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E4 Series Shinkansen
The E4 series (Japanese: E4系) was a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan from December 1997 until October 2021. It was the second double-deck Shinkansen train type, after the E1 series, and was marketed under the name Max (an acronym for Multi-Amenity eXpress). A total of 26 eight-car trainsets were built by Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries between 1997 and 2003. The type was withdrawn from regular service on 1 October 2021.
Like the E1 series, the E4 series was introduced to relieve overcrowding on services on the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen, and it also saw occasional use on the Nagano Shinkansen (now known as the Hokuriku Shinkansen). The double-deck design was adopted to increase seating capacity for peak periods, with some cars using 3+3 seating. Although each trainset comprised only eight cars, two sets could be coupled together to provide 16-car formations with 1,634 seats, the highest-capacity high-speed train configuration in the world.
Unlike the steel carbodies of the E1 series, the E4 series used lightweight aluminium construction. However, the trainsets remained significantly heavier than single-deck designs, limiting the maximum operating speed to 240 kilometres per hour (150 mph). Double-deck Shinkansen trainsets subsequently fell out of use as lighter single-deck designs supported higher operating speeds—up to 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph) on newer types—shortening travel times and allowing increased service frequency.
E4 series sets were used on the following services.
Cars 4 and 6 were each equipped with a PS201 pantograph.
As with the earlier E1 series, the upper decks of non-reserved cars 1 to 3 were arranged 3+3, with fixed seats that did not recline and no individual armrests. The lower decks of these cars, and the reserved-seat areas in cars 4 to 8, had conventional 2+3 seating. The Green car areas on the upper decks of cars 7 and 8 had 2+2 seating. In total, the trains accommodated 817 passengers.
The first E4 series set, P1, was delivered to Sendai Depot on 8 October 1997, with the first sets entering revenue-earning service on the Tohoku Shinkansen from 20 December 1997.
All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.
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E4 Series Shinkansen
The E4 series (Japanese: E4系) was a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan from December 1997 until October 2021. It was the second double-deck Shinkansen train type, after the E1 series, and was marketed under the name Max (an acronym for Multi-Amenity eXpress). A total of 26 eight-car trainsets were built by Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries between 1997 and 2003. The type was withdrawn from regular service on 1 October 2021.
Like the E1 series, the E4 series was introduced to relieve overcrowding on services on the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen, and it also saw occasional use on the Nagano Shinkansen (now known as the Hokuriku Shinkansen). The double-deck design was adopted to increase seating capacity for peak periods, with some cars using 3+3 seating. Although each trainset comprised only eight cars, two sets could be coupled together to provide 16-car formations with 1,634 seats, the highest-capacity high-speed train configuration in the world.
Unlike the steel carbodies of the E1 series, the E4 series used lightweight aluminium construction. However, the trainsets remained significantly heavier than single-deck designs, limiting the maximum operating speed to 240 kilometres per hour (150 mph). Double-deck Shinkansen trainsets subsequently fell out of use as lighter single-deck designs supported higher operating speeds—up to 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph) on newer types—shortening travel times and allowing increased service frequency.
E4 series sets were used on the following services.
Cars 4 and 6 were each equipped with a PS201 pantograph.
As with the earlier E1 series, the upper decks of non-reserved cars 1 to 3 were arranged 3+3, with fixed seats that did not recline and no individual armrests. The lower decks of these cars, and the reserved-seat areas in cars 4 to 8, had conventional 2+3 seating. The Green car areas on the upper decks of cars 7 and 8 had 2+2 seating. In total, the trains accommodated 817 passengers.
The first E4 series set, P1, was delivered to Sendai Depot on 8 October 1997, with the first sets entering revenue-earning service on the Tohoku Shinkansen from 20 December 1997.
All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.