International Railroad Discussion > Japan September 2016..part5

A few Older and New Shinkansens at Takasaki on September 8 , 2016

the bi levels are the last of their type left in service now

 

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I loved this video. We were in Japan in May 2016 and rode the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya. Its was the newer version in the Green reserved and a great trip. We loved it and the entire Japanese transit system. We rode it a lot and enjoyed every second.

Cool video.  No graffiti on any train.

Love the "squat" pantagraphs on the bi-level.

Bob

bakersfielddave Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A few Older and New Shinkansens at Takasaki on
> September 8 , 2016
>
> the bi levels are the last of their type left in
> service now

Enjoyed the video!

You caught one of the few trains that doesn't stop at Takasaki, the Kanazawa-bound Kagayaki using the new E7 set, running on a faster schedule bound for Kanazawa. Due to the close proximity of the Hokuriku Line's diverging tracks to the north, it had to run slower than track speed.

The E4s (the bi-levels) are on borrowed time. The new E7s are displacing the E2s on the ex-Nagano Line (now the Hokuriku Line), and with the new E5/E6 on the Tohoku Line, the excess E2s are displacing the E4s, where some sets have already been scrapped. All of them are supposed to be out of service by 2017, give or take, as the original plan was to stop using them at end of this year.

There are no plans from JR East for a new bi-level set, primary reason being the inability for bi-levels to achieve higher speeds efficiently, due to the bigger aerodynamic "footprint." Unlike when E1s were new (the first, and better-looking bi-level), the capacity gain is now only about 20% per set, so I suspect JR East can make up for it by running tighter schedules, which the Tokaido Line already does.

I'm going to miss the ugliest Shinkansen sets on the planet.