Friday 5 October 2018

Sayonara to the Tokyo Metro 6000 Series

Set 30 of the EMU Tokyo Metro 6000 series stands at Yoyogi-Uehara station (June, 2014) 

One of the greatest trains in Tokyo will soon disappear from the track. On September 28th, Tokyo Metro made a press release announcing that their commuter train, the EMU 6000 series, will be retired from the Chiyoda line on November 11th this year.

The 6000 series was launched in 1968. A total of 36 sets, 353 units were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the other four brands. The specification of the 6000 series was futuristic, as it was equipped with an armature chopper electric control device together with a regeneration brake system. Its asymmetric frontal design and shining aluminum body with green colored stripes were also "futuristic", even half a century after its debut. The 6000 series was elected as a winner of the Laurel Prize by the Japan Rail Fan Club in 1972.

Currently, the electric system of the 6000 series has been renovated to the VVVF control (variable-frequency drive) with induction motors. The scrapping of the old sets also started in 2010, since the brand new EMU 16000 series was launched to replace the 6000 series. The EMU 16000 series will become the sole model on the Chiyoda line after November 12th. The good news is that many sets of the 6000 series have been moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, because the Indonesian railway operator has been pursuing modernization of the railways in their capital city.

Sayonara (good-bye) and arigatou (thank you) to the Tokyo Metro 6000 series.

Set 35 of the EMU Tokyo Metro 6000 series (January, 2010)

Official information about the EMU Tokyo Metro 6000 series (in Japanese):