As part of its Change 2027 program, JR East has announced that it will conduct a series of driverless Shinkansen test runs in late 2021, using a 12-car E7-series bullet train.
The 5-kilometer trial runs, which will take place in October and November in Niigata Prefecture northwest of Tokyo, are intended to collect data that can support JR East?s long-term plan to introduce driverless Shinkansen trains on its rail network.

Where the tests will take place
President of JR East Yuji Fukasawa confirmed that the tests will take place on the northernmost section of the Joetsu Shinkansen Line, which is not used by commercial traffic. This 5km-long section runs from Niigata station to the stock depot at Higashi-Niigata.
Although a time frame for implementing the driverless trains after the tests has not yet been announced, JR East is eager to introduce the automated Shinkansen as soon as possible to combat expected labor shortages, improve safety, and reduce human errors. JR East has allocated an estimated budget of 200 million yen for the trials. The rail operator previously conducted similar tests on Tokyo?s Yamanote Line, as well as with the ?Alfa-X? prototype Shinkansen train.
The E7-series Shinkansen
At a press conference in Tokyo, Fukasawa added that the E7-series trains will be used to carry out the tests. This model of Shinkansen has been in operation on Japan?s rail network since 2014.
E7-series Shinkansen
E7 series trains are based on the earlier E2 Shinkansen series, an...