I recently took the Tokyu-Toyoko line, and met "TOQi" again for the first time in four years. TOQi... what's that? It's an inspection train whose formal name is the EMU Tokyu 7500 series. TOQi can inspect all Tokyu lines except the Setagaya line. The targets of the inspection are overhead wires, signal safety facilities and train radio systems.
TOQi is a 2-car train consisting of DeYa 7500 and DeYa 7550, but I found one more colorful car this time. It was coupled between the two cars, and operated as a 3-car train. What's this additional car? It's SaYa 7590. The mission of SaYa 7590 is the track inspection, so this special 3-car TOQi train was inspecting not only overhead wires and related systems but also railway tracks.
For your information, DeYa 7500 and DeYa 7550 of the EMU Tokyu 7500 series was built in 2012 by Tokyu Sharyo to replace the old inspection train named the EMU 7200 series. They are motorcars. Each car has an 18 meter-long body. Its travelling devices are similar with those of the commuter train, the EMU 7000 series. On the other hand, SaYa 7590 is a trailer without a motor. It was built in 1998 as one of the EMU 7200 series. Although most of the 7200 series had already been scrapped, only SaYa 7590 has been surviving. Teaming up with the newly built 7500 series, it still works as an inspection car.
I hope that you understand the history of Tokyu Railway's inspection train.
