Shinkansen Shinkansen The , meaning "new trunkline," but colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, in order to aid economic growth and development. Beyond long-distance travel, some sections around the largest metropolitan areas are used as a commuter rail network. It is operated by five Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen () in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-Shinkansen lines with a maximum
E3 Series Shinkansen E3 Series Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built for "Komachi" services which commenced on 3 June 1997, coinciding with the opening of the new Akita Shinkansen "mini-shinkansen" line, a regular narrow-gauge line between and re-gauged to . Later versions of the E3 series were also introduced for use on Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" services. Both "mini-shinkansen" lines join the Tohoku Shinkansen, providing services to and from Tokyo. The design of the original Akita Shinkansen E3 series trains was overseen by industrial designer Kenji Ekuan. Like the 400 Series Shinkansen, these trains are built to a smaller loading