picture by 音羽主菜

It's reported that JR Central and JR West announced the end of Series 300's services. Series 300 is a train type introduced in March, 1992 for the first Nozomi services on Tokaido Shinkansen. In these days, Nozomi trains are operated by Series 700 and N700, and Series 300 cars are mainly used for Hikari and Kodama. They said Series 300 will finish its travel in the next spring, marked the 20 the anniversary.

70 sets, 1,120 vehicles of Series 300 have been produced. 18 sets, 288 vehicles were in use in this April, and 11 sets 176 vehicles in October 20 of the date of that release. Our data of train schedule says 32 trains are operated a day on an average by Series 300 in November. This figure is leaded to a decline by the replacement for new cars. It will be 21 a day in January and 16 in February.

The moving safety fences on Shin-Yokohama Station's platforms has tentative irregularity placement at the car 11's doors, because that of Series 300 differs in position from Series 700 and N700. The retirement of Series 300 may bring relocation of the bended fence.

Series 100 has run since 1985 and now six-car sets are used for Kodama trains on Sanyo Shinkansen. These cars will finish being in operation in the next spring.

Numbers of trains operated by Series 300

• November (30 days) westbound 484 trains (about 16 a day) and eastbound 462 trains (about 15 a day)
• December (31 days) westbound 490 trains (about 16 a day) and eastbound 429 trains (about 14 a day)
• January (31 days) westbound 307 trains (about 10 a day) and eastbound 342 trains (about 11 a day)
• February (29 days) westbound 236 trains (about 8 a day) and eastbound 232 trains (about 8 a day)

The figures shown above are in the schedule and subject to change.

Numbers of trains operated by Series 100

• November (30 days) westbound 233 trains (about 8 a day) and eastbound 171 trains (about 6 a day)
• December (31 days) westbound 88 trains (about 3 a day) and eastbound 88 trains (about 3 a day)
• January (31 days) westbound 85 trains (about 3 a day) and eastbound 85 trains (about 3 a day)
• February (29 days) westbound 83 trains (about 3 a day) and eastbound 83 trains (about 3 a day)
  

The figures shown above are in the schedule and subject to change.

picture by 今日の新幹線

JR West announced that the Shinkansen's railcar shop in Okayama will be opened to the public in November. That is known as a depot being lived through the webcam on Shinkansen-Today (今日の新幹線) for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. JR West said they will display many kinds of Sanyo Shinkansen cars.

Overview of Closeness-Day with Sanyo Shinkansen

• Name of the event: Closeness-Day with Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線ふれあいデー)
• Date and Hour: 10:00-15:00 on November 6, 2011
• Location: Okayama Depot (博多総合車両所岡山支所) of JR West
• Events (planned):
  • Visiting a cockpit in Series N700 (eight-car set for Sakura), Series 700 (16-car set for Nozomi and eight-car set for Rail Star) and Series 100 (six-car set) cars
  • Experience of speaking over PA in Series N700 (eight-car set for Sakura) and Series 700 (eight-car set for Rail Star) cars
  • Watching underfloor equipments of Series 700 (eight-car set for Rail Star) cars, etc.
• Access:
  • 10 min. walk from Kitanagase Station on Sanyo Line
  • 15 min. walk from Daianji Station on Kibi Line
• Admission Fee: Free
• Registration: Admission ticket, distributed at Kita-Nagase and Daianji Station on the day, will be required.
• Remarks: The event may be subject to cancellation due to weather.

picture by Hisagi (氷鷺)

JR Kyushu announced that Shinkansen's railcar shop in Kumamoto will be opened to the public on October 30, 2011 for the first time since Kyushu Shinkansen's full service begining. They are planning to display the cars of Series N700 (eight-car set for Sakura) and Series 800 and invite guests to cockpit in Series 800, etc.

Overview of Shinkansen Festa 2011 in Kumamoto

• Name of the event: Shinkansen Festa 2011 in Kumamoto (新幹線フェスタ2011 in 熊本)
• Date and Hour: Sun, October 30, 2011
• Location: Kumamoto Depot (熊本総合車両所)
• Events:
  • Visiting a cockpit of Series 800 [drawing]
  • Displaying Series N700 (eight-car set for Sakura) and Series 800 interior and exterior, etc.
• Access:
  • 15 min walk from Tomiai Station on Kagoshima Line
  • by complimentary shuttle service from Uto Station on Kagoshima Line
• Admission Fee: free
• Remarks:
  • The event may be subject to cancellation in whole or a part, due to weather and train condition.
  • From Hakata, a special train will run through to the depot. The train is only for members of JR Kyushu's tour, "Day Trip to Shinkansen Festa 2011 in Kumamoto, by Direct Access Train".

picture by go_taka_810

The Shinkansen's railcar shop in Hakata will be opened to the public on 16 October. This is a promotion of safeness, snugness, convenience and echo-friendliness of high-speed railway system. JR West announced that visiting-cockpit for this year will be in Series N700 and 700, and "Doctor Yellow" will be displayed.

Overview of Closeness-Day with Shinkansen

• Name of the event: Closeness-Day with Shinkansen (新幹線ふれあいデー)
• Date and Hour: 10:00-16:00 on October 16, 2011
• Location: Hakata Depot (博多総合車両所) of JR West
• Events (planned):
  • Visiting a cockpit Series N700 and 700 [required a numbered ticket]
  • Display of Sakura car's (Series N700, eight-car set) interior
  • Display of an inspection train "Doctor Yellow", etc.
  • Demonstration of vehicle jack-up and emergency coupler handling
• Access: 15 min. walk from Hakata-Minami Station on Hakata-Minami Line
• Admission Fee: Free
• Registration: No Need
• Remarks:
  • Numbered tickets for visiting a cockpit will be distributed at the site.
  • The event may be subject to cancellation due to heavy weather.
• Preview:
  • Dreaming Traveler - Closeness-Day with Shinkansen, vol.3: "go_taka_810" reported the event in 2010 with many pictures. The blow-by-blow article is divided into eight parts.

picture by 音羽主菜

JR Central announced the Shinkansen's depot in Hamamatsu will be opened to the public on July 23 and 24, 2011.

On the days, visitors can see many Shinkansen cars, demonstaration of car hanging work and stepping into the cockpit. This annual depot tour is very popular, attracting 10-20 thousand people each year. It appeals to famlies with setting of like conductor's work experience for elementary school pupils.

No advanced reservation is required. But advanced applications are needed for visiting the cockpit and conductor's work experience. To ensure stepping into the cockpit, JR Tokai Tours sells depot visiting tour including the ingress. And the past participants talk about necessity of prepare for the hotness on their blog.

Because the factory is now under refreshing work, no parking area are available. Be sure to use public transportation facilities.

Overview of the Hamamatsu Depot Tour

• Date and Hour: July 23 and 23, 2011, 10:00 to 15:00
  # Last admission at 14:30
  # Rain or shine, but may canceled due to heavy weather
• Location: Hamamatsu Shinkansen's Depot in Hamamatsu city
• Events:
  • Flying N700 Series Vehicle by a Crane
  • Visiting Cockpits of N700 and 700 Series [Advanced Application Required]
  • Conductor's Work Experience for Elementary School Pupils [Advanced Application Required]
  • Display of Various Shinkansen Cars like Inspection Trains Called "Doctor Yellow"
  # The advanced application were already closed on June 23.
• Access: about 15 min. from Hamamatsu Station by complimentary shuttle service
• Admission Fee: free
• Reports of the last event:
• Some blog reports the event in 2010.
  • Takefumi Land
  • Museum Data for Kids

picture by Angaurits

Tohoku Shinkansen's new portion between Hachinohe and Shin-Aomori will open today, December 4, 2010. 15 round trips will be made in a day between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori and the fastest train travels within three hours 20 minutes between both stations. The new terminal Shin-Aomori is located in 674.9 km north of Tokyo and the old unmanned Shin-Aomori station got a makeover for the Shinkansen's terminal.

The Shinkansen's rail ahead of Shin-Aomori is now under construction and the new Hokkaido Shinkansen will be planned to run between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate in 2015. Also, Kyushu Shinkansen will begin full service in next March. The day of Shinkansen connecting Hokkaido and south of Kyushu will come sooner-than-expected.

picture by 今日の新幹線

JR West announced that the Shinkansen's railcar shop in Okayama will be opened to the public in November. That is known as a depot being lived through the webcam on Shinkansen-Today (今日の新幹線) for 24 hours a day, everyday. They said they would display many kinds of Shinkansen cars on Sanyo Shinkansen.

Overview of Closeness-Day with Sanyo Shinkansen

• Name of the event: Closeness-Day with Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線ふれあいデー)
• Date and Hour: 10:00-15:00 on November 7, 2010
• Location: Okayama depot (博多総合車両所岡山支所) of JR West (Kitanagase-Honmachi in Kita-ku, Okayama city)
• Events (planned):
  • Visiting a cockpit and speaking over PA in Series 700 of 16-car-set, Series 500 of eight-car-set and Series 100 of four-car-set
  • Display of Sakura car's (Series N700 of eight-car set) interior
  • Watching underfloor equipments of RailStar cars (Series 700 of eight-car-set)
  • Operation of a pantagraph, etc.
• Access: 15 min. walk from Kitanagase Station or Daianji Station
• Admission Fee: Free
• Registration: Admission ticket, distributed at Kitanagase and Daianji Station on the day, will be required.
• Remarks: The event is subject to cancellation due to weather.

picture by wisteria_apr

The Shinkansen's railcar shop in Hakata will be opened to the public in October. This is a promotion of safeness, snugness, convenience and echo-friendliness of high-speed railway system. It is the third event after the suspension since the derailment on Fukuchiyama Line. JR West announced that the Sakura car's (Series N700, eight-car set) interior will be displayed there.

Overview of Closeness-Day with Shinkansen

• Name of the event: Closeness-Day with Shinkansen (新幹線ふれあいデー)
• Date and Hour: 10:00-16:00 on October 17, 2010
• Location: Hakata depot (博多総合車両所) of JR West (Nakabaru-Higashi in Nakagawa town, Fukuoka pref.)
• Events (planned):
  • Visiting a cockpit Series N700 and eight-car set of Series 500 [required a numbered ticket]
  • Display of Sakura car's (Series N700, eight-car set) interior
  • Demonstration of vehicle jack-up and emergency coupler handling
• Access: 15 min. walk from Hakata-Minami Station
• Admission Fee: Free
• Registration: No Need
• Remarks:
  • Numbered tickets for visiting a cockpit will be distributed at the site.
  • The event is subject to cancellation in whole or part, due to weather and train condition.
• Preview:
  • Wisteria-Terrace@Photo-Diary - 10/18 Closeness-Day with Shinkansen in 2009, vol.1
    Mr. wisteria_apr reported the event in 2009 with many pictures. The blow-by-blow article is divided into eight parts.

picture by 鹿児島人

Due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in this summer, the factory tour planned for Kyushu Shinkansen's depot in Sendai in July was canceled. JR Kyushu announced that they will open the depot to the public again in this October. Unlike the boiling days in July, October may be a best season for the factory tour. To join the tour, no appointment necessary.

Overview of Sendai Depot Festa in 2010

• Name of the event: Sendai Depot Festa in 2010 (川内新幹線基地フェスタ '10)
• Date and hour: 9:30-15:00 on October 16, 2010 (Last admission at 14:30)
• Location: Sendai depot (川内新幹線車両センター) of JR Kyushu (Miyazakicho in Satsuma-Sendai city, Kagoshima pref.)
• Events (planned):
  • Display of Sakura car's (Series N700, eight-car set) interior
  • Visiting a cockpit of Tsubame car (Series 800) [lottery]
  • Taking commemorative photos in child-sized crew uniforms, etc.
• Access: by complimentary shuttle from Sendai Station
• Admission fee: free
• Registration: No Need
• Remarks: The event is subject to cancellation in whole or part, due to weather and train condition.
• Preview:
  • Kagoshima-Jin's Rail Photo Exhibition in Nagoya - Sendai Depot Fest in 2009
    Mr. Kagoshima-Jin reported the event in 2009 with many pictures such as view from top of a maintenance vehicle and stepped in to the cockpit.

picture by JR東海

It has passed about half a month since Hamamatsu Depot Tour (新幹線なるほど発見デー) taken on July 24 and 25, 2010. On July 30, 2010, JR Central said that the factory will be renovated drastically.

The Shinkansen's Depot in Hamamatsu is the only factory which can provide overhaul inspection for Tokaido Shinkansen's vehicles. Because each of the vehicles must be checked within 36 months or running for 1.2 million km, the Shinkansen's nomal operation is tied to the Hamamatsu Depot's availability.

Along with promoting operation's streamlining and energy saving, the purpose of this work is quakeproofing of buildings for contributing to keep the Shinkansen's operation when a severe earthquake hit the area. The daily inspection works will go on at the depot under renovation. So the improvement requires about nine years and the work will finish in March, 2019.

The open house of Hamamatsu Depot has been conducted annually since 1994. No official announcement has been made for the future event's go/no-go decision. According to a published report, former Shinkansen vehicles like 0 series and 100 series displayed on public open days are carried from Hamamatsu to JR Central's new museum constructing in Nagoya. That suggests the image of the event must be changed in the next year, even if the decision was "GO".