Why couple the E5 and E6?

[gavino200]

Here's my guess. They travel a route that is part common/ part divergent. They couple at the beginning of the common part. One driver can serve both trains. Then at the last stop of the common part they uncouple and a driver boards the second train. Then the each finish their own divergent routes with their own driver on board.

 

So the benefit is saving on paying one driver for the common part of the route? Am I right? Or way off?

[JR 500系]

if i'm not wrong, the driver also sits in even when coupled, though he doesn't really operate the train. I think he is still needed to monitor the train status and such...

 

The benefit is I believe, in terms of easier control of rail traffic. having a coupled train means it's technically a single train set, rather than having 2 separate train sets running the same route. For high speed trains like the E5 and E6, this greatly helps... With a single coupled unit reducing traffic time, this allows for trips to be run in the same time period.

[cteno4]

I think it's mainly scheduling. Once the e6 meets the mainline by coupling to the e5 you don't add a new train into the schedule and thus lower headways.

 

Jeff