For the first time in the history of Japanese railways, a Shinkansen train will run exclusively for freight transport, marking a new step in the expansion of high-speed trains beyond passenger transport. Operator JR East has announced that the service will enter regular operation in March, using an E3 series train previously withdrawn from passenger service.
From passengers to freight: a completely converted Shinkansen
The E3 train, which previously operated Tsubasa services on the Yamagata Shinkansen line, has been completely stripped of its passenger seats – 394 seats in total, spread across seven cars.
The interior has been reconfigured with non-slip flooring and cargo securing systems, allowing for the transport of up to 1,000 parcels, five times more than the capacity of passenger trains partially adapted for freight.
The train will run on weekdays between Morioka and Tokyo, and will be coupled to a passenger train during operation. Loading and unloading of goods will take place in railway depots located near stations.
According to JR East, the train has been painted white, and the windows are decorated with symbolic images of the types of cargo already transported by Shinkansen: seafood, medical supplies, and ornamental fish.
Cargo on Shinkansen: from a crisis solution to a permanent service
Cargo transport by Shinkansen trains began in 2021 in response to the collapse of passenger transport demand during the pandemic. Initially, JR East used passenger cars in which cargo was placed between seats in two or three cars of the train.
The experiments expanded rapidly, and by 2024, Shinkansen freight transport was being used nationwide, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
A relevant example was the Tokyo–Aomori route (675 km), where an E5 series train transported crates of seafood and confectionery, demonstrating the viability of high-speed transport for perishable goods.
The decision to introduce a dedicated cargo train was originally planned for the fall of 2025, but the launch was postponed due to technical problems with the new E8 trains, which meant that the E3 trains remained in passenger service for longer.
Greater ambitions: Shinkansen cargo built from scratch
JR East has announced that the next step is to design Shinkansen freight trains built from scratch, not just conversions of passenger trains. At the same time, the operator is considering extending high-speed freight services to other major cities, such as Sendai and Niigata.
This strategy is part of a broader vision to adapt the Shinkansen network to new logistical realities, marked by a shortage of truck drivers, growing demand for fast deliveries, and pressure to reduce carbon emissions.
Shinkansen + plane: freight reaches other continents
A second pillar of this strategy is the integration of high-speed rail transport with air freight.
In January 2026, Japan Airlines Cargo and the JR East group officially launched the JAL de Hako-byun service, a one-stop logistics product linking the Shinkansen network in eastern Japan to international cargo flights operated by JAL.
The service enables the transport of goods from regional cities to Tokyo Haneda Airport, where they are loaded directly onto international flights to destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Taiwan.
A test conducted in October 2025 on the Sendai–Singapore route demonstrated that the total transit time can be reduced from over 24 hours to approximately 19 hours.
The first commercial use of the service took place on January 13, 2026, when a shipment of premium seafood from Fukui Prefecture—including Echizen crab, Tsuruga sea bream, and Wakasa grouper—was shipped to Taiwan using the Shinkansen + airplane combination.
A structural change in Japanese logistics
By shifting part of its domestic freight transport from road to high-speed rail, Japan aims to:
reduce CO₂ emissions,
alleviate labor shortages in road transport,
shorten delivery times for perishable goods, pharmaceuticals, and high-value goods.
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