train debut]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 31 (357). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd.: 8–15 January 1991.
  3. ^ a b c 新幹線電車データブック2011 [Shinkansen Databook 2011]. Japan: JRR. March 2011. p. 86. ISBN 978-4-330-19811-8.
  4. ^ a b JR電車編成表 '07冬号 [JR EMU Formations – Winter 2007]. Japan: JRR. December 2006. ISBN 4-88283-046-9.
  5. ^ a b Yamanouchi, Shūichirō (2002). 東北・上越新幹線 [Tōhoku & Jōetsu Shinkansen]. Tokyo, Japan: JTB Can Books. ISBN 4-533-04513-8.
  6. ^ a b c d e 新幹線　車両大全 [Shinkansen Cars Encyclopedia]. Tokyo, Japan: Ikaros Publications Ltd. November 2011. pp. 342–354. ISBN 978-4-86320-526-0.
  7. ^ 山形新幹線「つばさ」用車両の新造について [Details of new trains for Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" services] (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JR East. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  8. ^ 山形新幹線400系「つばさ」ご利用に感謝を込めて (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JR East. 25 February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  9. ^ 400系新幹線が陸送される [400 series shinkansen transported by road]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d JR車両のデータバンク [JR Fleet Databank]. Japan Railfan Magazine. 49 (579). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2009.
  11. ^ a b c d e JR車両の動き [JR Rolling Stock Changes]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō. 38 (305). Japan: Kotsu Shimbun: 126. September 2009.
  1. ^ Hitachi and the Tokyu Car Corporation also contributed to the prototype set.
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