E4 Series Shinkansen
| E4 series | |
|---|---|
E4 series train set P20 on a Joetsu Shinkansen Max Tanigawa service in February 2021 | |
| In service | 20 December 1997 – 17 October 2021 (23 years, 301 days) |
| Manufacturers | Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries |
| Family name | Max |
| Constructed | 1997–2003 |
| Entered service | December 1997 |
| Scrapped | 2013–2022 |
| Number built | 208 vehicles (26 sets) |
| Number in service | None |
| Number preserved | 1 vehicle |
| Number scrapped | 207 vehicles (26 sets) |
| Successor | E7 series |
| Formation | 8 cars per trainset |
| Fleet numbers | P1–P22, P51–P52, P81–P82 |
| Capacity | 817 (54 Green + 763 standard) |
| Operator | JR East |
| Depots | Niigata, Sendai |
| Lines served | Jōetsu, Tōhoku, Nagano/Hokuriku |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Train length | 151.4 m (497 ft) |
| Car length | End cars: 25.7 m (84 ft), Intermediate cars: 25 m (82 ft) |
| Width | 3.38 m (11.1 ft) |
| Height | 4.485 m (14.7 ft) |
| Doors | 2 per side, per car |
| Maximum speed | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Weight | 428 t (944,000 lb) |
| Traction system | Mitsubishi IGBT-VVVF |
| Traction motors | 16 × 420 kW (560 hp) AC |
| Power output | 6,720 kW (9,010 hp) |
| Acceleration | 1.65 km/(h⋅s) (1.03 mph/s) |
| Deceleration |
|
| Electric systems |
|
| Current collection | Pantograph |
| UIC classification | 2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+2′2′ |
| Braking systems | Regenerative, pneumatic |
| Safety systems | ATC-2, DS-ATC |
| Multiple working | Up to two units, 400 or E3 series |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The E4 series (Japanese: E4系) was a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan from December 1997 until October 2021. It was the second double-deck Shinkansen train type, after the E1 series, and was marketed under the name Max (an acronym for Multi-Amenity eXpress). A total of 26 eight-car trainsets were built by Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries between 1997 and 2003. The type was withdrawn from regular service on 1 October 2021.
Like the E1 series, the E4 series was introduced to relieve overcrowding on services on the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen, and it also saw occasional use on the Nagano Shinkansen (now known as the Hokuriku Shinkansen). The double-deck design was adopted to increase seating capacity for peak periods, with some cars using 3+3 seating. Although each trainset comprised only eight cars, two sets could be coupled together to provide 16-car formations with 1,634 seats, the highest-capacity high-speed train configuration in the world.
Unlike the steel carbodies of the E1 series, the E4 series used lightweight aluminium construction. However, the trainsets remained significantly heavier than single-deck designs, limiting the maximum operating speed to 240 kilometres per hour (150 mph). Double-deck Shinkansen trainsets subsequently fell out of use as lighter single-deck designs supported higher operating speeds—up to 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph) on newer types—shortening travel times and allowing increased service frequency.