E235 series, the new Yamanote line train

If you travel on the Yamanote service, the Tokyo loop line, you may ride one the new E235 train series. There are only a few units so far, but until 2020 they will completely replace the older, E231 series, which are in service since 2002.

The new version is easy to spot, because it features a different livery, designed by Ken Okuyama, a well known industrial designer. It has a fully painted black-green nose and the well known horizontal green line was replaced by vertical markings on the doors, to make it easier to identify when arriving at platform.

But the main improvements are on the inside, where many parameters such as the temperature inside the car and the occupancy are monitored, and the information is sent in real time to a smartphone app ("JR-EAST Train Info").