Jointly developed alongside the similar JR WestW7 series, the first E7 series trains were delivered in late 2013.
Design
Based on the earlier E2 series trains, the E7 series trains are designed with a "Japanese" theme inside and out, combining futuristic styling with traditional design elements overseen by industrial designer Ken Okuyama together with Kawasaki Heavy Industries.[6] Externally, the roof is finished in a "sky blue" colour, and the bodysides are "ivory white" with "copper" and "sky blue" lining.[7] The bodyside logos consist of a number "7" in silver stylized as an arrowhead, and include the lettering "East Japan Railway Company".[8]
The trains have a maximum design speed of 275km/h (170mph),[10] but operate at a maximum speed of 260km/h (160mph) on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, limited to 240km/h (150mph) on the Jōetsu Shinkansen tracks between Omiya and Takasaki, and to 110km/h (70mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Omiya.[5] Increased power output enables the trains to maintain speeds of at least 210km/h (130mph) on the steep gradients of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.[11]
Car 12 (Gran Class) is equipped with full active suspension, and the other cars are equipped with semi-active suspension.[10]
The trains entered regular passenger service from the start of the revised JR East timetable on 15 March 2014, with three trainsets introduced on Asama services on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (then still called the Nagano Shinkansen) between Tokyo and Nagano.[4] Initially, E7 series trainsets operated seven return Asama services daily, with a further four return workings added from 19 April 2014.[4]
Since 14 March 2015, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa, E7 series trainsets are also used on Hakutaka, Kagayaki, and Tsurugi services alongside the similar design JR West W7 series trains.[12]
Formations
The 12-car sets are numbered "F1" onward, and consist of 10 motored intermediate cars with non-powered (trailer) end cars.[10] Car 11 provides Green car (first class) accommodation, and car 12 provides Gran Class luxury accommodation.[10] Sets are formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Tokyo end.[13]
Cars 3 and 7 are each equipped with a single-arm pantograph.[13]
Interior
The 12-car trains have accommodation in three levels of service: Gran Class, Green car, and ordinary-class cars, with a total seating capacity of 934.[5] Gran Class seating (car 12) is arranged 2+1 abreast with a seat pitch of 1,300mm (51in), Green car seating (car 11) is arranged 2+2 abreast with a seat pitch of 1,160mm (46in), and ordinary seating (cars 1 to 10) is arranged 3+2 abreast with a seat pitch of 1,040mm (41in).[10] AC power outlets are provided for each seat in all three classes.[10] The Gran class seats are supplied by Toyota Boshoku.[14] Car saloons and vestibule areas are equipped with security cameras.[7] Between October and December 2015, luggage racks are scheduled to be added at one end of each of the even-numbered ordinary class cars and also in Green car 11, by removing a pair of seats (1D and 1E). The luggage racks are to cater to the increased number of overseas tourists with suitcases and also passengers with ski and snowboard equipment in the winter season.[15]
Interior of Gran Class car E714-4 (car 12) in November 2015
Gran Class seating
Interior of Green car 11
Interior of ordinary-class car 10
History
In December 2011, the Mainichi Shimbun reported that JR East was considering developing new E7 series 10-car sets based on the existing E2 series design for use on Hokuriku Shinkansen services.[16] Details of the new trains were formally announced jointly by JR East and JR West on 4 September 2012.[7]
The first E7 series train was delivered to Sendai Depot in November 2013, and shown off to the media on 28 November.[17] Night-time testing commenced in December 2013 on the Nagano Shinkansen, with daytime test-running between Nagano and Tokyo starting on 8 January 2014.[18] The design of the logo to be applied to the sides of cars 1 and 12 was officially unveiled in February 2014.[8]
The first three trains, sets F1 to F3, entered regular passenger service from the start of the revised JR East timetable on 15 March 2014.[19] The entire fleet of 17 sets, numbered F1 to F17, was delivered by the start of the 14 March 2015 timetable revision, although sets F16 and F17 did not enter revenue service until after this date.[19]
In April 2015, JR East announced that it was ordering an additional E7 series set to be introduced from autumn 2015, replacing the remaining E2 series trainsets used on regularly scheduled Hokuriku Shinkansen Asama services.[20]
In May 2015, the E7 series and JR West W7 series were awarded the 2015 Blue Ribbon Award, presented annually by the Japan Railfan Club.[21] A presentation ceremony was held at JR West's Hakusan Depot on 24 October 2015.[22]
On October 12, 2019, 8 E7 series (sets F1, F2, F7, F8, F10, F14, F16 and F18) and 2 W7 series (sets W2 and W7) trains were damaged due to floodwaters from Typhoon Hagibis, while they were stored at JR East Nagano Shinkansen Vehicle center. [23]
Fleet list
As of 1January2019[update], 22 sets are in service, with build details as follows.[24] *Sets F1, F2, F7, F8, F10, F14, F16 and F18 were withdrawn in 2019 following flood damage sustained during Typhoon Hagibis.[25] 19 sets are based at Nagano Shinkansen Depot and three sets are based at Niigata Depot.[24]
The 400 series (400系) was a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company between 1992 and 2010 on Tsubasa services on Japan's first mini-shinkansen line, the Yamagata Shinkansen branch from the main Tohoku Shinkansen.
The E2 series is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen train type operated by East Japan Railway Company on the Tohoku and Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed lines in Japan since 1997. They are formed in 8- and 10-car sets. The 8-car sets are used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and the 10-car sets on Tohoku Shinkansen services. The 10-car sets can be coupled to E3 series sets using couplers hidden behind retracting nose doors.
The E4 series (E4系) is a high-speed shinkansen train type operated by East Japan Railway Company in Japan. They were the second series of completely bi-level Shinkansen trainsets to be built in Japan. They operate 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. They were often coupled to 400 series trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Fukushima before the latter retired in April 2010.
The Asama (あさま) is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated by East Japan Railway Company on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced in October 1997, but the name was first used for a semi-express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1961. "Asama" is the name of an active volcano near Karuizawa, on the boundary between Gunma and Nagano Prefecture.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) is a high-speed shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company, connecting Tokyo with Kanazawa in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between Takasaki and Nagano in Nagano Prefecture, opened on 1 October 1997, originally called the Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線). The extension to Toyama in Toyama Prefecture and Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture opened on 14 March 2015. Construction of a further section onward to Fukui and Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture commenced in 2012, with scheduled opening in fiscal 2022. The route of the final section to Shin-Osaka was decided on 20 December 2016 as the Obama - Kyoto route, with construction expected to begin in 2030 and take 15 years.
Toyama Station is a railway station in Toyama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company. It is the biggest terminal station in Toyama.
The Hokuetsu (北越) was a limited express train service in Japan formerly operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later by East Japan Railway Company between Kanazawa and Niigata from 1970 until March 2015.
The E5 series (E5系) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company on Tōhoku Shinkansen services since 5 March 2011 and on Hokkaido Shinkansen services since 26 March 2016. A total of 59 10-car sets are on order, with three sets in service in time for the start of new Hayabusa services to Shin-Aomori in March 2011.
The Yamabiko (やまびこ) is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Morioka by East Japan Railway Company in Japan.
The E6 series (E6系) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company on Komachi "mini-shinkansen" services on the Tōhoku Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen from Tokyo to Akita since 16 March 2013. A pre-series set was delivered in June 2010 for extensive testing, with 23 full-production sets delivered between November 2012 and spring 2014.
Shin-Takaoka Station is an interchange railway station on the high-speed Hokuriku Shinkansen line and Jōhana Line in Takaoka, Toyama, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company. It opened on 14 March 2015, coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa.
The Hakutaka (はくたか) is a high-speed shinkansen train service jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company between Tokyo and Kanazawa on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced on 14 March 2015, but the name was first used for a limited express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) from 1965 until 1982, and later by JR West and Hokuetsu Express between 1997 and March 2015.
The 521 series is a dual-voltage AC/DC outer-suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company and the third-sector railway operators IR Ishikawa Railway and Ainokaze Toyama Railway on local services in the Fukui and Kanazawa areas since November 2006.
The Kubikino (くびき野) was a "Rapid" limited-stop train service in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company between Niigata and Arai on the Shinetsu Main Line in Niigata Prefecture from 2002 until March 2015.
The W7 series is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) on the Hokuriku Shinkansen since it was extended from Nagano to Kanazawa in March 2015. Jointly developed alongside the similar JR East E7 series, a total of eleven 12-car W7 series sets have been built. The first W7 series train was delivered in April 2014.
The Kagayaki (かがやき) is a high-speed shinkansen train service jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company between Tokyo and Kanazawa on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced on 14 March 2015, but the name was first used for a limited express service operated by JR West from March 1988 until March 1997.
Jōetsumyōkō Station is an interchange railway station in Jōetsu, Niigata, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company and the third-sector railway operator Echigo Tokimeki Railway. It opened in March 2015.
The Ainokaze Toyama Railway is a Japanese third-sector railway operating company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Toyama Prefecture when it was separated from the JR West network in March 2015, coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa. The company was founded on 24 July 2012, and has its headquarters in Toyama (city) in Toyama Prefecture.
The IR Ishikawa Railway is a Japanese third-sector railway company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Ishikawa Prefecture. The main line was separated from the JR West network on 14 March 2015, coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa. The company was founded on 28 August 2012 and has its headquarters in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.
The H5 series (H5系) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type owned by Hokkaido Railway Company for use on Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen services since 26 March 2016. Based on the earlier E5 series trains, a total of four 10-car sets were built by Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries at a cost of approximately 18 billion yen. The first two sets were delivered in October 2014.
1 2 3 3月15日ダイヤ改正と各地の話題 [15 March timetable revision and topics from around the regions]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol.43 no.361. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. May 2014. p.12.
1 2 3 "E7系・W7系新幹線電車" [E7/W7 series shinkansen EMU]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol.52 no.619. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. November 2012. pp.48–49.
↑ 北陸路走る 伝統と未来 新幹線デザイン決定[Hokuriku Shinkansen design announced - tradition and future]. Chunichi Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Chunichi Shimbun. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
1 2 3 北陸新幹線用の新型車両について[New trains for Hokuriku Shinkansen](PDF). Press release (in Japanese). Japan: JR East & JR West. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
1 2 北陸新幹線用新型車両シンボルマークデザイン決定[Logo design finalized for new Hokuriku Shinkansen trains](PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company & West Japan Railway Company. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
↑ 総合車両製作所、北陸新幹線の車両生産工場増強－６０両５編成受注[J-TREC expands its rolling stock manufacturing facilities for Hokuriku Shinkansen trains, with order for 60 vehicles]. Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Business Line (in Japanese). Japan: The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Ltd. 26 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "E7系新幹線電車" [E7 series shinkansen EMU]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol.54 no.634. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. February 2014. pp.9–13.
↑ Saito, Masatoshi (4 September 2012). ＪＲ東:北陸新幹線の新型車両「Ｅ７系」概要発表[JR East announces details of new E7 series for Hokuriku Shinkansen]. Mainichi jp (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. Retrieved 4 September 2012.[dead link]
↑ 北陸新幹線 長野～金沢間開業に伴う運行計画の概要について[Outline of service plans for opening of Hokuriku Shinkansen from Nagano to Kanazawa](PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: JR East & JR West. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
1 2 "E7系・W7系新幹線電車" [E7/W7 series shinkansen EMU]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol.54 no.635. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. March 2014. pp.57–64.
↑ トヨタ紡織、鉄道車両用シートを初受注 ～ 北陸新幹線「グランクラス」に採用 ～[Toyota Boshoku wins first order for train seats - to be used on Hokuriku Shinkansen "Gran Class"]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Toyota Boshuku Corporation. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
↑ 北陸新幹線Ｅ７系・Ｗ７系への荷物置場の設置について[Installation of luggage racks on Hokuriku Shinkansen E7/W7 series trains]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: West Japan Railway Company. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
↑ Saito, Masatoshi (13 December 2011). 北陸新幹線：山越え時速２００キロ、パワフル「Ｅ７系」金沢へ 延伸でＪＲ東日本開発[JR East to develop powerful E7 series to maintain 200 km/h through mountains to Kanazawa on Hokuriku Shinkansen]. Mainichi jp (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
↑ 流線型に銅色ライン…北陸新幹線「Ｅ７系」公開[Streamlined form with copper lining - Hokuriku Shinkansen "E7 series" unveiled]. Yomiuri Online (in Japanese). Japan: The Yomiuri Shimbun. 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
↑ Ｅ７系、昼の信濃路を疾走 長野－東京間試験走行[E7 series starts daytime test-running between Nagano and Tokyo]. Shinmai Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun. 9 January 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
1 2 平成27年3月14日ダイヤ改正にともなうJR東日本車両の動き[Rolling stock changes connected with the 14 March 2015 timetable revision]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol.55 no.649. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. May 2015. p.68.
↑ ＪＲ西 １３０億円増収効果 １６年３月期予想 秋以降に車両追加[JR West forecasts profits of 13 billion yen for March 2016 - Additional train from autumn]. Chunichi Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Chunichi Shimbun. 1 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
↑ ブルーリボン賞・ローレル賞[Blue Ribbon Award & Laurel Prize] (in Japanese). Japan: Japan Railfan Club. May 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
↑ E7系・W7系 ブルーリボン賞を受賞[E7 and W7 series receive Blue Ribbon Award]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol.56 no.658. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. February 2016. p.67.
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