JR East will introduce the E927 series (a 7-car train) as a new inspection train dedicated to the Shinkansen in fiscal year 2029. On July 14, the company selected the design (color scheme) and nickname for the new inspection train from entries submitted by group employees.
The nickname “SOAR”—which means “to soar” in English—was chosen. It is said to evoke the image of boldly soaring toward unprecedented heights, aiming to deliver peace of mind and inspiration while building on a foundation of safety.
The exterior design carries over the white-based styling of the current “East-i” inspection train. It features two accent colors: a red hue symbolizing courage, inspired by the Group’s management vision “Yushō 2034,” and a green hue representing the image of spreading wings and soaring forward.
The asymmetrical design of the sides is said to symbolize the fact that tracks and overhead wires are not always in the same condition, and to express the “mission of the inspection car” to inspect them and ensure safe connections.
The SOAR will be developed concurrently with the successor to the E6 series used on the Akita Shinkansen and will be operated on JR East’s various Shinkansen lines (the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata, and Akita Shinkansen).
Moving forward, the employee who conceived the design will collaborate with tangerine—the firm responsible for the E10 Series design—to finalize the details of the actual train’s design, with the goal of completing it around fall 2026. They also plan to consider a nickname and logo for the train.
In addition, one difference from the current “East-i” (E926 series), the company revealed that the train set size will be increased from six cars to seven cars. It also announced the development and installation of a new “PQ Estimation System” to identify rail maintenance areas and prioritize them, as well as 48 “Shinkansen On-Board Imaging Devices” (tentative name).
As announced in October 2025, the maximum speed has been increased from 275 km/h to 320 km/h. In addition to developing and installing a new “catenary hardware monitoring system” that assesses the condition of catenary hardware using camera images, the “track displacement detection system” for monitoring rail distortion and the “trolley wire condition measurement system” for monitoring wire wear will adopt new methods.
© Source travel watch