Why the E2 Shinkansen is Sort of the Fastest High-Speed Train in Japan*

[@kitanotatsu]

Interestingly, many of the E2 series trainsets currently in operation were actually build around 2010 - so they're only about as old as the oldest E5 sets.

[@Wiratama12]

As far as I am concerned there are 6 trainsets E2 Series made in 2010, some 6 trainsets made before 2010. Those only E2 were left in service. E5 itself was made in 2011.

[@Sebastián8844]

E2 is my 3rd favorite shinkansen. I remember I got to experience it in the summer of 2012. I took a ride from Nagano to Tokyo with it. Great memories.

[@hikari2534]

You are my favourite railway youtuber so seeing you do a video on my favourite trains (the Shinkansen) is amazing. Great video as always!

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thank you so much 😀

[@isb6.759]

Watching the coupling of the trains at 9:30 im impressed by how clean the exterior of these trains are

[@nk-i-sumpan]

Your videos are always packed with information. Great job!

[@timbounds7190]

I know that the E5s have run at 360kph, and JR Central gave a demo run for journalists of the 700S at 360kph on the Tokaido line. Presumably the Alfa-X prototype will have been tested at similar speeds as well. JR East plan to raise the line speed on the Tohoku line to 360kph - the limiting factor at the moment is apparently noise rather than any lack of speed from the E5 and E6 trains! As for the E2, JR East repainted one in the historic white with dark green round the windows colour scheme which looks fabulous! Far better than the rather dull normal dark blue and grey colour scheme,

[@Sacto1654]

The E956 _ALFA-X_ train set has tested up to 400 km/h. JR East plans to build a new train set based of the technology of this test train to run at 360 km/h on the line between Tokyo and Sapporo.

[@timbounds7190]

@@Sacto1654 Thanks - I guess the point of Alfa-X was to do experiments on the tech for higher speeds, so higher speeds make perfect sense. I guess Simon will argue that the Alfa-X and 300X are test trains rather than actual service trains so the E2 still retains its record, though I'd surprised if an E5 hasn't gone faster the 360 at some point.

[@andropahsa3904]

The set you riding on is one of younger E2 series, set J73 delivery from Kawasaki on 10 May 2010

[@robertstojs]

you are killing it Simon, would be interesting if you expanded into more modes of transport like NotJustBikes

[@theexcaliburone5933]

NJB does very different stuff

[@Simon-Andersen]

I like trains, but soon there will be a bus video!

[@richman2601]

@@Simon-Andersenspicy

[@the-terrible63]

Thanks for the info.

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

Excellent video, try spanish High-speed trains. I love your channel

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thanks, i hope i can try the new avril some time

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

@@Simon-Andersen thanks

[@LGVRhin-Rhone]

2:30 Those look to be old limited express name plaques. Cool catch! 10:20 I don't know much about records but I thought there was a car that broke the sound barrier? I might be wrong. Also I've heard that China surpassed our maglev by a few kilometers but I'm not sure if that's confirmed.

[@Simon-Andersen]

@@LGVRhin-Rhone ah you're right about the record. The L0 is only the fastest for rail, there is indeed a faster car. I've only found conflicting info about the Chinese one, so I think the L0 stil has it unless the China record can be verified somehow.

[@nankinink]

The chinese only claimed, no proof whatsoever.. Same thing saying as "I got a train that goes supersonic".

[@ilovepanzer3930]

Fun fact, there was a set of E2s converted to E954 which later became the basis for the E5/6 series

[@atshinkansen7439]

Japan also holds the speed record for narrow gauge steam locomotives (Class C62).

[@DrivingOnTheRoad]

very interested

[@jfmezei]

In France, most of the first generation TGVs were upgraded from 270 to 300kmh in order to not slow down the other newer trains. Surprised the Japanese didnt upgrade the E2s to at least 300kmh. Is this not a problem on a line to Tokyo with many faster trains? or are there enough tracks that newer trains can easily overtake the slower E2s ?

[@lsp6032]

@jfmezei in japan, noise by high speed trains are a major concern, especially regarding tunnel booms, European HSR tunnels have a larger diameter than Japanese tunnels and also have portal design to such loud boom, second, Japanese shinkansen run at a really high frequency(16tph or every 3 to 4 minutes), if higher top speed is achieved by changing the gear ratio that allowed higher speed by slower acceleration, it is not okay for such frequent usage(European HSR run at lower frequency but still faster acceleration is appreciated for timed overtakes or accelerating out of stations in a tight schedule, on top of shinkansen having more stations on the line in general with shorter spacing), shinkansen trains also run multiple services across an entire day, which is much higher than most other high speed rail did, and wear and tear become significant, use JR Central as an example, they scrap trains after around 13 years of intense use, others like JR East(operator of e2+e3, and e5+e6/e8) replace them around 20 years of intense use without undergoing a major rebuild like Europe did

[@suncheeserailway]

Only 6 sets are active at the time of posting! Yamabiko/Nasuno are pretty much their only assignments nowadays. 2 years ago there were 23 sets.

[@Charlizzie]

Simon forgot to take a bento or some too hard ice cream there. 9:18 Recently there was a report of loose coupling between the two trains bound for Tokyo, resulting in a delay of service.

[@arkynkueh]

Yeah the two trains came apart while at full speed. No injuries, trains did not derail.

[@nich-nk2cs]

What's supposed to be the replacement for the E2? Is it the E5s taking the E2 role?

[@Sacto1654]

Yes. The E5 trains will replace the E2, since it will be coupled with the new E8 train sets running at speeds up to 300 km/h.

[@tom99987]

Are you planning to try newer versions of this train?

[@Simon-Andersen]

I already have a video of the E5 and E7 on the channel :D

[@tom99987]

@@Simon-Andersen Oh I see, sorry. :D

[@shanjida8353]

​@@Simon-Andersenwhat about the E8

[@Sebastián8844]

9:43 E2 and E3 kissing 😄

[@chemiker494]

What will they be replaced with?

[@suncheeserailway]

E5 series

[@caltrain910]

Can you do China High-Speed Rail next

[@matpk]

No❗ it's 💩

[@user-nn8zr3ze8b]

True​@@matpk

[@caltrain910]

It's not shit. China has built the world's best railway system

[@Simon-Andersen]

Maybe some time in the future, but no trip to China booked atm

[@petriruotsalainen6861]

Have you watched Brits' Nightsleeper serie

[@Simon-Andersen]

No, not familier with it

[@petriruotsalainen6861]

@@Simon-Andersen It's a train thriller, not quite Hercule Poirot standard but watchable, especially while travel across modern long distance-silky road.

[@mdhazeldine]

I hate to be THAT guy, but you are not correct regarding the speed records. The L0 is not the fastest vehicle on land. It is the fastest manned train (and it's a little contentious whether you can call a Maglev a train, but I'll let you off on that one. hehe). The fastest vehicle on land was the Thrust SSC jet powered car, which set the record in 1997, achieving 1227.986pkh for over 1 mile and breaking the sound barrier. Double the speed of the L0!!

[@Simon-Andersen]

No, please be that guy. I am more than happy to be corrected, especially in this case where i got something mixed up when writing my script. You are indeed correct :-)

[@Gert-DK]

Der var sgu ikke meget Coradia Stream over det futtog. 😆😉

[@Simon-Andersen]

Der går nok et par uger endnu, før jeg kommer til Coradia Stream

[@Gert-DK]

@@Simon-Andersen Æv, jeg glæder mig til at høre din vurdering, da du kender de danske tog, IC3, IC4, IR o.s.v. Jeg frygter for sidde komforten.

[@goofyahhnerdyy]

really? e2 goes 275kmh and e5 goes 320kmh edit: i was watching the video while typing this and I saw the record, I see now lol

[@yinshengwang887]

fastest E2 is CRH2C stage II haha

[@ce1834]

China used this same Japanese train design to develop their own trains - first bought them, and then stole the designs to make their own lol - CRH2

[@imwsss726]

If they bought them with tech transfer, then it's obviously not "stolen." They never resell any products based on this platform to a third nation. For parts used by any Japanese manufacturer, they follow the agreement to pay, not only for the CRH2 series, but also the CRH380A series later. Otherwise, Kawasaki would've sued CRRC. If you still insist that was stolen, then what about the TGV for KTX?

[@ce1834]

@@imwsss726 Wasn't limited to the tech transfer - Chinese policy makes companies tech transfer, and enter joint ventures with Chinese firms, from which they reverse engineer, same with German Velaro trains. Kawasaki did raise concerns that China made modified later versions of the CRH2 independently. JR Central’s boss also accused China’s rail industry of stealing tech and neglecting safety. A CRH2 was involved also in the Wenzhou collision coverup killing 40.

[@imwsss726]

@@ce1834 If you knew about the CRH380CL, you'd know that if there was a real IPR issue, the model would have been discontinued. The CRH2 series and the CRH380A series don't have this problem. Kawasaki wants to make more profit on this project because the production of these two series is much greater than any Japanese Shinkansen. The Japanese would love to have higher demand like Taiwan, but don't have their own production and design capabilities, so they can charge very high prices for new trains.

[@imwsss726]

@@ce1834 Looks like you don't know much about this. The Wenzhou accident was caused by a signalling system and dispatcher failures, not the train.

[@whiskeysk]

@@imwsss726 what about siemens and maglev, how did that end up regarding payments eventually?

[@paulthiel5145]

As an avid solo traveler I really don't like it when the first class product on a teain is in 2-2 layout, no matter how comfortable the seats are 😐

[@shanjida8353]

Loading gauge different.

[@paulthiel5145]

@@shanjida8353 so? Still don't like sitting next to someone in first class 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@lsp6032]

​@paulthiel5145 fact, the same train operator is now running gran class in a 1-2 configuration if it is your style, avaliable on e5 and e7 only

[@paulthiel5145]

@@lsp6032 I know about the Gran Class and it is indeed really nice, but as you say not available on all trains.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yeah i agree tbh, but i do understand why its 2+2 even if id like a solo seat :D Gran Class has 1+2 but ofc not on all trains and its also expensive :P

[@RandallSlick]

I love how the lobby area is reminiscent of a gas chamber and the upholstery of the worst acid trip of one's life. The absence of people in the carriage is an obvious bonus. Presumably a side-effect of Nippon's population collapse. Trains for sale soon presumably. A monstrously overloaded 45mph between Delhi and Agra beckons.