JR East introduces the first E8 series high-speed train

East Japan Railways has unveiled the first of its 300 km/h high-speed E8 series trains, which have been ordered for use on routes between Tokyo, Fukushima, Yamagata and Shinjo via the Yamagata Mini Shinkansen. Railway Supply writes about this with reference to the Railway Gazette.

The small trains are designed to replace the 275 km/h E3 series which entered service between 1995 and 2009. The new trains have a 9m nose designed to minimize noise when traveling through tunnels at higher speeds.

China Railways Investment Exceeds 710 Billion Yuan in 2022

It is manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries with the participation of Hitachi. The original order, placed in March 2020, was for 17 seven-car E8 series trainsets, but was subsequently reduced to 14 when the railroad revised its ridership forecasts in the wake of the pandemic. A 15th train was added to the order in May 2022 as passengers gradually return. It is expected that the first trains will be put into operation in the spring of 2024, and they will be fully delivered by 2026.

All cars are equipped with active bogie suspension to improve driving comfort, especially on the winding mountain line west of Fukushima. There is very heavy snowfall in this part of Tohoku, and Hitachi has stated that the trains are fully prepared for winter.

The E8 series trains were developed by Ken Okuyama Design in collaboration with Kawasaki engineers. The livery includes purple, inspired by the mandarin duck, one of the symbols of Yamagata Prefecture, white, the color of snow on Mount Zao on the border of Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures, and yellow, representing yellow safflower, an oil and dye plant, another local symbol.

Railway news you might have missed:

Opening of the first route Vietnam-China-Kazakhstan