A JR EAST Hayate E2-1000 trainset has achieved a new Japanese speed record for a production train of 362 km/h. A series of night-time trials on the Joetsu Shinkansen culminated on April 6 when 360 km/h was sustained on several occasions, beating the previous record of 345 km/h for a production train set by a JR East Series 400 unit in 1991.
These trials were run over the 90 km Urasa-Niigata section, normally limited to 275 km/h, by a standard ER-1000 set fitted with higher-rated traction motors and revised gearing. They pave the way for commercial running at 360 km/h on the Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen within 10 years.
