1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. JR Central Shinkansen 300: Sui-setz· Public domain
what is it?
The 300 series (300系, San-byaku-kei) was a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen train type, with a top operational speed of 270 km/h (170 mph), which operated on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines in Japan between 1992 and 2012. When first introduced, they were used on the fastest Nozomi services, being capable of 270 km/h (170 mph). As more were delivered (66 trains by 1998) they replaced earlier units on Hikari service and allowed the thus displaced 100 series units to finally in turn displace 0 series units on almost all services.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 34 years ago, in 1992.
- Top speed is 2.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 9 minutes.
- 12 MW is about 141 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 25 m long: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
- Seats 1,323: 26 full city buses (~50 seats each).
- Served for 20 years (1992–2012).
high-speed train: Built for 200–350 km/h on dedicated lines, like the TGV, ICE or Shinkansen.
spec sheet
- built
- 1992
- in service from
- 1992
- retired
- 2012
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1,104
- kind
- high-speed train
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kinki Sharyo, Nippon Sharyo
- operators
- Central Japan Railway Company, West Japan Railway Company
- top speed
- 270 km/h
- power
- 12 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 25 kV AC, 60 Hz, overhead catenary
- formation
- 16 cars per trainset
- length
- 25 m
- capacity
- 1,323 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q1088154, Wikipedia: 300 Series Shinkansen (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.