The E2 Series Shinkansen are new trains (construction started in 1997) for Japan's Joetsu, Tohoku and Nagano Shinkansen high-speed dedicated rail lines. They are formed in 8 or 10-car sets, and the 10-car sets can be coupled to E3 Series Shinkansen Komachi sets using couplers hidden behind sliding nose doors. 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joetsu Shinkansen (上越新幹線) is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company. ... Tōhoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線) is a line of Shinkansen high speed rail, connecting Tokyo with Hachinohe in Aomori for a total length of 593. ... General Information Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線) is the name for the segment of the Hokuriku Shinkansen that currently exists (as of 2005). ... The E3 Series Shinkansen are new Japanese Shinkansen high-speed trains built for the opening of the new Akita Shinkansen mini-Shinkansen line, converted from a regular 1,067 mm (36) narrow-gauge line between Morioka and Akita. ...

Their maximum speed is 275 km/h (170mph) although large stretches of the lines on which they run have lower speed limits.

E2 Series units are still in production, and are scheduled to be built until 2005.