EMU 3000V series stands at Nakanodai station on the subway Blue line
On April 1st, 2021, the Transportation Bureau, City of Yokohama marked its 100th anniversary of public transportation. The Transportation Bureau began its tram operation in April, 1921 taking over the tram network from a private company. It, then, commenced public bus services in 1928. The tram lines were unfortunately abolished in April 1972 due to heavy traffic congestion, but the Transportation Bureau opened the first subway route named the Blue line in December, 1972.
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary, memorial stickers are displayed on the subway trains. For instance, a large rounded memorial sticker is seen on the front of the EMU 3000V series on the Blue line. The 3000V series is the latest model on the line. It was launched in 2017 to replace an old model, the 3000A series. Currently, only one set of the 6-car train is operated, but the Transportation Bureau plans to introduce six more sets by the fiscal year 2023. The 3000V series has similar technical specifications with those of previous models, but it has new equipment named the PQ monitoring bogie. This bogie has special sensors to measure axle load (P) and horizontal pressure (Q). The PQ data is used for evaluating derailment risk.
For your information, Yokohama is situated some 20 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. It has been developed as Tokyo's outport since the 19th century. This mega-city currently has a population of 3.7 million, which is the 2nd largest in Japan.
To be continued...
The 100th anniversary sticker is displayed on the front of the EMU 3000V series
Official promotional video, the Transportation Bureau, City of Yokohama, 2014:
Official website, the 100th anniversary of the Transportation Bureau, City of Yokohama (in Japanese):