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By AYATERU HOSOZAWA/ Staff Writer
February 23, 2025 at 18:42 JST
The E3 series runs as the Tsubasa on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line. (Provided by East Japan Railway Co.)
The nation’s first freight-only Shinkansen bullet train is expected to go into service between Tokyo and Morioka this autumn.
East Japan Railway Co. plans to convert an E3 series Shinkansen by removing all passenger seats from its seven cars and installing apparatus to prevent load shifting, company sources said.
The company is expecting demand for precision equipment and high-end fresh fish, among other goods, as the new service will be faster and smoother than conventional cargo trains.
Currently, some Shinkansen trains carry cargo in spaces outside seating areas.
The new service will be able to handle larger goods and dramatically increase transport volume, a senior JR East official said.
The remodeled train will be hooked up to another Shinkansen that carries passengers.
It will be the first bullet train dedicated to freight transport since the Tokaido Shinkansen Line started operations in 1964.
The company plans to develop a dedicated freight-only Shinkansen that will feature larger doors to allow for smoother loading and unloading operations.
The retrofit E3 series is being introduced because it takes time to design an entirely new train.
The E3 series currently runs as the Tsubasa on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line, which links Tokyo with Shinjo, Yamagata Prefecture.
Last year, JR East began replacing the E3 series with the E8 latest series.
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