| E3 series | |
|---|---|
 Reliveried E3-1000 series set L53 on a Tsubasa service, June 2022 | |
| In service | 22 March 1997 – present |
| Manufacturer | Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Tokyu Car Corporation |
| Family name | Mini-shinkansen |
| Replaced | 400 series |
| Constructed | 1995–2009 |
| Scrapped | 2013– |
| Number built | 261 vehicles (41 sets) |
| Number in service | 84 vehicles (12 sets) (as of March 2024[update]) |
| Number scrapped | 163 vehicles |
| Successor | E6 series, E8 series |
| Formation | 7 cars per trainset 6 cars per trainset (formerly, until 2022) 5 cars per trainset ( Akita Shinkansen only, until 1998) |
| Fleet numbers | R1–R26, L51–L55, L61–L72 |
| Capacity | 6-car R sets: 338 (23 Green + 315 Standard) 7-car L50 sets (E3-1000): 402 (23 Green + 379 Standard) 7-car L60 sets (E3-2000): 394 (23 Green + 371 Standard) |
| Operators | JR East |
| Depots | Akita, Yamagata |
| Lines served | Akita Shinkansen, Tohoku Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Car length | 20.05 to 23.07 m (65 ft 9 in to 75 ft 8 in) |
| Width | 2,945 mm (9 ft 8 in) |
| Doors | 1 per side |
| Maximum speed | 275 km/h (171 mph)(Tohoku Shinkansen), 130 km/h (81 mph) (Akita/Yamagata Shinkansen) |
| Traction system | GTO or IGBT-VVVF (6-car sets: 16 x 300 kW, 7-car sets: 20 x 300 kW) |
| Power output | 6-car sets: 4.8 MW (6,437 hp) 7-car sets: 6 MW (8,046 hp) |
| Acceleration | 1.6 km/(h⋅s) (0.99 mph/s) |
| Electric system(s) | 20/25 kV AC, 50 Hz overhead catenary |
| Current collector(s) | Pantograph |
| Safety system(s) | ATC-2, DS-ATC, ATS-P |
| Multiple working | 200 series, E2 series, E4 series, E5 series |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The E3 series (E3系) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built for Komachi services which commenced on 3 June 1997, coinciding with the opening of the new Akita Shinkansen "mini-shinkansen" line, a regular 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gauge line between Morioka and Akita re-gauged to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge. Later versions of the E3 series were also introduced for use on Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa services. Both "mini-shinkansen" lines join the Tohoku Shinkansen, providing services to and from Tokyo.