The and Shinkansen are Japanese high-speed electric multiple unit train types operated on the Hokuriku and Jōetsu Shinkansen lines, and jointly developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) respectively.
The E7 series has operated since 15 March 2014 on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. It also operates on the Jōetsu Shinkansen following the March 2019 timetable revision. 47 sets have been built, of which 39 are in service .
The W7 series has operated on the Hokuriku Shinkansen since it was extended from to in March 2015. The first W7 series train was delivered in April 2014. 24 sets have been built, of which 22 are in service .
Design Based on the earlier E2 series trains, the E7 and W7 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. Externally, the roof is finished in a "sky blue" color, and the body sides are "ivory white" with "copper" and "sky blue" lining. The body side logos consist of a number "7" in silver stylized as an arrowhead, and include the lettering "East Japan Railway Company" or "West Japan Railway Company".
Manufacturing of the E7 and W7 series sets was shared between Hitachi in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe; additionally the E7 in J-TREC in Yokohama, and W7 in Kinki Sharyo in Osaka.
The trains have a maximum design speed of , achieving it between Omiya and Takasaki, and operate at a maximum speed of on the rest of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and at on the Tohoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Omiya. Increased power output enables the trains to maintain speeds of at least on the steep gradients of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Car 12 (Gran Class) is equipped with full active suspension, and the other cars are equipped with semi-active suspension.
Operations Kagayaki (Tokyo - Tsuruga), since March 2015 Hakutaka (Tokyo - Tsuruga), since March 2015 Tsurugi (Toyama - Tsuruga), since March 2015 Asama (Tokyo - Nagano), since March 2014 (E7) and March 2015 (W7) Toki (Tokyo - Niigata), since March 2019 (E7) Tanigawa (Tokyo - Echigo-Yuzawa), since 3 March 2019 (mainly E7, but W7 also operates a few services between Tokyo and Takasaki)
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. Initially, E7 series trainsets operated seven return Asama services daily, with a further four return workings added from 19 April 2014.
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.
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. Gran Class seating (car 12) is arranged 2+1 abreast with a seat pitch of , Green car seating (car 11) is arranged 2+2 abreast with a seat pitch of , and ordinary seating (cars 1 to 10) is arranged 3+2 abreast with a seat pitch of . AC power outlets are provided for each seat in all three classes. The Gran class seats are supplied by Toyota Boshoku. Car saloons and vestibule areas are equipped with security cameras. 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.
Gallery
Formations The E7 series sets are numbered "F1" onward, and the W7 series sets are numbered "W1" onward. All sets consist of 10 motored intermediate cars with non-powered (trailer) end cars. Car 11 provides Green car (first class) accommodation, and car 12 provides Gran Class luxury accommodation. Sets are formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Tokyo end.
Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Designation Tc M2 M1 M2 M1 M2 M1 M2 M1 M2 M1s Tsc ClassOrdinaryGreenGran Numbering (E7 series) E723 E726100 E725 E726200 E725100 E726300 E725200 E726400 E725400 E726500 E715 E714Numbering (W7 series) W723100 W726100 W725100 W726200 W725200 W726300 W725300 W726400 W725400 W726500 W715500 W714500 Weight (t) 41.3 44.7 46.1 45.2 46.4 45.2 46.5 45.2 46.4 45.0 45.6 44.5 Capacity 50 100 85 100 85 90 58 100 85 100 63 18 Facilities Toilet Toilet Toilet Conductor's office Toilet, wheelchair space Toilet Toilet, wheelchair space Toilet
Cars 3 and 7 are each equipped with a single-arm pantograph.
Build histories , 47 E7 series sets and 24 W7 series sets have been built, with build details as follows. Eight E7 series sets and two W7 series sets were withdrawn in 2020 following flood damage sustained during Typhoon Hagibis. + E7 series fleet Set Manufacturer DeliveredWithdrawn F1 Kawasaki 27 November 2013JR旅客会社の車両配置表2014／JR車両のデータバンク2013-2014 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2014/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2013-2014]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 54, no. 639. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2014. p. 38.31 March 2020 F2 Hitachi 25 December 201331 March 2020 F3 Hitachi 30 January 2014 F4 Kawasaki 24 February 2014 F5 Kawasaki 18 March 2014 F6 Kawasaki 2 June 2014JR旅客会社の車両配置表2015／JR車両のデータバンク2014-2015 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2015/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2014-2015]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 55, no. 651. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2015. p. 36-37,46. F7 J-TREC 26 June 20145 March 2020 F8 J-TREC 14 July 201431 March 2020 F9 J-TREC 27 August 2014 F10 Hitachi 16 September 201414 January 2020 F11 J-TREC 6 October 2014 F12 J-TREC 10 November 2014 F13 Hitachi 19 December 2014 F14 Hitachi 19 January 201531 March 2020 F15 Kawasaki 6 February 2015 F16 Hitachi 8 April 2015JR旅客会社の車両配置表2016／JR車両のデータバンク2015-2016 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2016/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2015-2016]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 56, no. 663. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2016. p. 38,45.31 March 2020 F17 Kawasaki 6 March 2015 F18 J-TREC 26 October 201531 March 2020 F19 Kawasaki 3 April 2017JR旅客会社の車両配置表2018／JR車両のデータバンク2017-2018 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2018/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2017-2018]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 58, no. 687. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2018. p. 35 F20 Kawasaki 31 October 2018JR旅客会社の車両配置表2019／JR車両のデータバンク2018-2019 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2019/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2018-2019]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 59, no. 699. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2019. p. 34-35 F21 Hitachi 20 November 2018 F22 Kawasaki 5 December 2018 F23 Hitachi 8 September 2019JR旅客会社の車両配置表2020／JR車両のデータバンク2019-2020 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2020/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2019-2020]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 60, no. 711. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2020. p. 32-39. F24 Hitachi 8 September 2019 F25 Kawasaki 7 October 2019 F26 Hitachi 11 November 2019 F27 Hitachi 24 January 2020 F28 J-TREC25 January 2022JR旅客会社の車両配置表2022／JR車両のデータバンク2021-2022 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2021/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2021-2022]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 62, no. 735. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2022. p. 32-40. F29 Kawasaki 9 November 2020JR旅客会社の車両配置表2021／JR車両のデータバンク2020-2021 [JR Passenger Company's Vehicle Layout 2021/JR Vehicle Data Bank 2020-2021]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 61, no. 732. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2015. p. 32-40. F30 Kawasaki 3 December 2020 F31 Hitachi 26 February 2021F32Kawasaki11 May 2021F33Hitachi17 August 2021F34Hitachi6 October 2021F35J-TREC9 November 2021F36Kawasaki21 October 2021F37Hitachi3 August 2022F38Kawasaki6 December 2022F39Kawasaki30 January 2023F40Hitachi12 May 2021F41Hitachi4 June 2021F42Kawasaki7 June 2021F43J-TREC2 August 2021F44Hitachi14 January 2022F45Hitachi21 November 2022F46Kawasaki28 March 2023F47Hitachi11 January 2023
+ W7 series fleet Set Manufacturer DeliveredWithdrawn W1 Kawasaki 30 April 2014 W2 Hitachi 5 June 201431 March 2020 W3 Kawasaki 30 June 2014 W4 Hitachi 18 July 2014 W5 Kawasaki 21 August 2014 W6 Kawasaki 11 September 2014 W7 Kinki Sharyo 27 September 201431 March 2020 W8 Hitachi 15 October 2014 W9 Hitachi 3 November 2014 W10 Kinki Sharyo 26 December 2014 W11 Hitachi 17 September 2015W12Hitachi29 October 2021W13Hitachi8 December 2021W14Hitachi31 March 2022W15Hitachi11 November 2023W16Hitachi2 December 2023W17 Kawasaki31 May 2022W18Kawasaki6 July 2022W19Kawasaki5 July 2022W20Kawasaki24 August 2022W21Kinki Sharyo22 November 2022W22Kawasaki28 October 2022W23Kinki Sharyo18 October 2023W24Hitachi6 December 2022
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. In January 2012, the head of JR-West's Kanazawa Division revealed that new trains for the Hokuriku Shinkansen would be developed in conjunction with JR East, and that test running would need to be conducted during the winter season a year before the line opening to thoroughly test the ability of the trains to cope with snowy conditions. Details of the new trains were formally announced jointly by JR East and JR West on 4 September 2012.
The first E7 series train was delivered to Sendai Depot in November 2013, and shown off to the media on 28 November. Night-time testing commenced in December 2013 on the Nagano Shinkansen, with daytime test-running between Nagano and Tokyo starting on 8 January 2014. The design of the logo to be applied to the sides of cars 1 and 12 was officially unveiled in February 2014.
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. 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.
The first W7 series train was delivered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe to Hakusan Depot in Hakusan, Ishikawa in April 2014. Test-running on the Hokuriku Shinkansen began on 5 August 2014, initially at low speed, between and .
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.
In May 2015, the W7 series and E7 series were awarded the 2015 Blue Ribbon Award, presented annually by the Japan Railfan Club. A presentation ceremony was held at JR West's Hakusan Depot on 24 October 2015.
On 12 October 2019, eight E7 series and two W7 series trains were damaged due to floodwaters from Typhoon Hagibis while they were stored at JR East Nagano Shinkansen Vehicle center. The sets were scrapped shortly thereafter.
In November 2021, JR East demonstrated autonomous operation with an E7 set in Niigata prefecture traveling between Niigata Station and Niigata Shinkansen Rolling Stock Center. They started testing on 29 October.
From the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2023, all train services on the Joetsu Shinkansen will be operated solely by E7 series sets as the line undergoes an operating speed increase from . The trains will replace the older E2 series sets in the process.
See also List of high speed trains
References
External links
JR East E7 series W7 official