JR East has announced that the E2 series shinkansen train set painted in the retro colors of the 200 series (formation J66) will end its regular service on March 15th.
As a retirement commemoration, a travel package that includes a direct connection between the Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen lines will be scheduled for March 2nd. The direct train will depart from Morioka Station at around 10:50 AM, turn back at Ueno Station, and connect directly to the Joetsu Shinkansen. It is slated to arrive at Niigata Station at about 5:00 PM. The train will make stops at each station (except for Kurikoma-Kogen and Honjo-Waseda), and will play the ‘hometown chime’ at all stops. The train will also stop at platforms that it rarely enters. The travel cost starts from 35,000 yen per person, with a window seat guaranteed for each group. Ticket sales begin at 2:00 PM on January 19th.
The 200 series color formation began operation on June 9th of the previous year as part of the commemoration for the 150th anniversary of the railway’s opening and the 40th anniversary of the Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen lines. It recreated the design worn by the 200 series trains that used to run on the Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen lines—a base of ‘Cream No. 10’ with ‘Green No. 14’ horizontal stripes. The onboard announcement chime known as the ‘hometown chime,’ which was used on the Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen lines until 1991, was also revived.
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