Class E10 Shinkansen announced

On 4 March 2025 JR East has announced the starting of design work on the next generation of high-speed trains for Tōhoku Shinkansen. The new series has been designated Class E10 and will eventually replace the remaining Class E2 (top speed 275 km/h, produced from 1997 to 2010) and Class E5 (top speed 320 km/h, produced from 2009 to present) high-speed EMUs under the "Transformation 2027" program. The first trains are expected to be completed in 2027, followed by testing with a plan to introduce them into service from 2030.

Class E10s will be ten-car EMUs with a maximum speed of 320 km/h. In the interior, the carrier's concept called TRAIN DESK is to be developed, with a 2+2 seat arrangement, i.e. with the large width of the Shinkansen bodyshells, it will be more comfortable for passengers then present 3+2 configurations. Also more private space would be provided. In addition, a "cargo" door will be installed in car 5 to support the currently developed Hakobyun service, which is a service for the transportation of express shipments of goods between Tokyo and Tōhoku for which freshness or speed is a paramount.

Although the shape of the front carriages is quite reminiscent of the E5 series, the technologies tested in the ALFA-X experimental train were incorporated into the E10 unit. These include, for example, consoles on the wheelset bearing housings in order to guide the train in the direction of the track even in the event of a derailment during a severe earthquake. For the same reason, special dampers for lateral movements between bodyshell and bogie will be used to increase the deflection tolerance in response to strong track oscillations during an earthquake. The priority remains the early detection system and immediate emergency braking if remote detectors detect an earthquake. For this reason, the E10 Shinkansen will have a 15% shorter braking distance from 320 km/h compared to the E5 series.

The asynchronous traction motors will be the first time for Shinkansen self-ventilated. The traction converters will offer higher efficiency thanks to SiC semiconductors. In addition, preparations will be further developed for automatic train control, which is currently in the testing phase on the Tōhoku high-speed line.

The vehicles' light and dark green paintwork is based on the Tōhoku region's motive and it was designed by London-based studio tangerine, the first foreign studio to work on the design of JR East trains.