apan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, which are said to be among the best trains in the world, get an upgrade. Major railway operator JR East has today announced a new Shinkansen version [JP, PDF] that will enter service in 2011.

The E5 series Shinkansen is not really a master piece design-wise (the colors are horrendous in my opinion) but seems to be all the more convincing from a technical perspective. JR East promises a top speed of 320km/h and a car body completely made of aluminum alloy.

The company ordered a total of 590 cars and will use 10 per train set.