N700 Series Shinkansen

The N700 series (N700系 Enu nanahyaku-kei) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train with tilting capability developed jointly by JR Central and JR West for use on the Tokaido and San'yō Shinkansen lines since 2007, and also operated by JR Kyushu on the Kyushu Shinkansen line.

N700 series trains have a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), and tilting of up to one degree allows the trains to maintain 270 km/h (168 mph) even on 2,500 m (8,200 ft) radius curves that previously had a maximum speed of 255 km/h (158 mph). Another feature of the N700 is that it accelerates quicker than the older 700 series Shinkansen trains, with a maximum acceleration rate of 2.6 km/h/s. This enables it to reach 270 km/h (170 mph) in only three minutes. Further advancements led to the development of the N700A, an incremental evolution of the N700. N700A trains can reach 285 km/h on 3,000 m curves, allowing the maximum operating speed on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to be raised to 285 km/h. All N700 series sets have been retrofitted with most of the improvements added to the N700A series, and are now classified as "N700A".

Because of these improvements, trains can travel between Tokyo and Osaka on a Nozomi run in as little as 2 hours and 22 minutes on the fastest service (8 minutes faster than before).

Currently, a second revision to the N700 series, the N700S, is undergoing testing and evaluation, with plans to begin replacing all other models from 2020.

Operations
N700 series trains gradually replaced 300, 500 and 700 series sets on Nozomi services, and by the end of February 2009, the N700 series were responsible for 74 Nozomi services per day.[3]  All Nozomi through runs (over the full route between Tokyo and Hakata) were scheduled to use the N700 series exclusively by 2009. From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, all regularly scheduled Nozomi services, including runs limited only to the Tokaido Shinkansen, were operated by N700 series sets.[4]

Since 4 March 2017, the N700 is also used on regularly scheduled Hikari services during the day, as well as almost all Kodama trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen. Since March 2009, the N700 series trains have been equipped with wireless internet available for use between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.[5]

N700 series trainsets are also planned to run on the proposed Texas Central Railway high-speed line connecting Dallas and Houston.[6]

16-car G sets (N700-1000 series "N700A")[edit]
The N700-1000 series, or "N700A" (with "A" standing for "Advanced"), is a new version of the N700 series design delivered from August 2012, and entering revenue service from 8 February 2013.[7]

The new version is externally identical to the existing N700 series sets, with the addition of new "N700A" logos on each odd-numbered car.[8]  The new trains include modified brake discs, bogie vibration detection, and ATC improvements.[9]

Six "G" sets were scheduled to be introduced during fiscal 2012, replacing older 700 series sets, with seven more sets introduced during fiscal 2013.[10]  A further 18 sets are on order by JR Central, to be delivered six sets per year between fiscal 2014 and 2016 at a cost of 88 billion yen.[11]  In October 2015, JR Central announced that it had ordered a further 20 N700A series sets to be delivered between fiscal 2016 and 2019, replacing all of the remaining 700 series trains sets on Tokaido Shinkansen services.[12]

The first set, G1, was delivered to Hamamatsu in August 2012, with test running commencing on the Tokaido Shinkansen the following month.[13]