Японский высокоскоростной поезд серии 400 (400系)

Japanese high speed train type

The 400 series (400系) was a Japanese Shinkansen high speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between 1992 and 2010 on Tsubasa services on Japan's first mini shinkansen line, the Yamagata Shinkansen branch from the main Tohoku Shinkansen. The fleet of 400 series trains was leased by JR East from the owning company, Yamagata JR Chokutsū Tokkyū Hoyū Kikō (山形ジェイアール直通特急保有機構(株)), a third sector company jointly owned by JR East and Yamagata Prefecture. They were originally six car sets, but a seventh car (type 429) was added in 1995 to each set due to the popularity of the new Tsubasa services.

In terms of style, the 400 series were originally painted a medium silver grey with a darker roof and area around the cab windows and underframe. However they were refurbished and repainted between 1999 and 2001, with a higher area of dark bluish grey on the underside, coming up almost to the side windows, and separated from the silver grey with a green stripe. The dark grey on the roof and around the cab windows was removed. Clearances were much reduced compared to previous Shinkansen lines, and thus the 400 series units were much narrower than previous Shinkansen trains. At shinkansen stations (i. e. high speed line stations), steps extended from beneath the doors to bridge the gap between the trains and platforms.

Green (first class) car accommodation had with 2+1 abreast seating, unlike the E3 series trains which replaced them, which featured 2+2 seating in both standard and Green cars. Seat pitch was in Green class (car 11), in reserved seating cars (12 to 15), and in non reserved cars (16 and 17). When the fleet received life extension refurbishment between 1999 and 2001, the interiors were also refurbished with new seat moquette. The reserved seating cars received red moquette, while the non reserved seating cars received turquoise moquette. However, one set, L3, remained in service until 18 April 2010, with the date chosen to mark 18 years of service.

The first eleven sets to be withdrawn were all cut up at Sendai General Depot, but one car (Green car 411 3) of the last set to be withdrawn, L3, was stored at the former Fukushima depot before being moved to Omiya in Saitama Prefecture in December 2017 where it's preserved at the Railway Museum.