The , branded "ALFA-X", is a ten-car experimental
Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...
train operated by
East Japan Railway Company
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...
(JR East) in Japan to test technology to be incorporated into future trains operating at speeds of up to . The name is an acronym for "Advanced Labs for Frontline Activity in rail eXperimentation".
The first train was unveiled on May 9, 2019.
The
Plarail (series of toy trains) "Ippai Tsunago" Shinkansen Test Train ALFA-X began to be sold on December 26, 2019. Its test run is mainly performed in sections between
Sendai
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the ''daimyō'' Date M ...
and
Shin-Aomori of the
Tohoku Shinkansen line, and, in some cases, on the
Hokkaido Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that links up with the Tōhoku Shinkansen in northern Aomori Prefecture in Honshu and continues on into the interior of Hokkaido through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May ...
line.
Design
The experimental trainset is being tested at speeds of up to around to evaluate new technologies to be incorporated into new trains to operate in revenue service at speeds of up to .
These technologies include dampers to reduce vibration and the likelihood of derailment in major earthquakes.
It also tests body designs that reduce snow adherence.
The E956 train evaluates two different end car nose profiles, just like the earlier
Fastech 360.
The nose of car 1 is long, and is a brand new design, while the nose of car 10 is similar to the
E5 Series Shinkansen
The and the related are Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train types built by Hitachi Rail and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
The E5 series is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East); it was introduced on Tohoku Shinkansen services on 5 M ...
and
H5 Series Shinkansen
The and the related are Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train types built by Hitachi Rail and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
The E5 series is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East); it was introduced on Tohoku Shinkansen services on 5 M ...
, but is long, with only remaining for passengers with three rows of seating. The E956 features
eddy current brake
An eddy current brake, also known as an induction brake, electric brake or electric retarder, is a device used to slow or stop a moving object by generating eddy currents and thus dissipating its kinetic energy as heat. Unlike friction brakes, wh ...
s and an aerodynamic braking system attached to the car's roof, called
air brakes or spoilers.
History
JR East officially announced its plans to build a ten-car ALFA-X test train on 4 July 2017, to be delivered in spring 2019 for extensive testing and evaluation.
The finished train was unveiled on May 9, 2019.
The train reached a speed of in May 2019, matching the top operating speed of the fastest services on the line. By June that same year, the train was regularly measured to be running at by rail enthusiasts.
The train was first observed running at the announced top planned test speed of on December 14, 2019.
The train was observed in Hokkaido for cold weather testing on February 12, 2020 and February 3, 2021.
References
External links
JR East 2017 news release
JR East E956 data sheet
{{High-speed rail experimental
Experimental and prototype high-speed trains
Shinkansen train series
Train-related introductions in 2019
Hitachi multiple units
Kawasaki multiple units
25 kV AC multiple units
Non-passenger multiple units