5 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 300x-955-6: Rsa· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. 300X 955-6 Maibara 19990714: DAJF· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3. 300X 955-6 SCMaglev and Railway Park 20110605: nubobo· CC BY 2.0
- 4. 300X rubber gangway Shin-Yokohama 20000905: DAJF· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 5. 300x 955-6: Rsa· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
"300X" was the name given to the Class 955 (955形) 6-car experimental Shinkansen train developed in 1994 by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in Japan to test technology to be incorporated in future shinkansen trains operating at speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph) or higher.
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 32 years ago, in 1994.
- Top speed is 2.7× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 7 minutes.
- 12 MW is about 141 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 27.2 m long: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 8 years (1994–2002).
high-speed train: Built for 200–350 km/h on dedicated lines, like the TGV, ICE or Shinkansen.
spec sheet
- built
- 1994
- in service from
- 1994
- retired
- 2002
- status
- retired
- number built
- 6
- kind
- high-speed train
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- builders
- Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo
- operators
- Central Japan Railway Company
- top speed
- 350 km/h
- power
- 12 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 25 kV AC, 60 Hz Overhead catenary
- formation
- 6 cars
- length
- 27.2 m
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q844237, Wikipedia: 300X (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.