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“Doctor S” will debut, taking over the role of “Doctor Yellow,” the “yellow bullet train of happiness.”
Doctor Yellow, the bullet train doctor said to bring happiness to those who see it, will be retired by JR Central in January 2025, and by JR West in 2027 or later. On April 16, JR Central announced the bullet train that will take over the role of Doctor Yellow.
“Its name is Doctor S,” said Shunsuke Niwa, president of JR Central. It will inspect the tracks while carrying passengers. A yellow “S” logo will be placed in 20 locations on the lead car and odd-numbered cars as the symbol of “Doctor S.”
Doctor S is the latest model “N700S” equipped with inspection functions. While operating in commercial service with passengers on board, it will perform the track and overhead line inspection work that Doctor Yellow was responsible for. “We aim to create a train that is loved and cherished by everyone, just like the Doctor Yellow,” said President Niwa.
The four train sets will debut in stages, with commercial operation starting in October of this year and inspection train operation starting in January 2027.
The name of the new Shinkansen train that will begin operation as a successor to the “Doctor Yellow,” a dedicated inspection train for Shinkansen bullet trains that retired last year due to aging, has been announced. The successor train will be called “Doctor S.”
According to JR Central, the name Doctor S was decided by combining “Doctor,” from Doctor Yellow, which was affectionately known as the “doctor of the Shinkansen,” with the “S” from the new Tokaido Shinkansen train “N700S.” The train will have a yellow logo mark in 20 locations on its body, signifying that it is the successor to Doctor Yellow.
Doctor S will begin commercial operation in October with four train sets on the Tokaido Shinkansen as “Nozomi” and “Hikari” services, and will also begin its function as an inspection train from January next year, inspecting tracks and overhead lines.
More than a year has passed since the retirement of Doctor Yellow, affectionately known as the “Shinkansen doctor.” The name of the new inspection train that will replace Doctor Yellow has now been announced.
Doctor Yellow retired in January of last year, ending its 24-year history due to aging. From October of this year, the role of inspecting tracks and overhead lines—the “Shinkansen doctor”—will be taken over by a commercial train equipped with inspection functions. JR Central announced today that the name of this train will be “Doctor S.”
The name uses “S,” which has become established as a brand image for the Tokaido Shinkansen, such as the latest train “N700S,” and the letters of the logo will be yellow to express that it is a train that will inherit the legacy of Doctor Yellow. JR Central President Niwa said, “We want it to be a beloved and familiar presence, just like Doctor Yellow.”
