What is 0 series shinkansen?

The trains were the first generation Shinkansen trainsets built to run on Japan's Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed line which opened in 1964.¹ The last remaining trainsets were withdrawn in 2008.

History

The 0 series (which were not originally classified, as there was no need to distinguish classes of trainset until later²) entered service with the start of Tōkaidō Shinkansen operations in October 1964. These units were white with a blue stripe along the windows and another at the bottom of the car body, including the front pilot.

Unlike previous Japanese trains (except for some trains running on standard gauge sections on the Ou Main Line and Tohoku Main Line) the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and all subsequent Shinkansen lines are between the rails. The trains were powered by 25 kV AC electricity at 60 Hz with all axles of all cars powered by 185 kW traction motors, giving a operation top speed.

The original trains were introduced as 12-car sets, with some sets later lengthened to 16 cars. Later, shorter trains of six cars and even four cars were assembled for lesser duties. Production of 0 series units continued from 1963 until 1986.

Shinkansen sets are generally retired after fifteen to twenty years. The final remaining 0 series sets were six-car sets used on JR-West Kodama services on the San'yō Shinkansen between and , and on the Hakata-Minami Line until their retirement on 30 November 2008.

Following retirement from regular service, JR-West ran a number of special commemorative Hikari runs in December 2008.³ Hikari 347, powered by set R61,⁴ arrived at Hakata Station at 6:01 pm on 14 December 2008, bringing to an end the 44 years of service of the 0 series trains.

Set formations

Original 12-car H/K/N/R/S sets

The initial shinkansen fleet delivered for use on Hikari and Kodama services on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from 1 October 1964 consisted of 30 12-car sets formed of 1st- and 2nd-batch cars. Six sets, H1 to H6, were built by Hitachi between April and August 1964, six sets, K1 to K6, were built by Kisha between July and September 1964, six sets, N1 to N6, were built by Nippon Sharyo between March and September 1964, six sets, R1 to R6, were built by Kawasaki Sharyo between July and September 1964, and six sets, S1 to S6, were built by Kinki Sharyo between April and August 1964.⁵ These sets were allocated to Tokyo and Osaka depots.⁶

A further 10 12-car sets (H7/8, K7/8, N7/8, R7/8, S7/8) were delivered between April and July 1965, formed of 120 3rd-batch cars, five 4th-batch sets were delivered between June and July 1966, and five 5th-batch sets were delivered between October and November 1966.⁷

The original 12-car sets were formed as follows, with two first-class cars (type 15 and 16) and two buffet cars (type 35).⁸

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	MB	M'	MS	M'S	MB	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	26-200	35	26-200	15	16	35	26	25	22

12-car H/K/N/R/S/T Kodama sets

A further 21 6th- to 9th-batch 12-car sets were delivered between 1967 and 1969 with only one first-class car (type 16) for use on Kodama services. The "T" sets were built by Tokyu Car Corporation.⁹

These sets were formed as follows.¹⁰

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	MB	M'	M	M'S	MB	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26-100	25-100	26-300	35-100	26-300	25-300	16	35-100	26-100	25-100	22

16-car H/K/N/R/S Hikari sets

The original 30 12-car sets were lengthened to 16 cars between December 1969 and February 1970 with the inclusion of new 10th-batch cars for Hikari services to handle the increased number of passengers travelling to and from Expo '70 in Osaka in 1970. From the opening of the San'yō Shinkansen in 1972, these sets were renumbered H1 to H30.¹¹

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	MB	M'	M	M'	MS	M'S	MB	M'	M	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	26-200	35	26-200	25-700	26-700	15	16	35	26	25-500	26-700	25	22

16-car K Kodama sets

Between 1972 and 1973, the earlier 12-car Kodama sets were lengthened to 16 cars with the inclusion of new 13th- and 15th-batch cars, and were renumbered K1 to K47.¹²

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	MK	M'	M	M'	M	M'	M	M'S	MB	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	26-300	25-400	26-200	25-200	26-800	25-500	26-800	25-700	16	35	26	25	22

16-car H Hikari restaurant car sets

With the opening of the Sanyo Shinkansen extension to Hakata, the fleet of 16-car H Hikari sets was reformed and increased between 1973 and 1974 with the inclusion of new 16th- and 17th-batch cars, including new restaurant cars (type 36) in addition to the buffet car (type 35). The fleet as of 10 March 1975 consisted of 64 sets, numbered H1 to H64.¹³

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	M	M'	M	M'D	MB	M'	MS	M'S	M	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	26-200	25-700	26-700	27	36	35	26-200	15	16	25-500	26	25	22

16-car N_H Hikari sets

Between 1977 and 1980, 35 new 16-car N_H sets were formed of −1000 subseries cars (batches 22 to 29) for Hikari services on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and San'yō Shinkansen lines. The introduction of 100 series and later 300 series trains reduced the number of 0 series trains used on Hikari services, with 0 series Hikari services operated by JR Central ending in 1995. A small fleet was subsequently maintained by JR-West for use on additional holiday period Hikari services, with the last remaining unit, N_H32, being disbanded in December 1999.

The N_H sets had two Green (first class) cars and a restaurant car in addition to a buffet car, although use of the restaurant cars was discontinued from the mid-1990s.

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	M	M'	MA	M'D	MB	M'	MS	M'S	M	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21-1000	26-1000	25-1000	26-1200	25-700	26-700	27	36	35-1000	26-1200	15-1000	16-1000	25-500	26-1000	25-1000	22-1000

File:Shinkansen 15-1019 01.jpg|Interior of Green car 15-1019 of set N_H15 in 1982 File:Shinkansen 25-526 01.jpg|Interior of standard class car 25-526 of set N_H15 in 1982 File:0 series NH restaurant car 19920817.jpg|Interior view of an NH set restaurant car in 1992

16-car Y_K sets

![16-car set Y_K8 on Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama service with "Arigatō 0 Series" sticker on final day of services, 19 September 1999](JRC-TEC-0.jpg "16-car set YK8 on Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama service with "Arigatō 0 Series" sticker on final day of services, 19 September 1999") The 16-car Y_K sets were operated by JR Central on the all-stations Kodama services. These sets had upgraded reserved seat cars with 2+2 seating employing 100 series style seats, but only one Green car per 16-car set. Standard seating was 3+2 in standard class, and 2+2 in Green cars.

The fleet was operated by JR Central on the Tokaido Shinkansen until the last units were withdrawn on 18 September 1999. In the last two months of service, they ran with "Arigatō 0 Series" stickers on the front ends.

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	MB	M'	M	M'S	M	M'	M	M'	M	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	26	37	26	25	16	25	26	25	26	25	26	25	22

Interior

File:0-yk-green.jpg%7CInterior of a Green car on a YK set in September 1999

12-car S_K sets

!["West" logo on an SK set in March 1997](0_series_SK_West_Hikari_logo_199703.jpg ""West" logo on an SK set in March 1997") These 12-car S_K sets based at Hakata Depot were operated by JR-West on Sanyo Shinkansen West Hikari services between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. Sets were formed of upgraded 5000 and 7000 subseries vehicles with improved seating, and buffet cars were refurbished with a special seating area. All standard class cars had upgraded 2+2 seating. The sets were recognizable externally by the addition of an extra thin blue line below the windows (similar to 100 series) and by the large "West" decals near the doors. Some sets originally included specially converted cinema cars, but these were withdrawn in 1996. Following the end of the West Hikari services on 21 April 2000, the remaining S_K units were reformed into new 6-car R60 sets to replace unrefurbished sets on Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama services.

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'	MB	M'	M	M'S	M	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	26	37	26	25	16	25	26	25	22

4-car Q sets

4-car Q sets were formed from March 1997 for use on Kodama shuttle services running between Hakata and /, and also for use on some Hakata-Minami Line duties. These sets had no Green car. The last remaining unit was withdrawn in September 2001.¹⁴ Set Q3 remained as a static training set at Shin-Shimonoseki Station until 2009, when it was replaced by 100 Series set P2.¹⁵

Car No.	1	2	3	4
Designation	Mc	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	25	22

6-car R sets

![Set R61 in new JR-West "Kodama" livery at Higashi-Hiroshima Station on a Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama service in July 2003](R61_Kodama_635_Higashi-Hiroshima_20030719.JPG "Set R61 in new JR-West "Kodama" livery at Higashi-Hiroshima Station on a Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama service in July 2003") !["Children's Saloon" logo in March 1997](0_series_R24_37-7731_Family_Hikari_Children's_Saloon_logo_Nishi-Akashi_199703.jpg ""Children's Saloon" logo in March 1997") The 6-car R units with no Green car were first formed in June 1985, and were used on JR-West Kodama services between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. They were also used to operate services on the short Hakata-Minami Line from Hakata Station.

The no. 3 cars of sets R2 and R24 were rebuilt as "Children's Saloons" with the former buffet counter area converted into a children's soft play area. These sets ran branded as "Family Hikari" during holiday periods. From March 1997 a refurbishment programme was commenced on the R sets, with new internal trim, rotating seats and new toilets/washing facilities. The refurbished units were recognisable externally by an extra thin blue line below the windows (as with West Hikari S_K sets), and new "W" decals near the doors.

From April 2000, 6-car "WR" sets were created from former S_K unit cars and renumbered in the R60 series. These retained the larger buffet area (disused) and 2+2 seating of the former West Hikari trains, and gradually replaced the remaining unrefurbished R sets. These units initially retained their "West Hikari" branding, but were gradually repainted into the new JR-West "Kodama" livery from May 2002. Initially scheduled to be withdrawn in 2006, the last three remaining sets (R61/R67/R68) remained in service until 30 November 2008. By June 2008 they had been repainted into their original ivory and blue livery with silver roofs.

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6
Designation	Mc	M'	MB	M'	M	M'c
Numbering	21	26	37	26	25	22

Interior

File:0 series R61 interior 20030719.JPG|2+2 seating in set R61 in July 2003 File:0 series R62 37-7302 Himeji 20020518.jpg|Interior of former buffet car 37-7302 in set R62 used as a general lounge area in May 2002

Preserved examples

A large number of former 0 series vehicles are preserved or stored in museums and various other locations around Japan. Outside Japan, the leading vehicle from a 0 series set is preserved at the National Railway Museum in York, UK. It was donated to the museum by JR-West in 2001.¹⁶

Vehicle number	Date built	Date withdrawn	Location	Remarks
16-1	March 1964	March 1977	Preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum, which opened in April 2016. (Formerly displayed at the Modern Transportation Museum in Osaka.)17	Cars from pre-production "C" set H1.18
21-1
22-1
35-1	August 1964	Cars from first production set H2.
21-2	July 1964	The Railway Museum, Saitama	From original set H2. Moved from Osaka in August 2008. Exhibited from October 2009.19
22-2	JR-West Staff Training Centre, Suita, Osaka	From original set H2.
21-25	April 1964	March 1978	The Railway Museum, Saitama	Cab section only. Originally displayed outside Tokyo Transport Museum.
22-56	August 1967	February 1982	"Wine no Kuni" hotel, Ikeda, Hokkaidō	Front third section only.20
21-59	March 1968	Shintorimachi Park, Fuji, Shizuoka21
21-73	July 1969	October 1984	Shinkansen Park, Settsu, Osaka	22
22-75	August 1969	March 1985	Ome Railway Park, Ome, Tokyo	Repainted for short period into Tohoku ivory/green livery in late 1980s.23
22-77	September 1969	March 1990	Satsuki Kindergarten, Fukuoka	Used as a staff room and library.24
36-84	1975		SCMaglev and Railway Park, Nagoya	25
21-86	December 1971	November 1991
22-86	JR Central Hamamatsu Works	26
21-100	September 1973	October 1991	Akishima City Library, Akishima, Tokyo	Used as library reading room.27
21-141	June 1976	October 2000	The Railway History Park in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture28	Former set H94, later R52. Front half only.29
22-141	National Railway Museum, York, UK	A gift from JR-West presented to the NRM in 2001.
22-1003	November 1976	November 1994	Namikawa Railway Heritage Park, Kameoka, Kyoto	Cab section only.30
21-2023	January 1985	June 1998	J-TREC factory, Yokohama	Cab section only. Preserved at Sakuma Rail Park until November 2009. Moved to Tokyu Car from July 2010.31
22-2029	March 1986	September 1999	Nippon Sharyo Factory, Toyokawa, Aichi	32
16-2034	1986		SCMaglev and Railway Park, Nagoya	33
37-2523	1983
21-5035 (formerly 21-1032)	June 1978	10 March 2004	Tainan HSR station, Tainan, Taiwan	Cab from former set R1. Used as structure gauging car during the construction of the Taiwan High Speed Rail until 2008. On display at Tainan HSR station from June, 2021.34
22-7007	–	December 2008	Suita Yard, Osaka Prefecture	Cab from former set R68. On display inside Suita City Kento Library since 11 November 2020.35
21-7008 (formerly 21-2026)	1983	December 2008	Kawasaki Heavy Industries factory, Hyogo Prefecture	Car of last operational set, R6136
21-7038	–	–	Kawasaki Good Times World, within Kobe Maritime Museum	West Hikari livery. Front third section.37

Gallery

File:0 series 21-1 Kyoto Railway Museum 20161017.jpg|21-1 at the Kyoto Railway Museum in October 2016 File:JNR shinkansen 0kei 21-59.jpg|21-59 in Shintorimachi Park in Fuji, Shizuoka, in July 2013 File:新幹線公園ＳＥＣ.jpg|21-73 at Shinkansen Park in Settsu, Osaka, in May 2006 File:0 Series Shinkansen SCMaglev and Railway Park001.jpg|21-86 at SCMaglev and Railway Park, Nagoya, in April 2013 File:0key22-86.JPG|22–86 at Hamamatsu Works in July 2006 File:JRshikoku tetsudo hobby train kiha32 3 0series 21-141.jpg|21-141 (left) at the Railway History Park in Saijo in December 2014 File:089-SFEC-YORK-20070827.JPG|22–141 on display at the National Railway Museum in York, UK, in August 2007 File:21-2023 J-TREC Yokohama 20131125.JPG|21-2023 preserved at the J-TREC factory in Yokohama in November 2013 File:TSHR Structure Gauge Test Car 01.jpg|21-5035 used as structure gauging car in Taiwan in August 2008 File:Shinkansen Series 0 car 21-7038.jpg|21-7038 at Kawasaki Good Times World in Kobe in July 2006

See also

• List of high-speed trains

References

External links

Original source: 0 series shinkansen. Shared with Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License

Footnotes

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5. Electric Trains for the New Tokaido Line Railway Gazette 5 February 1965 pages100-104 ↩

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16. National Railway Museum based article on the acquisition of the donated 0 series ↩

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19. JR East press release: "鉄道博物館における0系新幹線車両の公開について" (8 June 2009). Retrieved on 8 June 2009. . Archived 10 June 2009. ↩

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