Overview

• JR Tokai traced the smoke to a malfunction in the main converter of the newly introduced 16-car N700S set and removed the train from service for detailed inspections.
• Investigators are examining conflicting accounts of whether the burnt smell first appeared in car 7 or car 9 as they pinpoint the exact fault location.
• On the night of August 15, Kodama 764 halted at Gifu-Hashima Station and roughly 250 passengers and crew evacuated safely after smoke was discovered under the floor.
• Passengers were transferred to a following train and only minor up-line delays occurred, allowing Tokaido Shinkansen schedules to normalize by the next day.
• The incident is prompting scrutiny of early-life converter reliability on new rolling stock during peak Obon travel demand.