500 Series Shinkansen
Encyclopedia
The is a Shinkansen
high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company
(JR West) on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Sanyō Shinkansen
lines in Japan. They were designed to be capable of 320 km/h (199 mph) although they currently operate at a maximum of 285 km/h (177 mph) in service. The running gear utilizes computer-controlled active suspension for a smoother, safer ride, and anti-yaw dampers are fitted between cars for improved stability. All sixteen cars in each train are powered, giving a maximum of 18.24 MW. Each train costs an estimated 5 billion yen, and only nine were built.
They have long, pointed nose cones much more like that of a supersonic
plane than that of a conventional high-speed train. In 1990, Hitachi commissioned Neumeister Design of Germany to create an exterior and interior design for a new 350 km/h (217 mph) shinkansen. This became the basis for the development of the 500 series.
With the steady increase in the number of N700 Series Shinkansen
assigned to Nozomi services, the 500 series fleet was limited to just two return workings between Tokyo and Hakata from the start of the 15 March 2008 timetable. The last 500 series Nozomi run took place on 28 February 2010.
Cars 5 and 13 each have one "T"-style current collector.
sets. The first reformed 8-car set was unveiled to the press on 28 March 2008, and the trains entered service on twelve daily Kodama runs from 1 December 2008.
All passenger saloons on the 8-car 500 series trains have been made no-smoking, with new smoking compartments installed. The maximum operating speed of these trains has been reduced to 285 km/h (177 mph).
Cars 2 and 7 each have one single-arm pantograph.
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
(JR West) on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Shinkansen
The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan...
lines in Japan. They were designed to be capable of 320 km/h (199 mph) although they currently operate at a maximum of 285 km/h (177 mph) in service. The running gear utilizes computer-controlled active suspension for a smoother, safer ride, and anti-yaw dampers are fitted between cars for improved stability. All sixteen cars in each train are powered, giving a maximum of 18.24 MW. Each train costs an estimated 5 billion yen, and only nine were built.
They have long, pointed nose cones much more like that of a supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
plane than that of a conventional high-speed train. In 1990, Hitachi commissioned Neumeister Design of Germany to create an exterior and interior design for a new 350 km/h (217 mph) shinkansen. This became the basis for the development of the 500 series.
16-car W sets
First announced by JR West in September 1994, the first set was delivered for testing in 1995, entering passenger service in March 1997. The entire fleet of nine sets was delivered by 1998. It was the first shinkansen train in Japan to operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) in regular passenger service. Besides the premium Nozomi services, 16-car trains were also used on Hikari Rail Star services during the busy holiday periods.With the steady increase in the number of N700 Series Shinkansen
N700 Series Shinkansen
The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West for use on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen lines, and also operated by JR Kyushu on the Kyushu Shinkansen line....
assigned to Nozomi services, the 500 series fleet was limited to just two return workings between Tokyo and Hakata from the start of the 15 March 2008 timetable. The last 500 series Nozomi run took place on 28 February 2010.
Formation
| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Mc | M1 | Mp | M2 | M' | M1 | Mp | Ms2 | Ms | M1s | Mpkh | M2 | M' | M1 | Mp | M2c |
| Numbering | 521 | 526 | 527 | 528 | 525 | 526 | 527-400 | 518 | 515 | 516 | 527-700 | 528-700 | 525 | 526 | 527 | 522 |
| Seating capacity | 53 | 100 | 90 | 100 | 95 | 100 | 75 | 68 | 64 | 68 | 63 | 100 | 95 | 100 | 90 | 63 |
Cars 5 and 13 each have one "T"-style current collector.
8-car V sets (500-7000 series)
Six of the original nine 500 series sets were modified and shortened to 8 cars between 2008 and 2010, and were cascaded to Sanyō Shinkansen Kodama workings, replacing the earlier 0 series0 Series Shinkansen
The trains were the first Shinkansen trainsets built to run on Japan's new Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed line which opened in 1964. The last remaining trainsets were withdrawn in 2008.-History:...
sets. The first reformed 8-car set was unveiled to the press on 28 March 2008, and the trains entered service on twelve daily Kodama runs from 1 December 2008.
All passenger saloons on the 8-car 500 series trains have been made no-smoking, with new smoking compartments installed. The maximum operating speed of these trains has been reduced to 285 km/h (177 mph).
Formation
| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Mc | M1 | Mp | M2 | M | M1 | Mpkh | M2c |
| Numbering | 521-7000 | 526-7000 | 527-7000 | 528-7000 | 525-7000 | 526-7200 | 527-7700 | 522-7000 |
| Formerly | 521 (car 1) | 526 (car 2) | 527 (car 3) | 528 (car 4) | 525 (car 13) | 516 (car 10) | 527-700 (car 11) | 522 (car 16) |
| Seating capacity | 53 | 100 | 78 | 100 | 95 | 68 | 51 | 63 |
Cars 2 and 7 each have one single-arm pantograph.