923 series Bullet Train Doctor Yellow
Data (as of 12 Jan 2024)
| Status: | Endangered |
| Constructed in: | 1998 |
| Number built: | 14 |
| Registered: | 14 |
History
The 923 series is the incumbent Doctor Yellow, a famous measurement train not only in Japan but also in the world. The 923 series is based on 700 series, and two seven-carriage units were introduced.
They monitor track and overhead wire conditions on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, but not on Kyushu Shinkansen. JR Central withdrew all 700 series in 2020, but it still uses the 923 series.
Current Operations & Future Prospects
The 923 series is a measurement train so that it runs as required. Generally, the measurement work is taken place three or four times a month, and there are two patterns of fixed timetable. JR Central's unit and JR West's unit take turns working every three months.
JR Central installed censors and monitoring systems on some N700S series units, suggesting that the 923 series would no longer be in need within a few years. JR West is likely to follow JR Central in a few years, meaning that the history of Doctor Yellow might end by then.
(Updated: 12 Jan 2024)