0 Series Shinkansen

History

The 0 Series Shinkansen first ran when the Tokaido Shinkansen line opened in October 1964. At the time, there was no need for a class designation, so these trains were not originally classified. Their bodies were white, with one blue stripe running along the windows and another along the lower edge, including the front pilot. Unlike earlier Japanese trains on standard-gauge tracks, the Tokaido Shinkansen and all later Shinkansen lines use a wider track gauge.

Each car had all axles powered by 185 kW traction motors, drawing 25 kV AC electricity at 60 Hz, allowing a top operating speed of 220 km/h. The first sets had 12 cars, though some were later extended to 16. Shorter six- and four-car sets were later built for less demanding routes. Trainsets are usually retired after 15 to 20 years, but because of JNR’s financial troubles and a lack of willingness among workers to develop new models, more 0 Series units were produced from 1976–77 onward to replace older batches, with production continuing until 1986.

The final 0 Series sets were six-car trains used by JR West on Kodama services along the Sanyo Shinkansen and on the Hakataminami Line. They were retired on 30 November 2008. After regular service ended, JR West ran special commemorative Hikari runs in December 2008. One such run, Hikari 347 with set R61, arrived at Hakata Station at 6:01 pm on 14 December 2008, ending 44 years of service.

Set formations

The first 0 Series Shinkansen trains entered service on October 1, 1964, running Hikari and Kodama services on the Tokaido Shinkansen. This initial fleet consisted of thirty 12-car trainsets, built from first and second batch cars. Five manufacturers each produced six sets: Hitachi built H1 through H6 from April to August 1964; Kisha built K1 through K6 from July to September 1964; Nippon Sharyo built N1 through N6 from March to September 1964; Kawasaki Sharyo built R1 through R6 from July to September 1964; and Kinki Sharyo built S1 through S6 from April to August 1964.

These sets were assigned to depots in Tokyo and Osaka. Ten more 12-car sets, designated H7, H8, K7, K8, N7, N8, R7, R8, S7, and S8, were delivered between April and July 1965, using 120 third batch cars. Five fourth batch sets arrived between June and July 1966, followed by five fifth batch sets between October and November 1966. The original 12-car formations included two first-class cars and two buffet cars.

16-car H/K/N/R/S Hikari sets

Between 1967 and 1969, another 21 sets from the sixth through ninth batches were delivered, each with only one first-class car, for use on Kodama services. The original 30 sets were extended to 16 cars between December 1969 and February 1970 by adding tenth batch cars, a move to handle increased passenger traffic to and from Expo '70 in Osaka. When the Sanyo Shinkansen opened in 1972, these sets were renumbered H1 through H30. During 1972 and 1973, the earlier 12-car Kodama sets were also lengthened to 16 cars using new thirteenth and fifteenth batch cars, and were renumbered K1 through K47.

16-car H Hikari restaurant car sets

These K sets were disbanded in 1985 when JNR reduced Kodama trains back to 12 cars and renamed them S series sets. With the Sanyo Shinkansen extension to Hakata, the fleet of 16-car H Hikari sets was reorganized and expanded during 1973 and 1974, incorporating new sixteenth and seventeenth batch cars that included restaurant cars alongside the existing buffet cars. By March 10, 1975, the fleet numbered 64 sets, labeled H1 through H64. The earliest sets, made from the original Shinkansen vehicles, began withdrawal and scrapping in 1976, retiring earlier than planned due to maintenance problems, and were replaced by new NH sets.

Preserved examples

Owing to its extensive usage and long service life, 25 vehicles have been preserved. 23 former vehicles are preserved or stored in museums and various other locations around Japan. The leading vehicle from car 4 of set Q2 is preserved at the National Railway Museum, in York, England, donated by JR West in 2001, and is the first Shinkansen unit to be preserved at a museum outside Japan. The leading vehicle from car 4 of set R1 is preserved at Tainan HSR station in Tainan, Taiwan, formerly used as a structure gauging car from 2004 during construction of the Taiwan High Speed Rail, formally donated to Taiwan in 2012, with restoration work completed from 2018 to 2019 before being put on display on 22 December 2023.