Doctor Yellow, a dedicated inspection train on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines, will be retired due to aging.

Central Japan Railway and West Japan Railway each own one Doctor Yellow train. It runs on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines at maximum 270 kilometers per hour to check for track distortion and equipment abnormalities.

Since it does not carry regular passengers and operates only a few times a month without a public schedule, railfans consider it as a bringer of happiness.

JR Central will end operations of Doctor Yellow in January 2025. JR West plans to follow suit after 2027.

In the future, inspections will be conducted using specialized equipment installed on regular trains.