E8 Series Yamagata Shinkansen Bullet Train Unveiled to Media

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, February 25, 2023

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) unveiled a new Shinkansen bullet train, the E8 Series, to be introduced on the Yamagata Shinkansen line in the spring of 2024.

The new E8 train was unveiled to the press on Friday at JR East’s rolling stock center in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture. The bullet train will be put into commercial operation after about one year of trial runs, according to JR East.

The exterior is purple and white, respectively representing the prefectural bird of Yamagata, the mandarin duck, and the snow of Mt. Zao. A yellow line runs through the bullet train, which symbolizes the safflower, the prefectural flower.

The E8 Shinkansen train’s long nose, known as the arrow line, is capable of reducing noise when traveling through tunnels. It is equipped with wheelchair-accessible spaces and restrooms that can be used even during power outages.

The new bullet train will replace the E3 Series and have a maximum speed of 300 kph, up from the current 275 kph.