E1 series
E1 series train set M5 in September 2012
In service	15 July 1994 – 28 September 2012 (18 years, 75 days)
Manufacturer	Hitachi,Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Family name	Max
Constructed	1994–1995
Refurbished	2003–2006
Scrapped	2012
Number built	72 vehicles (6 sets)
Number in service	None
Number preserved	1 vehicle
Number scrapped	71 vehicles
Formation	12 cars per trainset
Fleet numbers	M1–M6
Capacity	1,235
Operators	JR East
Depots	Sendai, Niigata
Lines served	Tohoku Shinkansen,Joetsu Shinkansen
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	End cars: 26.05 m (85 ft 6 in) Intermediate cars: 25 m (82 ft 0 in)
Width	3,430 mm (11 ft 3 in)
Height	4,493 mm (14 ft 9 in)
Doors	Two per side
Maximum speed	240 km/h (149.1 mph)
Traction system	(AC) MT204 (24 x 410 kW)
Power output	9.84 MW (13,196 hp)
Acceleration	1.6 km/(h⋅s) (0.99 mph/s)
Electric system(s)	25 kV AC, 50 Hz,overhead catenary
Current collection	PS201pantograph
Bogies	DT205 (motored), TR7003 (trailer)
Safety system(s)	ATC-2,DS-ATC
Multiple working	None
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge

TheE1 series (E1系) was a high-speedShinkansen train type operated byEast Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan from July 1994 until September 2012. They were the first double-deck trains built for Japan's Shinkansen. They were generally, along with their fellowdouble-deck class theE4 series, known by the marketing name "Max" (Multi-Amenity eXpress).^[1] The fleet was withdrawn from regular service on 28 September 2012.^[2]

Originally intended to be classified as600 series,^[3] the E1 series trains were introduced specifically to relieve overcrowding on services used by commuters on theTohoku Shinkansen andJoetsu Shinkansen.

E1 series sets were used on the following services.^[4]

• Joetsu Shinkansen
  • Max Asahi (15 July 1994 – November 2002)
  • Max Tanigawa (15 July 1994 - September 2012)
  • Max Toki (15 July 1994 - 28 September 2012)
• Tohoku Shinkansen
  • Max Aoba (15 July 1994 - 1 October 1997)
  • Max Nasuno (15 July 1994 - December 1999)
  • Max Yamabiko (15 July 1994 – December 1999)

The E1 series was the first revenue-earning shinkansen to feature 3+3 abreast seating in standard class for increased seating capacity. The upper deck saloons of non-reserved cars 1 to 4 were arranged 3+3 with no individual armrests, and did not recline. The lower decks of these cars, and the reserved-seating saloons in cars 5 to 12 had regular 2+3 seating. The Green car saloons on the upper decks of cars 9 to 11 had 2+2 seating. The trains had a total seating capacity of 1,235 passengers.^[5]

• 
  Green car upper deck in January 2002
• 
  Standard class reserved car upper deck in January 2002
• 
  Standard class non-reserved car upper deck with non-reclining 3+3 seating in January 2002
• 
  Standard class reserved car lower deck in January 2002
• 
  Standard class non-reserved car lower deck in January 2002

• 
  Car 11 Green car upper deck in October 2011
• 
  Car 11 standard class reserved car lower deck in October 2011

The fleet of 12-car sets, numbered M1 to M6, were formed as follows, with car 1 at the Tokyo end.^[6]

Cars 6 and 10 were each equipped with a PS201 scissors-typepantograph.^[6]

(Sources:^[6][9])

The first E1 series set, M1, was delivered to Sendai Depot on 3 March 1994, sporting "DDS E1" logos (DDS standing for double-deck shinkansen).^[10]ローカル鉄道途中下車の旅 The first two E1 series sets delivered entered revenue-earning service on theTohoku Shinkansen on 15 July 1994, with the original "DDS" logos replaced by "Max" logos.^[3] The original livery was "sky grey" on the upper body side and "silver grey" on the lower body side, separated by a "peacock green" stripe.^[6]

From 4 December 1999, all six trainsets were transferred from Sendai Depot to Niigata Depot, with operations limited to use onJoetsu ShinkansenMax Asahi andMax Tanigawa services only.^[6] Two sets were used onMax Yamabiko services betweenTokyo andMorioka, two sets were used onMax Asahi services between Tokyo andNiigata. One set was used onMax Toki services betweenTakasaki and Tokyo, and one set was used onMax Aoba services betweenNasushiobara and Tokyo.

From late 2003, the fleet underwent refurbishment, which included the installation of new seating and repainting in a new livery of "stratus white" on the upper body side and "aster blue" on the lower body side, separated by a "ibis pink" stripe.

All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.^[6]

The first two sets were officially withdrawn in April 2012: M1 on 2 April, and M2 on 14 April.^[9] The remaining fleet was withdrawn from service from the start of the revised timetable on 29 September 2012.^[2]

A specialThank you Max Asahi (ありがとうMaxあさひ号,Arigatō Max Asahi-gō) service ran from Niigata to Tokyo on 27 October 2012 using an E1 series set,^[11] followed by a final run from Tokyo to Niigata on 28 October 2012, using set M4.^[12]

Between 1 December 2001 and 31 March 2002, the E1 series fleet was adorned with "Alpen Super Express" logos as part of JR East's "JR + Snow" promotional campaign.^[3]

From mid August 2012 until the fleet's final withdrawal on 28 September, the remaining three sets had a secondtokicrested ibis added to their logos to celebrate the rare hatching of ibis chicks in the wild.^[13]

• 
  Original "Max" logo in December 2003 prior to refurbishment
• 
  "Alpen Snow Express" promotional logo in March 2002
• 
  "Max" logo on a refurbished set in April 2010
• 
  Modified "Max" logo in August 2012

One E1 series car is preserved: car E153-104 of set M4. This was moved to theRailway Museum inSaitama in December 2017, and is on display since spring 2018.^[14]

• TGV Duplex, French double-deck high speed train
• List of high speed trains

Wikimedia Commons has media related toE1 series Shinkansen.

• "E1 seriesMax Toki/Max Tanigawa" (in Japanese). Archived fromthe original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved10 August 2008.

• East Japan Railway Company
• Shinkansen train series
• Hitachi multiple units
• Double-decker EMUs
• 25 kV AC multiple units
• Kawasaki multiple units
• Train-related introductions in 1994
• Passenger trains running at least at 200 km/h in commercial operations
• Double-decker high-speed trains

• CS1 uses Japanese-language script (ja)
• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from May 2023
• Articles containing Japanese-language text
• Commons category link is on Wikidata