E2 Series Shinkansen

The E2 Series Shinkansen is a Japanese high-speed electric multiple unit operated by the East Japan Railway Company since March 1997.
==History==
The first E2s were delivered to JR East in 1995. The 8-car "N" sets and the 10-car "J" sets are used on different lines. All sets were complete by 2010, but the first withdrawals of the sets began in 2013.
During a series of high-speed test runs conducted at night in April 2003, E2 Series set J56 broke the Japanese speed record for a production train, with a speed of 362 km/h (225 mph).
==Variants==
===N sets (1997 – 2017)===
First delivered in 1997 for the then-newly constructed Nagano Shinkansen (now known as the Hokuriku Shinkansen), the first set, pre-production set S6 (now numbered N1) was delivered in 1995. The eight-car sets were slowly withdrawn starting from April 2014, and were all completely withdrawn from service by April 2017.
===J sets (initial batch, 1997 – 2019)===
This batch of initially six eight-car sets is also known as the E2' Series. The first set, pre-production set S7 (now numbered N21) was delivered in 1995, with full-production sets following from 1996 to 1999 for a total of sixteen sets; the sets were lengthened to ten cars in length starting from 2002 with the exception of set J1. After testing, set S7 was renumbered to J1, but was renumbered again to N21 in October 2002. The sets were slowly withdrawn beginning in October 2013, and were completely withdrawn from service by March 2019.
===J sets (second batch, 2001 – Present)===
This batch of twenty five ten-car sets were delivered starting 2000 and are also known as the E2-1000 Series. Pre-production set J51, the first set built, was originally tested as an eight-car set but was later lengthened to ten cars in length. The second batch of J sets incorporate improvements from earlier sets, such as seating bay-wide windows and the use of conventional sliding doors as opposed to flush-fitting plug doors.
== Special Liveries ==
To celebrate 150 years of rail transport in Japan, JR East announced plans in 2022 to repaint a set into a livery similar to that of the 200 Series when they first entered service in 1982. The special livery was painted on set J66 and introduced on 8 June 2022. Set J66 was withdrawn on 15 March 2024, a day before JR East's yearly timetable revision took place.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Tokyo Disney Resort, set J69 was wrapped with a Disney-themed wrap, featuring artworks of Disney characters. Set J69 with the special wrap, nicknamed the Magical Dream Shinkansen, was introduced on 22 December 2023; the set ended regular service on 15 March 2024 and is used occasionally for special services.
==Export==
A version of the E2 was ordered by China, known as the CRH2.
==Preservation==
The following E2 Series Shinkansen cars have been preserved:
Car number	Manufacturer 	Date manufactured	Date retired 	Previous sets	Location 	Notes
E223-23 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	December 1998 	February 2017	J10 	Sanwa Tekki Railway Square, Utsunomiya, Japan 	Displayed near Toden 175 and D51 947; interior open for public viewing
E224-127 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	October 1999 	November 2018	J14 	The Hirosawa City Rail Park, Ibaraki, Japan 	Displayed near various other locomotives and trainsets; Green Car seats from other E2 Series sets are used as mini-theater seats in the same facility
E223-1101 	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	January 2001 	March 2019 	J51 	JR East Shinkansen Education and Training Center, Saitama, Japan	Used for training purposes, usually not open for public viewing
==Gallery==
SeriesE2_in_Utsunomiya_Station.jpg|J set at Utsunomiya Station
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:Electric trainsets
Category:JR Group trains
Category:Hitachi locomotives
Category:Kawasaki locomotives
Category:Nippon Sharyo locomotives
Category:Tokyu Car locomotives