E3 Series Shinkansen

E3 series
E3 series
	Refurbished E3 Series train near Omiya Station
In service	22 March 1997 – February 2026
Manufacturers	Kawasaki Heavy Industries; Tokyu Car Corporation;
Designer	Kenji Ekuan
Family name	Mini-Shinkansen
Replaced	400 series
Constructed	1995–2009
Scrapped	2013–2026
Number built	261 vehicles (41 sets)
Number in service	84 vehicles (12 sets) (as of March 2024)
Number scrapped	163 vehicles
Successor	E6 and E8 series
Formation	7 cars per trainset; 6 cars per trainset (until 2022); 5 cars per trainset (Akita Shinkansen only, until 1998);
Fleet numbers	R1–R26, L51–L55, L61–L72
Capacity	6-car R sets: 338 (23 Green + 315 Standard); 7-car L50 sets (E3-1000): 402 (23 Green + 379 ordinary); 7-car L60 sets (E3-2000): 394 (23 Green + 371 ordinary);
Operator	JR East
Depots	Akita, Yamagata
Lines served	Akita Shinkansen (1997–2014); Yamagata Shinkansen; Tohoku Shinkansen;
Specifications
Car body construction	Aluminium
Car length	20.05 to 23.07 m (65 ft 9 in to 75 ft 8 in)
Width	2,945 mm (9 ft 8 in)
Height	4,080 mm (13 ft 5 in) (roof height); 4,280 mm (14 ft 1 in) (pantograph cover height);
Floor height	1,300 mm (4 ft 3 in)
Doors	1 per side
Maximum speed	Operation: 275 km/h (171 mph); Design: 315 km/h (196 mph);
Traction system	GTO or IGBT-VVVF (6-car sets: 16 x 300 kW,; 7-car sets: 20 x 300 kW)
Power output	6-car sets: 4.8 MW (6,437 hp); 7-car sets: 6 MW (8,046 hp);
Gear ratio	28:85 (3.04)
Acceleration	Tohoku Shinkansen:; 1.6 km/(h⋅s) (0.99 mph/s); Yamagata Shinkansen:; 2 km/(h⋅s) (1.2 mph/s);
Deceleration	5.2 km/(h⋅s) (3.2 mph/s)
Electric systems	Overhead line:; 25 kV 50 Hz AC; 20 kV 50 Hz AC;
Current collection	Pantograph
Bogies	DT207 (1st generation motor car); DT207A (2nd to 4th generation motor car); DT207B (5th to 7th generation, 2000 series motor car); TR7005 (1st generation trailer car); TR7005A (2nd to 4th generation, 2000 series trailer car); TR7005B (5th to 7th generation trailer car);
Braking systems	Regenerative brake combined with electrically controlled air brake and retarder brake (conventional line section)
Safety systems	ATC-2, DS-ATC, ATS-P
Multiple working	Up to two units: 200, E2, E4 or E5 series
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The E3 series (Japanese: E3系) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built for Komachi services introduced on 3 June 1997, coinciding with the opening of the new Akita Shinkansen, a so-called "mini-Shinkansen" line formed by regauging the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gauge line between Morioka and Akita to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge. Later variants of the E3 series were introduced for Tsubasa services on the Yamagata Shinkansen. Both mini-Shinkansen routes connect with the Tōhoku Shinkansen, providing through services to and from Tokyo.