The E2 Series Shinkansen are new trains (construction started in 1997) for Japan's Joetsu, Tohoku and Nagano Shinkansen high-speed dedicated rail lines. They are formed in 8 or 10-car sets that can be coupled together with couplers hidden behind sliding nose doors, and can also be coupled to the E3 Series Shinkansen.
Their maximum speed is 275 km/h (170mph) although large stretches of the lines on which they run have lower speed limits.
E2 Series units are still in production as of 2003 and are scheduled to be built until 2005.
