The is a commuter

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a numbe ...

(EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator

Tokyu Corporation The is a Japanese multinational ''keiretsu'' ( conglomerate) holding company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Its main operation is , a wholly owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area. History The oldest predecessor ...

on the

Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line Tokyu may refer to: * Tokyu Group, a group of companies centered on Tokyu Corporation ** Tokyu Corporation, a Japanese railway company, the largest member and parent company of the group ** Tokyu Car Corporation Tokyu may refer to: * Tokyu Group, ...

and

Tokyu Oimachi Line Tokyu may refer to: * Tokyu Group, a group of companies centered on Tokyu Corporation ** Tokyu Corporation, a Japanese railway company, the largest member and parent company of the group ** Tokyu Car Corporation, a former Japanese railway vehicle m ...

in the Tokyo area of Japan since 1975 and the Jabodetabek area of Indonesia since 2006.

Design

Based on the design of the earlier 8000 series, the 8500 series was introduced as the sixth batch of the 8000 series fleet, featuring some differences over the preceding batches. Among these include a raised driver's cab position,

automatic train control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver d ...

(ATC), and air conditioning.

History

First put into service in 1975, the Tokyu 8500 series was a recipient of the 1976

Laurel Prize The is an award presented annually in Japan since 1961 by the Japan Railfan Club. It is awarded for railway vehicles that entered service in the previous year and voted by the selection committee as having the most outstanding functional and des ...

. Early examples of the 8500 series were initially delivered as four-car sets; however, they were ultimately lengthened to ten-car sets. A total of 400 vehicles were built by 1991. When the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) Hanzomon Line opened in 1978, Tokyu leased three 6-car 8500 series trains to the agency for approximately a decade, as they did not yet possess their own trains for the line. Following the introduction of newer

Tokyu 5000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation since 2002 on many of its commuter lines in the Tokyo area of Japan. Design First introduced in 2002, the design is based on the JR Ea ...

and 2020 series trainsets, the 8500 series fleet was gradually withdrawn from Den-en-toshi Line services. On 5 April 2022, Tokyu announced that the 8500 series would end regular service in January 2023.

Operations

The 10-car trainsets are primarily used on inter-running services on the

Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.4 ...

Tobu Skytree Line The is a section of the Tobu Isesaki line operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway, extending from Asakusa Station in Tokyo to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Station in Saitama Prefecture. Some trains from the line continue to the Tokyo Met ...

Tobu Isesaki Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway, extending from Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Station in Saitama to Isesaki Station in Gunma Prefecture. The Isesaki Line can refer to the entire section between Asakus ...

as far as , and the

Tobu Nikko Line is a Japanese commuter railway and '' keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second lon ...

as far as . The five-car sets are used on

services and have been retired in 2019.

Formations

Den-en-toshi Line 10-car sets

As of 5 April 2022, the fleet consists of two ten-car sets. They are formed as shown below with eight motored ("M") cars and two non-powered trailer ("T") cars, and car 1 at the Shibuya end. * Cars 2, 5, 7, and 10 are each fitted with one lozenge-type

pantograph A pantograph (, from their original use for copying writing) is a mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen. If a line dr ...

. * Cars 3 and 9 have a wheelchair space. * Car 2 is designated as a mildly air-conditioned car. Den-en-toshi Line sets 8601 to 8614 were marked with "K" stickers on the center front window of the driving cab ends, and they were restricted to operating on Den-en-toshi Line and

Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. Overview The 16.8 km line serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chiyoda, Chūō, Kōtō, and Sumida. Despite being shorter in length than nearly all other Tokyo su ...

only, due to lack of Tobu ATS on these sets. After the opening of the Hanzōmon Line extension from

Suitengūmae Station is a subway station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line in Chūō, Tokyo, operated by the Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro. It is connected by moving walkways to the Tokyo City Air Terminal, and Ningyocho Station is located 500 meters to the e ...

Oshiage Station is a railway station in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan, jointly operated by Tokyo Metro, Tobu Railway, Toei, and Keisei Electric Railway. It is adjacent to the Tokyo Skytree complex. Lines Oshiage Station is served by the following lines. It is the ...

, sets 8601, 8602, 8613, and 8614 were fitted with Tobu ATS, allowing them to operate on

and

Tōbu Nikkō Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway. It branches from Tōbu Dōbutsu Kōen Station in Miyashiro, Saitama on the Skytree Line, extending north to Tōbu Nikkō Station in Nikkō, Tochigi. Th ...

(and had their "K" stickers removed), while sets 8603 to 8612 were retained without Tobu ATS until their retirement from duties on the Den-en-toshi Line. All trains with "K" stickers have had their ATS system installed or withdrawn from service. The last train with the K sticker, set 8606, was retired in May 2020. With the withdrawal of set 8614 (which retains the Izu no Natsu livery) in June 2020, only 14 sets of 8500 Series remain in service with Tokyu.

Oimachi Line 5-car sets

As of 1 April 2014, the fleet consists of four five-car sets, based at Nagatsuta Depot, and formed as shown below with four motored ("M") cars and one non-powered trailer ("T") car, and car 1 at the Oimachi end. All of these have been withdrawn from service starting from April 2019. * Cars 2 and 5 are each fitted with one single-arm pantograph. * Car 2 is designated as a mildly air-conditioned car.

Interior

File:Tokyu-8500-interior-1.jpg, Early style interior of a Den-en-toshi Line set, February 2007 File:Tokyu-8500-interior-2.jpg, Refurbished interior of a Den-en-toshi Line set, February 2007 File:Tokyu-8500-interior-4.jpg, Late style interior of a Den-en-toshi Line set File:Tokyu8500-Car guidance device.jpg, LED passenger information display

Livery variations

File:Tokyu-8500-8637F.jpg, Blue stripe livery, June 2007 File:Tokyu-Series8500-8537 Bunkamura.jpg, Blue stripe "Bunkamura" livery, October 2021 File:Tokyu Corporation 8500 Series "Izu no Natsu Go".jpg, ''Izu no Natsu'' Izu Kyuko style livery, August 2012 File:Tokyu-8500-8634F-TOQ-BOX.jpg, "TOQ-BOX" livery, June 2007

Resale

A number of 8500 series trains have been resold to other operators in Japan and overseas following their withdrawal from Tokyu services.

Nagano Electric Railway

Six 3-car sets were sold to the Nagano Electric Railway between 2005 and 2009. These retain the "8500 series" classification.

Formation

# DeHa 8500 (M1c) # SaHa 8550 (T) # DeHa 8510 (M2c)

Izukyu Corporation

One 8500 series car (DeHa 8723) was sold to Izukyu Corporation in 2006, becoming KuMoHa 8152, and combined with former Tokyu 8000 series cars. It includes transverse seating acquired from Seibu 10000 series trains during refurbishment.

Chichibu Railway

Two 3-car 7000 series sets were formed from cars of set 8609, entering service on the

Chichibu Railway The is a small-sector private railway company operating a railway line in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It managed the Mitsumine Ropeway (� ...

in 2009.

Indonesia

Eight 8-car sets (8604, 8607*, 8608*, 8610, 8611*, 8612*, 8613*, and 8618) were sold to KRL Jabodetabek in Indonesia between 2006 and 2009 for use on commuter services in the

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

area. The sets initially received different color schemes, but were later standardized with the same KA Commuter Jabodetabek red and yellow livery. Set 8618 is the first to be repainted in KAI Commuter paint scheme in February 2021. Set 8612 was retired due to an accident in 2019. File:Tokyu 8610 Bogor.jpg, Former Tokyu 8500 series EMU set 8610 on an afternoon commuter service in Indonesia, September 2016 File:KRL Jabotabek 8500 Gambir 20111126.JPG, Former Tokyu 8500 series EMU set 8613 on a KRL Jabotabek commuter service in Jakarta, November 2011 File:Tokyu_8518F Livery Baru di Citayam.png, KAI Commuter livery, May 2022

References

{{KAI Commuter trainsets Electric multiple units of Japan 8500 Electric multiple units of Indonesia Train-related introductions in 1975 Tokyu Car multiple units 1500 V DC multiple units of Japan