JR East have announced that they will develop a new Shinkansen inspection train to be introduced in 2029, which will be called the E927. The new train will be used to inspect all five Shinkansen lines that run north from Tokyo: the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata, and Akita Shinkansen networks.
The current East-i (E926) inspection train on the left, and an initial design image of the new E927 on the right
Japan’s Shinkansen inspection trains are used to check the working condition of Shinkansen train lines. Their equipment can monitor the condition of tracks, overhead wires, and other infrastructure as the trains run along a line at top speed.
The most famous of these trains are the brightly colored Doctor Yellow series used on JR Central’s Tokaido Shinkansen and JR West’s Sanyo Shinkansen lines. However, JR Central retired its Doctor Yellow train in January of this year, and JR West plans to retire its Doctor Yellow after 2027.
Going forward, both JR Central and JR West plan to use regular N700S series Shinkansen passenger trains equipped with inspection tools — so railway fans will be pleased to learn that JR East intends to keep running special inspection trains.
JR East’s current inspection train is the E926, which is also known as the East-i. This train is based on the E-3 series of Shinkansen trains that have been in service since 1997. The new E927 will be based on a next-generation Akita Shinkansen train which is now being developed as a successor to the E-6 series of trains.
While the current East-i can run at a top speed of 275 kilometers per hour, the new train will run at 320 kilometers per hour.
The E927 will also employ AI and DX (digital transformation) technologies for enhanced inspection capabilities and will have a long-nose design to reduce micro-pressure waves — which are a kind of loud compression wave trains experience when running through tunnels. Advanced imaging and laser technologies will also be utilized to ensure precise data collection while traveling at maximum speeds.
The final design of the E927 has not yet been decided, but design supervision will be handled by Tangerine, the company behind the design of the next-generation E10 series now being developed for the Tohoku Shinkansen line.
Although the final appearance of the E927 remains a mystery, we will be sure to bring you details as soon as they are announced.
Article by Michael Lambe. Images courtesy of JR East. All rights reserved.
