E4 Series Shinkansen

E4 series sets were used on the following services.

• Joetsu Shinkansen
  • Max Asahi (7 May 2001 – November 2002)^[5]
  • Max Tanigawa (7 May 2001 – 1 October 2021)^[5]
  • Max Toki (7 May 2001 – 1 October 2021)^[5]
• Tohoku Shinkansen
  • Max Nasuno (20 December 1997 – 28 September 2012)
  • Max Yamabiko (20 December 1997 – 28 September 2012)
• Hokuriku Shinkansen
  • Max Asama (22 July 2001 – 15 September 2003)^[6]

Cars 4 and 6 were each equipped with a PS201 pantograph.^[7]

As with the earlier E1 series, the upper decks of non-reserved cars 1 to 3 were arranged 3+3, with fixed seats that did not recline and no individual armrests. The lower decks of these cars, and the reserved-seat areas in cars 4 to 8, had conventional 2+3 seating. The Green car areas on the upper decks of cars 7 and 8 had 2+2 seating. In total, the trains accommodated 817 passengers.^[8]

• 
  Green class saloon (upper deck), February 2011
• 
  Standard-class reserved car lower deck with 2+3 seating
• 
  Standard-class non-reserved car upper deck with non-reclining 3+3 seating
• 
  Vestibule area and stairway

The first E4 series set, P1, was delivered to Sendai Depot on 8 October 1997, with the first sets entering revenue-earning service on the Tohoku Shinkansen from 20 December 1997.^[7]

All cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007.^[7]

In March 2011, it was announced that the entire E4 series fleet would be withdrawn by around 2016.^[9]

In September 2012, E4 series were entirely withdrawn from Tohoku Shinkansen services, and all allocated for use on Joetsu Shinkansen services only.^[10] The trains were withdrawn from regular service on 1 October 2021,^[11] and were completely retired on 17 October of the same year.

From 2014, the fleet of 24 sets still in service began to be repainted, receiving a new livery identical to that of the E1 series trains, with a toki (crested ibis) pink stripe separating the white on the upper body and blue on the lower body. The first reliveried set, P5, was returned to service in early April 2014,^[12] with the entire fleet be treated by the end of fiscal 2015.^[13]

• 
  Original "Max" logo in May 2014 prior to refurbishment
• 
  "Max" logo on a refurbished set in April 2014

A total of 26 eight-car trainsets were built by Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries between 1997 and 2003.

Sets P51 and P52 were designed for operation on the steep gradients of the Nagano Shinkansen for services to Karuizawa Station.^[7] Sets P81 and P82 were also designed for the Nagano Shinkansen and were equipped to operate under both 50 Hz and 60 Hz overhead power supplies for services to Nagano Station.^[7]

Withdrawals began in July 2013 with sets P2 and P3.^[14] A ceremonial "last-run" service ran on 1 October 2021,^[15] with the final set formally withdrawn on 30 March 2022.^{[citation needed]}

End car E444-1 from set P1 is displayed at the Niigata City Niitsu Railway Museum in Niitsu, Niigata.^[16] It was transported by road from Niigata Depot to the museum in the early hours of 20 June 2017.^[17]

Build details are as shown below:^[7]

• TGV Duplex, French double-deck high speed train
• List of high-speed trains