JR East to Develop E10 Series Train for Tohoku Shinkansen Line

Jiji Press

11:58 JST, March 5, 2025

Tokyo (Jiji Press)—East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, has said that it will start developing a new bullet train series, E10, for the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, which links Tokyo and the Tohoku northeastern region.

The first train from the E10 series, which will succeed the E2 and E5 series trains, is slated to be completed in autumn 2027 ahead of the start of mass production, according to the plan announced Tuesday.

JR East aims to put the next-generation Shinkansen series into commercial service in fiscal 2030, with each E10 train having 10 cars.

Two colors, bright green and dark green, inspired by the mountains in the Tohoku region, will be used for the exterior of the E10 series train.

The new bullet train’s maximum speed will be 320 kilometers per hour, the same as that of the E5 series. For improved earthquake safety, the stopping distance of the E10 series train after the brakes are applied will be 15 pct shorter than that of the current Shinkansen trains.

In some cars, each row will to have two seats on either side of the aisle, and a power outlet and a USB outlet are set to be installed at each seat, features that are convenient especially for business passengers.

Car No. 5 will be equipped with a large door compatible with JR East’s “Hakobyun” cargo transportation service. The E10 will be the first Shinkansen series for JR East since the E8 series was introduced on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line in March 2024.

Also on Tuesday, JR East said that it will fully start the Hakobyun service using Shinkansen and other trains on April 18.

The company has tested cargo transportation operations since 2021, with an aim to help ease the truck driver shortages crippling the country and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The JR East group has set a goal of generating annual revenue of about ¥10 billion from the Hakobyun service.

At first, one Shinkansen train per week will be used for the service. Specifically, cars No. 1 and No. 2 of a 10-car E5 series Hayabusa train will be dedicated for cargo transportation on the route from Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture, the northern terminal of the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, to Tokyo Station, the southern terminal.

In addition, all cars of a Tsubasa train that has ended its commercial operations on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line will be reformed for exclusive use for transporting cargoes, with the service expected to start in autumn this year on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line.

Initially, the converted train will travel from Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture to Tokyo Station, transporting up to about 1,000 boxes of goods.