The E3 Series Keeps Going Strong

The E3 series has been active as rolling stock for the Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen lines.

It was replaced by the E6 series on the Akita Shinkansen and retired in 2014.

Since then, it has continued to serve on the Yamagata Shinkansen.

However, replacement with the E8 series is gradually progressing, and it is scheduled to disappear from the Yamagata Shinkansen and retire from commercial service in 2026.

I thought that would be the end of seeing the E3 series.

That is what I believed.

However, in March 2025, JR East made this announcement!

We will modify the E3 series used for the Tsubasa to serve as a Shinkansen vehicle for cargo transport services.

As part of the commercialization of 'Hakobyun,' a cargo transport service that JR East has been testing using Shinkansen and limited express trains, they will introduce a Shinkansen vehicle dedicated to cargo transport.

They plan to modify one E3 series train, which has been used as the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa, to serve as this dedicated vehicle.

The modification will involve removing all seats inside the train to make it easier to load and unload cargo.

This dedicated vehicle is scheduled to begin operation in the fall of 2025.

Although we will no longer be able to ride the E3 series, which we thought would disappear in the spring of 2026, it seems we will still be able to see it for a little while longer.