100 Series Shinkansen

Overview

The 100 series was a full-scale redesign of the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, with 1,056 cars built between 1985 and 1992 as 66 16-car sets. It was the first JNR and Shinkansen train to incorporate double-decker cars, inspired by Kintetsu Railway's Vista Cars and European and American practice, increasing seating capacity and improving service.

Capacity and manufacturing costs were set to match the 0 Series, aiming to shorten travel times without major ground facility upgrades. Developed as a symbol of JNR reform, its goal was customers first, crew members second. It was the mainstay on both lines from the end of JNR through the start of JR, until replaced by 500 and 700 series equipment.

Design

The 100 series had a more pointed nose profile than the earlier 0 series. In 16-car sets, the driving cars at each end were unpowered, as were the two bi-level centre cars; later production sets had powered driving cars and four unpowered bi-level trailers. The bi-level cars combined restaurant cars, first class compartments, open-plan first class seating, and refreshment cars.

Signal lights changed from two vertical lights to two horizontal lights, a design by Kinki Sharyo; when rear signal lights are on, a red filter attaches automatically. The external livery was white (White No. 3) and blue (Blue No. 20). After frontline service, sets were reformed into shorter four- and six-car sets for Kodama services, without bi-level cars.

Variants

The pre-series set X1 was delivered in 1985, with test running from 27 March that year, and entered revenue service for passenger evaluation on Hikari services from 1 October 1985. It differed externally from later units with small windows aligned to seating bays and a slanting headlight arrangement; its type 116 Green car initially had compartments removed in 1986. Set X1 was withdrawn in March 2000. Seven X sets were built for Hikari services.

The first four production units entered service from 13 June 1986 as 12-car sets without bi-level cars, numbered G1 to G4, used on Tokaido Kodama services until October 1986; cars 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 had cross-arm pantographs. These were renumbered as 16-car sets X2 to X5 with bi-level cars from November 1986. The bi-level cars included type 168 with restaurant area and kitchen, and type 149 with private Green compartments on the lower deck and open-plan Green on the upper deck.

From March 1998, X sets were redeployed to Tokaido Kodama services, with restaurant car fittings removed. Withdrawals started in August 1999; from 2 October 1999, X sets were no longer assigned to regular workings, and the last were withdrawn by April 2000. The 16-car X sets had pantographs on cars 2, 6, and 12; those on cars 4, 10, and 14 were removed in 1995.

Did You Know?

• Preserved examples include 123-1 and 168-9001 at the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Aichi Prefecture since March 2011.
• 122-5003, from set K54, is preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum, which opened in April 2016.
• 168-3009 and 179-3009, both from set V9, are preserved at Hakata General Depot in Fukuoka Prefecture.