On June 22, JR West announced the specific retirement dates for the 500 Series Shinkansen and the Doctor Yellow T5 train set due to aging. The 500 Series will cease regular service on January 13, 2027; it will continue to operate as a special train thereafter, with all commercial operations scheduled to end in July of the same year. Doctor Yellow, which has been conducting inspections of electrical and track equipment on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines, will cease its inspection operations in January 2027.
Special events will be held to mark the retirement of both trains. On July 26 and 27, tours will be offered aboard the “Doctor Yellow” to observe actual track inspection operations. On July 31, a special overnight train will run from Shin-Osaka Station to Hakata Station using a 500 Series Shinkansen. Furthermore, on August 30, a round-trip ride event will be held to mark the final revenue service of the “V4 Formation,” a specific group of 500 Series trains. On October 9 and January 10, 2027, a Doctor Yellow ride experience event will be held in collaboration with JR Central.
In addition, starting in July 2026, as preparations are finalized, commemorative retirement logos will be displayed on the sides of both cars and on the door windows. As for related merchandise, commemorative ekiben (station boxed lunches) from local bento manufacturers along the line—such as Awajiya and Yamaneki Foods—will go on sale starting July 1, followed by limited-edition merchandise featuring the commemorative logo starting July 7. Starting in late July, the company also plans to offer a limited number of actual train parts salvaged from the decommissioned 500 Series Shinkansen trains for sale through its official online store and other channels.
For more details, please visit the special website.
© Source travel watch