Japan getting 320kmh Shinkansen E5 bullet train in 2011

A new Shinkansen bullet train being built to go into service on the East Japan line will travel at up to 320 kilometers per hour (200 mph), making it the fastest rail service in Japan.

A new Shinkansen bullet train being built to go into service on the East Japan line will travel at up to 320 kilometers per hour (200 mph), making it the fastest rail service in Japan. Test runs for the Series E5 train are planned for July 2009 ahead of its debut in spring 2011. The 10-car train will be initially operated at a top speed of 300 kph, ramping up to 320kmh by the end of March 2013.

JR East has released an artist's drawing of the Series E5 train, which is scheduled for launch in 2011 on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Aomori. The new model looks very similar to the N700 series but will feature the boldest nose design on a Bullet train to date, a 15-meter (50 feet) pointed front to further lower aerodynamic friction.

No technical details have been provided for the E5 but we can expect the same distributed electric motor layout as used in all Bullet trains to date, where each carriage has between three and four 300kw traction motors giving the train 10-12 Megawatts of total traction power. This allows a Bullet train to accelerate from standstill to 300km in less than two minutes.

Test runs will begin in July 2009 ahead of its debut in spring 2011. The 10-car train will be initially operated at a top speed of 300 kph, and will be raised to 320 kph by the end of March 2013. The company plans to produce 59 of the E5 trains by the end of fiscal 2015.

Paul Evans

Via: Mainichi Daily News.