On March 26th, 2019, Tokyo Metro made a press release announcing that the new subway train named EMU 18000 series will be launched on the Hanzomon line in 2021. According to media, the first set was recently completed at Hitachi Kasado Factory and transported to Tokyo Metro's railyard last month. Tokyo Metro plans to introduce nineteen sets of the 18000 series by the end of March, 2023, which means that all the old 8000 series trains will be replaced by the new 18000 series by then.
The EMU Tokyo Metro 8000 series was launched in 1981 with the construction completion between Nagatacho and Hanzomon stations on the subway Hanzomon line within sight. Nineteen sets of 10-car train (190 units) were built between 1980 and 1994 by Tokyu-sharyo, Nippon-sharyo, Kinki-sharyo, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The greatest feature of the 8000 series is the front design. Its futuristic convex face with a large frontal window was inherited from the 6000 series on the Chiyoda line. This design is still fresh for me, even though 40 years have passed since the 8000 series debuted.
In terms of the technical specifications, Tokyo Metro adopted bolsterless bogies for the first time on the 8000 series. An armature chopper electric control system with DC motors equipped in the early stage was later changed to an IGBT-VVVF inverter electric control system with induction motors.
The final chapter of the old subway train, the EMU 8000 series, has just begun.
