New Type: JR East E5 Shinkansen

[Guest ___]

Aside from the colour, I couldn't tell the two trains apart. They look way too much alike, and both are ugly. I guess, the pinnacle of shinkansen design was in the Showa era.

[miyakoji]

Nice videos, Nozomi.  Reminds me that I never rode any of JRE's high speed lines.    Ah well, next time!

[Tecchan]

Aside from the colour, I couldn't tell the two trains apart. They look way too much alike, and both are ugly. I guess, the pinnacle of shinkansen design was in the Showa era.

 

One of the main differences (I mean basic aesthetic differences) and the reason I like the E6 a lot more is the position of the front lights.

 

On the E5, there is a row just upside the windshield (same as the E2) and the E6 has two light on each sides of the cabin (like on the FasTech). I find that the second option is a lot more nice: makes the look of the train aggressive! :-)

 

Both color scheme are quite original! Green is certainly original!!

[westfalen]

I've got to admit I do like the colours, it's interesting comparing JR East's colourful Shinkansens to JR Central's traditional blue and white that's been around since the 0 series.

 

I notice in the first video an employee seems to be making a mark on the platform, could they be checking stopping positions for the new trains when coupled together?

[Guest ___]

other than the headlights, i not for the colour, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

[to2leo]

Come to think of it how come JRW purchase N700 instead of the E5 or E6 technology?

[Guest ___]

I assume it was always just easier for JW-W to buy from JR-C since they tend to overlap routes more.

[miyakoji]

Yeah, that's a good question.  Does JRE just want some distinction between their lines versus JRC/JRW(/JR Kyushu)?  JRE has the money to do it, I guess.  I'm looking forward to someday seeing JR Hokkaido bullet trains!

[disturbman]

For sure, JR Hokkaido bullet trains will look a lot like JR East ones.

[bikkuri bahn]

I assume it was always just easier for JW-W to buy from JR-C since they tend to overlap routes more.

 

Exactly.  You want compatibility, in operations and maintenance.  I think also JR East designs have to be winterized more for operations in snow country.

[Tecchan]

I assume it was always just easier for JW-W to buy from JR-C since they tend to overlap routes more.

 

Exactly.  You want compatibility, in operations and maintenance.  I think also JR East designs have to be winterized more for operations in snow country.

 

They could adapt the N700 design for snowy routes. It should be possible.

Creating a new prototype from scratch must be crazyly expensive.

 

I don't mind seeing new trains, especially Shinaknsen  , but from my point of view, it seems like a strange (and expensive) choice.

[Darklighter]

I thought the E6 would be more pinkish. 

[bikkuri bahn]

TV Tokyo report yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKV8tf5ztOw

 

Seats are by Recaro, custom-designed for the E5.  Will recline up to 45 degrees. 18 seats per trainset.

[Bernard]

Did they say what it costs to take the train?

[to2leo]

26360 yen according to the report.

[cteno4]

One of the members of JRM's sister club in Iwate recently sent us a couple pictures of the new E5 and E6 while they were at Kitakami Station.

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/prototypearticles/E5-E6.html

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Nozomi4ever]

No business for Koito Industries now... 

The seat does looks a bit like this..

 

JAL Shell-flat Neo Business class

[disturbman]

And I'm still thinking, why do they bother to do that... the regular class is already the most comfortable I ever experienced on a train or a plane. 

[Martijn Meerts]

And I'm still thinking, why do they bother to do that... the regular class is already the most comfortable I ever experienced on a train or a plane. 

 

If you travel first class too often, that gets old as well =)

 

Spend several years traveling on shinkansen every day, and those gran class seats will start to look awfully comfy.

[gmat]

From NewsOnJapan. Two video reports:

 

300-kph Hayabusa test run ties railway speed record

http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/87402.php

 

Very short blurb from The Daily Yomiuri:

 

300-kph Hayabusa test run ties railway speed record

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110216004831.htm

 

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

Thanks gmat.  With all the negativity and backwardness stateside regarding HSR and passenger rail in general, it's nice to see some hope for humanity in our corner of the world, isn't it?

[gmat]

Thanks bikkuri bahn,

 

I wish things were better in the US. I guess the problem with mass transit in the States is that people are loathe to give up the freedom of a car, no matter how much it might be an illusion.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Martijn Meerts]

Those "insane-class" seats sure look comfy ;)

 

Actually, the entire train looks rather comfy...

[disturbman]

I'm not from the state but what I've been reading those past few months/years seems to indicate that the problem in itself is not this theoretical freedom tied to the ownership of cars but much more:

1/ The general form of (sub)urbanization that took place until the begining of this century. But now the US seems to see a trend of re-urbanization which will lead and is slowy leading to the death of the über car culture.

2/ The fact that most of the population thinks that government should cut up expenses (and this one is the real killer). Which means that intensive capital investement that can't really be taken by the private sector (like HSR and mass-transit) is a non-starter in the mind of most Republicans and also some Democrats.

 

On this last point I've read something interesting on the California High Speed Rail Blog (for sure it's a biaised reading), the guy was saying that studies shown that if actually people want the governement to cut up expenses they don't want those cuts to touch them. So if you look at studies you usually see something like: please cut up expenses, don't touch things that will influence my life and please invest in education, etc...

 

So that's the problem, the opposition against rail investement is not something rational but purely based on ideologism.

 

I think it was in this post: http://www.cahsrblog.com/2011/02/robert-j-samuelsons-uninformed-attack-on-hsr/

[gmat]

A short article about the new Hayabusa E5 in Japan Today. The comments are interesting also.

 

Hayabusa shinkansen offers first class speed and service

http://www.japantoday.com/category/travel/view/hayabusa-shinkansen-offers-first-class-speed-and-service

 

What is GranClass? Ha Ha.

 

Best wishes,

Grant