500 Series Shinkansen

500 series

16-car 500 series on Nozomi service, May 2008
In service 1997–present
Manufacturer Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company, Kinki Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo
Replaced 0 series
Constructed 1995–1998
Refurbishment 2008-2010
Number built 144 vehicles (9 sets)
Number in service 64 vehicles (8 sets)
Number preserved 1 vehicle
Number scrapped 79 vehicles
Formation 8 (originally 16) cars per trainset
Fleet numbers V2–V9
Capacity 16-car W set: 1,324 (200 Green + 1,124 Standard)
8-car V set: 608
Operator(s) JR West
Depot(s) Hakata
Line(s) served Sanyo Shinkansen, Hakata-Minami Line
Specifications
Car body construction Aluminium alloy
Car length 25,000 mm (82 ft 0 in) (intermediate cars), 27,000 mm (88 ft 7 in) (end cars)
Width 3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in)
Height 3,690 mm (12 ft 1 in)
Maximum speed W set: 300 km/h (186 mph) (Sanyō)
V set: 285 km/h (177 mph)
Design speed: 320 km/h (199 mph)
Traction system (AC) WMT204 64 x 285 kW (382 hp) (set W1)/275 kW (369 hp) (set W2 onward)[1]
Power output 18.24 MW (24,460 hp) (set W1), 17.60 MW (23,600 hp) (set W2 onward)
Acceleration

1.6 km/h/s (0.44 m·s−2) [2]


1.92 km/h/s (0.53 m·s−2) (High acceleration mode)[2]
Deceleration 2.7 km/h/s (0.75 m·s−2)
Electric system(s) 25 kV AC, 60 Hz overhead catenary
Current collection method W set: "T"-style current collector
V set: Pantograph
Safety system(s) ATC-1, ATC-NS
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

The 500 series (500系 Gohyaku-kei) is a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) on the Tokaido Shinkansen and Sanyo Shinkansen lines in Japan.[3] They were designed to be capable of 320 km/h (200 mph) but operated at 300 km/h (185 mph), until they were finally retired from the primary Nozomi service in 2010. The trainsets were then refurbished and downgraded to the all-stations Kodama service between Shin-Osaka and Hakata.

Overview

The general design concept was overseen by German industrial designer Alexander Neumeister.[4] The running gear utilizes computer-controlled active suspension[5] for a smoother, safer ride, and yaw dampers are fitted between cars for improved stability. All sixteen cars in each original trainset were powered, giving a maximum of 18.24 MW (24,460 hp). Each train cost an estimated 5 billion yen, and only nine were built.

16-car W sets

First announced by JR West in September 1994,[6] the first set was delivered for testing in 1995, entering passenger service in March 1997. The entire fleet of nine sets was delivered by 1998. It was the first Shinkansen train in Japan to operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (185 mph) in regular passenger service. Besides the premium Nozomi services, 16-car trains were also used on Hikari Rail Star services during the busy holiday periods.

With the steady increase in the number of N700 Series Shinkansen since 2007, the 500 series were gradually retired from the Nozomi services. The last 500 series Nozomi run took place on 28 February 2010.[7]

Formation

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Designation Mc M1 Mp M2 M' M1 Mp Ms2 Ms M1s Mpkh M2 M' M1 Mp M2c
Numbering 521 526 527 528 525 526 527-400 518 515 516 527-700 528-700 525 526 527 522
Seating capacity 53 100 90 100 95 100 75 68 64 68 63 100 95 100 90 63

Cars 8 to 10 were "Green" (first class) cars. Cars 5 and 13 each had one "T"-style current collector.[8]

Interior

8-car V sets (500-7000 series)

8-car 500 series Kodama set at Himeji Station, August 2009

Eight of the original nine 500 series sets were modified and shortened to 8 cars between 2008 and 2010, and were cascaded to Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama workings, replacing the earlier 0 series sets.[9] The first reformed 8-car set was unveiled to the press on 28 March 2008, and the trains entered service on twelve daily Kodama runs from 1 December 2008.[10]

The maximum operating speed of these trains has been reduced to 285 km/h (177 mph).[11]

Formation

As of 1 April 2014, the fleet consists of eight 8-car sets (V2 to V9) formed as follows, with car 1 at the Hakata end.[12]

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Designation Mc M1 Mp M2 M M1 Mpkh M2c
Numbering 521-7000 526-7000 527-7000 528-7000 525-7000 526-7200 527-7700 522-7000
Formerly 521 (car 1) 526 (car 2) 527 (car 3) 528 (car 4) 525 (car 13) 516 (car 10) 527-700 (car 11) 522 (car 16)
Seating capacity 53 100 78 100 95 68 51 63

Cars 2 and 7 each have one single-arm pantograph.[12]

Interior

Passenger accommodation consists of 3+2 abreast unidirectional seating, with 2+2 abreast seating in car 6 (former Green car). Between October and December 2013, cars 4 and 5 are also scheduled to have the original seating removed and replaced with new 2+2 abreast seating, the same as used in the Hikari Rail Star 700 series trainsets.[13][14]

All passenger saloons on the 8-car 500 series trains are no-smoking, with new smoking compartments installed in cars 3 and 7.[12] Cars 1, 3, 5, and 7 are equipped with toilets.[12]

Special liveries

Set V2 in the special "500 Type Eva" livery in March 2016

Since 7 November 2015, set V2 runs in a special "500 Type Eva" livery as part of the "Shinkansen:Evangelion Project" tie-up project to mark the 40th anniversary of the Sanyo Shinkansen and the 20th anniversary of the Neon Genesis Evangelion animation series broadcast on TV. It is scheduled to remain in this livery until March 2017.[15]

Interior

Preserved examples

Car 521-1, formerly the end car of set W1, was stored at Hakata Depot following withdrawal, and is scheduled to be put on display at the Kyoto Railway Museum when it opens in spring 2016.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Railway Journal (Japan): 46. May 2008.
  2. 1 2 Railway Journal: 36. September 2007.
  3. ↑ JR全車両ハンドブック2006 [JR Rolling Stock Handbook 2006]. Japan: Neko Publishing. 2006.
  4. ↑ 新幹線　車両大全 [Shinkansen Cars Encyclopedia]. Tokyo, Japan: Ikaros Publications Ltd. November 2011. pp. 96–121. ISBN 978-4-86320-526-0.
  5. ↑ http://www.rtri.or.jp/eng/publish/newsletter/pdf/01/RTA-01-05.pdf
  6. ↑ Semmens, Peter (1997). High Speed in Japan: Shinkansen - The World's Busiest High-speed Railway. Sheffield, UK: Platform 5 Publishing. ISBN 1-872524-88-5.
  7. ↑ "Train fans bid farewell to Nozomi bullet train service". Japan Today. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  8. ↑ JR電車編成表 2010夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2010]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. May 2010. ISBN 978-4-330-14310-1.
  9. ↑ "Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō" magazine February 2008 issue, p74
  10. ↑ 平成20年度【冬】の臨時列車の運転について [Winter 2008 additional train services] (PDF) (in Japanese). West Japan Railway. 17 October 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  11. ↑ 新幹線こだま 500系 [Kodama Shinkansen 500 serie] (in Japanese). West Japan Railway. 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 4 JR電車編成表 2014夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2014]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 30 May 2014. p. 133. ISBN 978-4-330-46614-9.
  13. ↑ ＪＲ西５００系こだま　ゆったり [JR West 500 series Kodama to become roomier]. Yomiuri Online (in Japanese). Japan: The Yomiuri Shimbun. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  14. ↑ 500系こだま号の4列シート車両の拡充について [Increase in number of 4-abreast seating cars on 500 series Kodama trains]. Press Release (in Japanese). Japan: West Japan Railway Company. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  15. ↑ 山陽新幹線で「500 TYPE EVA」の運転開始 ["500 Type Eva" runs on Sanyo Shinkansen]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  16. ↑ 100系と500系の先頭車が京都鉄道博物館へ [100 and 500 series end cars to go to Kyoto Railway Museum]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.

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