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E4 Series Shinkansen

新幹線E4系電車

The E4 series was a double-deck Shinkansen operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from December 1997 until October 2021.

It was the second bilevel Shinkansen type after the E1 series, and like the E1 was marketed as Max, an acronym for "Multi-Amenity eXpress." A total of 26 eight-car trainsets were built by Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries between 1997 and 2003. The first three sets (24 cars) were completed in October 1997, and revenue service began on the Tōhoku Shinkansen on 20 December 1997.

A double-decker E4 series set on a "Max Tanigawa" Jōetsu Shinkansen service entering Ōmiya Station.
A double-decker E4 series set on a "Max Tanigawa" Jōetsu Shinkansen service entering Ōmiya Station. · MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

History

Like the E1, it was introduced to relieve overcrowding; it was also intended to meet growing commuter demand. The all-double-deck design was adopted to increase seating for peak periods, and some standard cars had non-reclining 3+3 seating on their upper decks. Although each set had only eight cars, two could couple into a 16-car formation seating 1,634 passengers — the highest-capacity high-speed train configuration in the world, certified at the time by Guinness World Records. Unlike the steel-bodied E1, the E4 used lightweight aluminium construction, but the double-deck sets stayed significantly heavier than single-deck designs, limiting the maximum operating speed to 240 km/h, which was also the design speed.

Double-deck Shinkansen later fell out of use as lighter single-deck designs ran faster — up to 320 km/h on newer types — shortening journeys and raising frequency. The E4 worked Tōhoku services (Max Yamabiko and Max Nasuno) until it was entirely withdrawn from that line in September 2012 and moved to Jōetsu Shinkansen Max Toki and Max Tanigawa duties. As the last double-decker Shinkansen, it was withdrawn from regular service on 1 October 2021 and completely retired on 17 October 2021 after commemorative charter runs.

Timeline
  • 1997First set (P1) delivered to Sendai Depot on 8 October; revenue service begins on the Tōhoku Shinkansen from 20 December (Max Yamabiko / Max Nasuno).
  • 2001Jōetsu Shinkansen revenue service begins on 7 May (Max Toki / Max Tanigawa); limited Max Asama runs on the Nagano (Hokuriku) Shinkansen begin 22 July.
  • 2012E4 series entirely withdrawn from Tōhoku Shinkansen services in September; all sets reallocated to the Jōetsu Shinkansen.
  • 2014Fleet repainting begins; surviving sets receive a new livery with a toki (crested ibis) pink stripe, the first reliveried set (P5) returning to service in early April.
  • 2021As the last double-decker Shinkansen, the E4 is withdrawn from regular service on 1 October and completely retired on 17 October after commemorative charter runs.

Sources

Last updated 16 October 2026.

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