Rail fans will be upset to learn that Japan’s high-speed track-testing bullet trains, commonly known as Doctor Yellow, are set to retire in the coming years.
The Doctor Yellow inspection train
The bright yellow trains don’t carry passengers, but are used to inspect the condition of Shinkansen tracks and overhead wires. Sadly though, these popular trains have gotten too old for continued service.
Doctor Yellow trains have been used to inspect Shinkansen lines since 1964. There are currently two #700 series #923 class trains in operation, one owned by JR Central and one by JR West and they are used to test the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines between Tokyo and Hakata every ten days or so. Each of the trains runs at a top speed of 270 kilometers per hour.
Two Japanese icons: Doctor Yellow passes Mount Fuji
JR East also has a test train, known as East-i, but perhaps because it isn’t yellow, it is not so famous.
The color yellow is used to make the Doctor Yellow trains easy to see at night, but the color is also associated with happiness, and because there are only two Doctor Yellow trains and they have no set schedule, catching a glimpse of Doctor Yellow has come to be seen as a sign of good luck.
JR Central will retire its Doctor Yellow train in January 2025 and JR West will retire its train in 2027. The trains will not be replaced as the latest generation of bullet train, the #N700S series passenger train, will also be fitted with state-of-the-art inspection equipment.
However, JR Central says it plans to hold farewell events for its Doctor Yellow train and will even give lucky fans the opportunity to ride it before it retires!
Article by Michael Lambe. Photos by ninguru/pixta (1), ABC/pixta (2). All rights reserved.
