100 Series Shinkansen

The 100 series was a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed electric multiple unit that ran between 1985 and 2012 on the Tokaido Shinkansen and Sanyo Shinkansen. It followed the 200 series into service, but took its number from the Japanese National Railways convention that Shinkansen types running west of Tokyo had odd numbers, so it came after the 0 series. A total of 1,056 cars, forming 66 sixteen-car sets, were built between 1985 and 1992. It was the first Shinkansen type to include double-decker cars, which raised seating capacity and improved the service. After the newer 300 and 700 series arrived, it was withdrawn from the Tokaido Shinkansen on 16 September 2003, and the last examples left the Sanyo Shinkansen on 16 March 2012 after being reformed into shorter four-car and six-car sets for Kodama services.