ドクターイエロー引退へ　東海は２５年、西は２７年めど―ＪＲ

　ＪＲ東海と西日本は１３日、東海道・山陽新幹線の点検用車両「ドクターイエロー」の運用を終了すると発表した。東海は２０２５年１月、西日本は２７年をめどに運用を終える。
　ドクターイエローは鮮やかな黄色い車体が特徴の検査専用車両。両社が１編成ずつ保有し、東京―博多間の検査を担っている。運行は１０日に１日程度だが、日程は公表されていないため、「見ると幸せになれる」と鉄道ファンから親しまれている。
　両社によると、現在の２編成はそれぞれ０１年と０５年から運用してきたが、老朽化のため引退を決めた。２７年以降は東海が保有する通常の「Ｎ７００Ｓ」に検測機能を導入し、検査を代替する予定という。（2024/06/13-12:22）

Iconic test trains nicknamed "Doctor Yellow," used to monitor conditions of tracks and overhead wires for Japan's Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train lines while traveling, are set to retire due to their aging, to the disappointment of train lovers in the country, including children.
   Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, and West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, said Thursday that they plan to end Doctor Yellow operations in January 2025 and in 2027, respectively.
   The Doctor Yellow trains, known for their bright yellow exterior with a blue stripe, are operated between Tokyo Station, one of the terminals for the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, and Hakata Station in the southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, one of the terminals for the Sanyo Shinkansen Line, for track and overhead wire inspections. The two high-speed train lines are connected seamlessly at Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan.
   JR Tokai and JR West currently own one Doctor Yellow train each.
   The popular test Shinkansen trains are operated once about every 10 days. But their operational schedules are not made public, making it rare to see them in operation or at stations. It is therefore said mainly among train enthusiasts that those who see Doctor Yellow will become happy.