Fastech 360

File:E954FASTECH360Aerodynamicsbrakes.JPG

Detail of signature air brakes in deployed state

Fastech 360 is the name given to a pair of former experimental high-speed trains developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) to test technology for the next-generation Shinkansen rolling stock. The name is a portmanteau of Fast, Technology, and 360 km/h (360 km/h or 224 mph), the target operational speed for production trains based on the new technologies. Speeds of up to 405 km/h (251.7 mph) were targeted during performance testing. Results of testing using these trains was incorporated into the E5 series and E6 series trains, entering revenue service from 2011, eventually operating at 320 km/h (198.8 mph).

There were 2 trains:

• Class E954 Fastech 360S: 8-car set for use on Shinkansen tracks only
• Class E955 Fastech 360Z: 6-car set for use on both Shinkansen and Mini-shinkansen lines

Fastech 360 trains were equipped with emergency air braking plates like that of an aircraft, similar in appearance to the ears of a cat. This trait earned them a nickname of Nekomimi Shinkansen (猫耳新幹線), which literally means "cat-eared Shinkansen". This technology was not incorporated in the subsequent E5 series or E6 series trains.

Class E954 Fastech 360S

File:FASTECH 360-S.JPG

Car 8 end with arrow-line profile and leading bogie covers removed, February 2006

This 8-car set (S9) was delivered on 26 June 2005. Cars 1 to 3 were built by Hitachi Ltd., and cars 4 to 8 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Car E954-1 has a stream-line profile, reminiscent of the 500 series, and E954-8 has an arrow-line profile more reminiscent of the JR East E2 series and E4 series designs.

The train was withdrawn in September 2009 and scrapped.

Formation

1. E954-1 (T1c)
2. E954-2 (M1) (with pantograph)
3. E954-3 (M2) (with toilet)
4. E954-4 (M2)
5. E954-5 (M1s)
6. E954-6 (M2)
7. E954-7 (M1) (with pantograph)
8. E954-8 (T2c)

Class E955 Fastech 360Z

This 6-car set (S10) was delivered on 6 April 2006. Cars 1 and 4 to 6 were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and cars 2 and 3 were built by Hitachi Ltd. The train was withdrawn in December 2008 and scrapped.

Formation

1. E955-1 (M2c)
2. E955-2 (M1s)
3. E955-3 (M1) (with pantograph and toilet)
4. E955-4 (M1)
5. E955-5 (M1) (with pantograph)
6. E955-6 (M2c)

External links

• Press release from JR East (English)
• A bullet train... only with ears (BBC News)
• JR East press release: "新幹線高速試験電車 FASTECH 360 まもなくデビュー" (Japanese)
• 新幹線高速試験電車E955形式 （FASTECH360Z）の概要 (Japanese)
• Class E954 "Fastech 360 S" (Japan Railfan Magazine Online) (Japanese)
• Class E955 "Fastech 360 Z" (Japan Railfan Magazine Online) (Japanese)