| E4 series | |
|---|---|
 E4 series train set P20 on a Joetsu Shinkansen Max Tanigawa service in February 2021 | |
| In service | 20 December 1997 – 17 October 2021 (23 years, 301 days) |
| Manufacturer | Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Family name | Max |
| Constructed | 1997–2003 |
| Entered service | December 1997 (Tohoku Shinkansen) May 2001 (Joetsu Shinkansen) |
| Scrapped | 2013–2022 |
| Number built | 208 vehicles (26 sets) |
| Number in service | None |
| Number preserved | 1 vehicle |
| Number scrapped | 207 vehicles (26 sets) |
| Successor | E7 series |
| Formation | 8 cars per trainset |
| Fleet numbers | P1–P22, P51–P52, P81–P82 |
| Capacity | 817 (54 Green + 763 Standard) |
| Operators | JR East |
| Depots | Niigata, Sendai |
| Lines served | Joetsu Shinkansen, Tōhoku Shinkansen |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Car length | End cars: 25,700 mm (84 ft 3+13⁄16 in), Intermediate cars: 25,000 mm (82 ft 1⁄4 in) |
| Width | 3,380 mm (11 ft 1+1⁄16 in) |
| Doors | 2 per side |
| Maximum speed | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Weight | 428 t |
| Traction system | IGBT-VVVF (Mitsubishi Co.) |
| Traction motors | 16 x 420 kW (563 hp) AC traction motors |
| Power output | 6.72 MW (9,012 hp) |
| Acceleration | 1.65 km/(h⋅s) (1.03 mph/s) |
| Deceleration | 2.69 km/(h⋅s) (1.67 mph/s) (service) 4.04 km/(h⋅s) (2.51 mph/s) (emergency) |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV AC, 50 Hz overhead catenary 25kV AC, 50Hz and 60Hz (Sets P81 and 82 only, for use on Hokuriku Shinkansen.) |
| Current collector(s) | 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) standard gauge |
The E4 series (E4系) was a high-speed Shinkansen electric multiple unit 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 previously operated 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 along with the E3 series trains until September 2012. The last trains of the E4 series were withdrawn from regular service on 1 October 2021.
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 was 240 km/h (150 mph).
- ^ 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.