JR West To Retire 500-Series Shinkansen, "Doctor Yellow" In Jan 2027

TOKYO, June 22 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- West Japan Railway Co. said Monday it will retire its 500-series shinkansen bullet trains, once among the world's fastest, from regular service on Jan 13, 2027, three decades after their debut, Kyodo News reported.

JR West also announced the retirement of its iconic "Doctor Yellow" train used to diagnose faults on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines in January 2027.

Known for its blue outline and its iconic "long nose" with a sharp point, the 500-series entered service in 1997 with a record-tying operational speed of 300 kilometres per hour.

JR West plans to use the 500-series for special services before they are completely withdrawn by July 2027.

The trains once operated on the "Nozomi" service linking Tokyo Station and Hakata Station in southwestern Japan. But since 2010, they have only run between Shin-Osaka Station in western Japan and Hakata.

Limited versions of the train included collaborations with the animation series "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and Sanrio Co.'s "Hello Kitty" character.

Shoji Kurasaka, president of JR West, said, "We have emotional attachment to the cars. Our company will proceed with the preparation for many people to witness the retirement."

The retirement of the T5 edition of the Doctor Yellow comes after that of the T4 edition, owned by Central Japan Railway Co., in January 2025.

No successor is planned and N700S bullet trains will be equipped with the same fault-finding devices, according to JR West. The Doctor Yellow train has been especially popular because fans believe seeing it brings happiness.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO