Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) has unveiled a new shinkansen that looks no different from the mainstay N700 series but has enhanced braking systems and environment-friendly features.
The media were given a preview of the new N700A bullet train Tuesday at JR Tokai's Hamamatsu factory in Shizuoka Prefecture. The train is scheduled to make its commercial debut in February.
"Ensuring safety and reliability have been our top priority since bullet train services began" in the 1960s, said Kei Sakanoue, a senior official from JR Tokai's train development section. "It appears similar to the N700, but the new train is our best ever."
The 16-car N700A has 1,323 seats and looks almost identical in shape to the N700 series, the company's main model.
"The 'A' inscribed on the cars' sides stands for advanced," said the carrier, which runs the flagship Tokaido Shinkansen Line linking Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.
The new train sports energy-saving LED lights in the toilet and powder cabins and fully recyclable polyester in the seat material.
The interior designs of both the regular cars and first-class Green Cars are based on the N700 series, with some variations in the seat covers.