E7 to begin revenue operations March 15

[bikkuri bahn]

According to a report today in the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, E7 trains will begin revenue operations on the Nagano Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Nagano from March 15.  Three 12-car E7 trainsets will initially be introduced, providing 7 roundtrip services/day.  The services will continue to use the Asama monicker used by the current E2 trains.  With this introduction, 1/4 of all Asama services will be run with E7 trainsets (the regular schedule on this route sees 28 r/t a day).  As the E7 trainsets are 12 cars, with a passenger capacity of 934, they provide 1.5 times the passenger capacity of the current E2 Asama trainsets, which have 630 seats.

 

http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20131220/KT131220ATI090006000.php

[bikkuri bahn]

Additional information:

1. After next April, approximately one E7 trainset per month will be introduced to Asama services, replacing E2 formations.

 

2. Digital ATC will be introduced to the Nagano Shinkansen Line (currently the line uses analog ATC-1D adapted for 50/60hz current).  This will shorten travel time on up direction services (Nagano-Tokyo), in one instance three minutes, to 1hr 20 min for the fastest service.

 

http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2013/12/20/350/

Edited December 21, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[Densha]

Wait a minute... the E2 series were supposed to remain on Asama services right? The E7 would only by doing the through trains to the Hokuriku Shinkansen is what I read in the past.

[bikkuri bahn]

I don't think all the E2's will be replaced, just a portion as determined by the production schedule of the E7.  Of course with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, there will be a revision of the timetable and rolling stock assignments.

[Sacto1985]

I do think the majority of E2 trainsets assigned now to the Asama service will be retired and (sadly) scrapped once the E7's become widely available by March 2015, the start of full-length Hokuriku Shinkansen service. These E2's are the oldest of the type built, and may soon be reaching the end of their service lives.

[bikkuri bahn]

Test run on the Nagano Shinkansen.  At Annaka Haruna Station:

 

News report on the first daylight test run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTD9RmGVPA

[Guest keio6000]

of the 'new breed' of shinkansen, (e5, e6, e7) the e7 in my view is the nicest by far.  however, i wonder how it will look once the roof starts getting dirty and sooty.

[Densha]

The Dutch railways have something for blue roofs lately as well so as you can see this is what it looks like after a while (and this is not even a bad case):

[katoftw]

blue would hide dust and soot better than white right?

[Densha]

True, but gray as the older Shinkansen had does it even better.