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The 800 Series Shinkansen train was developed by Hitachi for use on the Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed rail line in Japan. It will be named Tsubame when it enters service in March of 2004.
The 800 series is slightly slower than its predecessors, the 500 Series Shinkansen and 700 Series Shinkansen: it will only reach a maximum speed of 260 km/h (160 mph) in service, although its design speed is up to 285 km/h (180 mph).
It abandons the 700's unpopular "duckbill" nose in favor of a sharper nose more remniscient of the 300 series. The livery is white, with a red stripe.
Seating is four abreast (2 by 2), with wheelchair-accessible seating and lavatory facilities in two of the six cars.
