500 Series Shinkansen

500 series
16-car 500 series on a Nozomi service, May 2008
In service22 March 1997 (1997-03-22) – present
ManufacturerHitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kinki Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo
DesignerAlexander Neumeister
Replaced0 series
Constructed1995–1998
Entered service1997
Refurbished2008–2010
Number built144 vehicles (9 sets)
Number in service48 vehicles (6 sets)
Number preserved2 vehicles
Number scrapped78 vehicles
Formation8 (originally 16) cars per trainset
Fleet numbers
  • As built: W1–W9
  • As refurbished: V2–V9
Capacity
  • 16-car W set: 1,324 (200 Green + 1,124 Standard)
  • 8-car V set: 608
OperatorsJR-West
DepotsHakata
Lines servedSanyo Shinkansen, Hakata-Minami Line, Tokaido Shinkansen (1997–2010)
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium alloy, Honeycomb structure
Car length
  • 25 m (82 ft 0 in) (intermediate cars)
  • 27 m (88 ft 7 in) (end cars)
Width3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in)
Height3,690 mm (12 ft 1 in)
DoorsTwo plug doors per side (intermediate cars)
One plug door per side (end cars)
Maximum speed
  • W set: 300 km/h (186 mph) (Sanyō)
  • V set: 285 km/h (177 mph)
  • Design speed: 320 km/h (199 mph)
Traction system(AC) WMT204 64 × 285 kW (382 hp) (set W1)/275 kW (369 hp) (set W2 onward)[1]
Power output18.24 MW (24,460 hp) (set W1), 17.60 MW (23,600 hp) (set W2 onward)
Acceleration1.6 km/(h⋅s) (0.99 mph/s)[2]
1.92 km/(h⋅s) (1.19 mph/s) (High acceleration mode)[2]
Deceleration2.7 km/(h⋅s) (1.7 mph/s)
Electric system(s)25 kV AC, 60 Hz overhead catenary
Current collector(s)
  • W set: "T"-style current collector
  • V set: Pantograph
Safety system(s)ATC-NS
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
This train won the 41st Blue Ribbon Award in 1998.

The 500 series (500系, Go-hyaku-kei) is a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) in Japan on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line from 1997 until 2010, and the San'yō Shinkansen line since 1997 and 2008. They were designed to be capable of 320 km/h (199 mph) but operated at 300 km/h (186 mph), until they were retired from the primary Nozomi service in 2010. The trainsets were then refurbished and downgraded to the all-stations Kodama service between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata.

  1. ^ Railway Journal. Japan: 46. May 2008.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  2. ^ a b Railway Journal: 36. September 2007.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)