Where was it built?
Japan, by Kawasaki and Hitachi.
This comes from the existing train catalogue. Exact factory and build-batch details still need a dedicated source check.
Japan · Bullet trains
E5 Shinkansen
Hayabusa
Meet Hayabusa, a green-and-pink Shinkansen from Japan. Its very long nose helps soften the pressure waves made when it enters a tunnel. Fast trains need to be good neighbours, too!
- Speed
- 199mph320 km/hTop service speed
- Year
- 2011Service debut
- Maker
- Kawasaki & Hitachi
- Job
- High-speed passenger journeys
Turn it. Take it apart. Discover.
Explore your train
Interactive model loads here. Read the train guide below while it gets ready.
3D modelDrag to turn · Pinch to zoom · Tap a number to explore
What makes an electric train electric?
A collector takes electricity from the overhead wire. Electrical equipment prepares that power, and motors turn the wheels.
- 1The streamlined noseAt the front
A smooth nose helps the train slip through the air. The driver looks out through the dark windscreen above it.
Look deeper
The E5’s approximately 15-metre nose helps reduce the pressure wave made when entering a tunnel. The driver’s cab sits above and behind the nose tip.
- 2A place for passengersInside the car body
People travel in the long car body above the wheels. Windows, doors and the connections between cars are useful clues on the outside.
Look deeper
This is an electric multiple unit: propulsion equipment is distributed through the trainset. Passenger space sits above the underfloor systems. Only three representative cars are shown.
- 3An arm that collects powerOn the roof
This spring-loaded arm touches an overhead wire and collects electricity for the train.
Look deeper
The roof collector is called a pantograph. High-speed electric trains normally take their traction power from overhead wires. Its position here is a teaching example, not an exact car-by-car equipment plan.
- 4More than just wheelsUnder the body
A bogie is the frame that holds a group of wheels. Springs help make the ride smoother.
Look deeper
Wheelsets, suspension and braking equipment form part of the running gear. Powered bogies also carry traction motors. This simplified model does not reproduce a specific bogie or show every motor and brake.
- 5The equipment below your feetBelow the floor
Electrical boxes help turn electricity into the power the motors need. They share space with other equipment underneath the train.
Look deeper
Transformers and power electronics condition electrical power for the traction motors. Different cars carry different equipment; these boxes show the general underfloor zone, not the exact position or contents of each cabinet.
Get to know E5 Shinkansen
What is it made from?
A light aluminium body helps this train carry less weight.
Its body uses a double-skin structure: two outer layers joined by internal ribs. This combines low weight with strength. That describes the body shell, not every part of the train.
Why can it go so fast?
Powerful electric motors, a light body and a carefully shaped nose work together.
The long nose softens the pressure pulse when the train enters a tunnel. It does not make the speed by itself. Quiet roof collectors, suspension and train-control systems also help high-speed running.
When was it built?
The E5 began carrying passengers in March 2011.
It started at up to 300 km/h. Operation at 320 km/h followed in March 2013. First service and first construction are different milestones; individual sets were built at different times.
Where does it run — or where did it run?
Japan: the Tohoku Shinkansen, with through services onto the Hokkaido Shinkansen.
The route connects Tokyo with northern Japan. The headline 320 km/h limit applies only on eligible sections, not to the whole journey.
Is it still running today?
Yes — JR East lists the E5 in its passenger fleet.
This describes the train type. A particular set may be resting or receiving maintenance, and routes can change.
Fleet-status check: 2026-09-17. Consult the operator for departures.How power reaches the wheels
Follow these steps, then find the matching sections in the model above.
- 1
Wire & collector
Electricity reaches the train from overhead.
- 2
Electrical equipment
It controls the supply reaching the motors.
- 3
Traction motors
A motor turns electrical energy into movement.
- 4
Wheels
Powered wheelsets turn against the rails.
Read the wheels
Look underneath: wheelsets support the train and carry the forces used to accelerate and brake. The model simplifies the real running gear.
What does its speed really mean?
JR East lists 320 km/h. Service began at 300 km/h in 2011; 320 km/h operation began in March 2013.
- Route context
- Tohoku Shinkansen · eligible sections
A fast train is a whole system: vehicle, track, electricity or fuel, brakes, signalling and trained people. A race in the game is a simplified comparison.
What curious kids ask
Is the pointy nose what makes it fast?
The motors provide the power. A smooth shape reduces air resistance, and on trains such as the E5 the long nose also softens tunnel pressure waves. Fast travel depends on the track, brakes and control systems, too.
Does the driver steer like a car?
No steering wheel is needed to choose a direction. The rails guide the wheelsets. At a junction, movable sections of rail called points or switches guide the train onto another track. The driver controls speed and braking.
Why can’t it stop straight away?
A moving train has energy. Brakes must remove that energy to slow it down. A heavy train travelling fast needs room to stop, so railway signals help keep trains safely separated.
Meet these trains next
Compare how they look, what they carry and where their power comes from.
H5 Shinkansen 
E6 Shinkansen 
E8 Shinkansen Little railway dictionary
Bogie / truck
A frame holding wheelsets beneath a vehicle. It can turn relative to the body to help the train follow curves.
Gauge
The distance between the inside faces of the two running rails. Narrow gauge means closer rails; loading gauge describes the space a train may occupy.
Pantograph
A folding roof collector that stays in contact with an overhead power wire.
Traction
The force used to pull or propel the train. Grip between wheels and rails limits how much force can be used.
Multiple unit
A train with propulsion equipment within its passenger vehicles, operated together from one cab.
Locomotive
A powered vehicle whose main job is to move other railway vehicles.
Shunting / switching
Moving and arranging vehicles in a yard, often at low speed.
Livery
The colours, stripes, logos and other markings painted or applied to a train.
Service speed
The permitted speed for passenger or freight operation on a suitable section. It is not the journey average.
Record speed
A speed achieved on a particular test or record attempt, sometimes with special equipment and conditions.
Tender
A vehicle coupled to a steam locomotive to carry extra water and fuel. A tank engine carries water on the locomotive itself.
Prototype
An early vehicle built to develop and test a design before a production fleet.
Sources & reading
Follow the operator, builder and museum references below for more detail. Links beside an answer show which source supports that answer.
- JR East · speed context ↗
- Kawasaki · 2009 E5 delivery ↗
- JICA · E5 engineering features, report pages 4-87–4-89 ↗
Edition 2026-09-27. Catalogue background is carried forward from the original collection; it is not a new independent verification. Engineering explanations describe principles. Portraits and 3D models are illustrations, with simplified parts and proportions. This is an independent learning guide, not an operator’s timetable.