Farewell, Tokyu 8500 series

The original style

Another iconic commuter train in Tokyo, Tokyu 8500 series, retired on Wednesday after being in service for nearly 48 years.

The 8500 series was introduced to Den-en-toshi Line in 1975-91, with 400 carriages in total. As Den-en-toshi Line was about to be rearranged and through-service to Hanzomon Line was to be launched, the 8500 series was designed in accordance with safety standards of underground trains at that time.

Almost of all units looked unchanged since the introduction except a few features such as destination blinds (initially roll signs but later replaced with displays). They had been known for their significant noise until the very end.

The 8500 series was apparently not a "cool" train. Since it was a type of commuter train, it is not hard to imagine that Tokyu focused on trains that can transport as many people as possible and as cheap as possible, rather than making them stylish and impressive. In other word, "economical", and probably that was why not many railway enthusiasts paid attention until recently.

The withdrawal of the 8500 series was supposed to be completed by the early-2010s, but it was deferred for nearly ten years. There were several reasons for the deferral. First, the Global Financial Crisis hit the business. Second, Japan Airlines, whose shares had been owned by Tokyu due to historical backgrounds, went bankrupt. As a consequence, Tokyu conceded that there was an initial loss of 9 billion yen (approx. 98 million USD) in 2010, and the total loss was expected to be even more. Third, Tokyu had another major railway project; through-services between Tokyu Toyoko and Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Lines. Tokyu had to concentrate on the project by introducing brand new trains and refurbishing other trains. Needless to say, there were also many other things to invest such as new Shibuya station facilities. Hence, The replacement of the 8500 series took longer than initially anticipated.

Oimachi Line unit

The 8500 series had been used not only for Den-en-toshi Line (including relevant through-services) but also other Tokyu lines. A few carriages ran Toyoko Line until the late-1980s as a temporary measure, which most people do not remember well today. In 2003-19, several units that formed of five coaches were used for Oimachi Line as well. Their red stripes were repainted yellow and orange in 2006 to distinguish them from other 8500 series units on Den-en-toshi Line.

Bunkamura Train

The withdrawal of the 8500 series resumed in 2019 as 2020 series was introduced. The last unit on mainline was the 37th unit, which was registered on 4 Sep 1986 (three out of ten coaches were registered on 19 Aug 1987). Why did it have blue stripes instead of red? Because it was designated as Bunkamura Train, covered with advertisements of "multicultural complex" which consists of, for example, a concert hall and a theatre. The last one with original red stripes was sent for scrap in May 2022.

The one on Nagano Electric Railway

A few 8500 series carriages were resold to several small private railways in Japan, namely: Chichibu Railway in Saitama Prefecture (six carriages), Izukyu in Shizuoka Prefecture (one carriage) and Nagano Electric Railway (18 carriages). They are expected to be operational for coming years, but might not last long. Nagano Railway plans to replace them with new trains (either brand new or second-hand ones) by March 2029.