On May 11th, 2023, Tokyu Railways announced their investment plans for fiscal 2023, in which new-model cars for the Oimachi line will be built to replace the deteriorated EMU 9000 and 9020 series. The final chapter of the 9000 and 9020 series has eventually begun.
Tokyu has a labyrinthine railway network in the southwestern part of Tokyo Metropolis and Kanagawa Prefecture. The Oimachi line is just a short commuter route connecting Oimachi and Futako-Tamagawa (10.4 kilometers), but all trains are directly operated onto the Denentoshi line through Futako-Tamagawa station. The EMU 9000 series is a major fleet on the line. It was commissioned in 1985 mainly for the Toyoko line. 75 cars (15 trainsets) are currently operated on the Oimachi line. On the other hand, the EMU 9020 series is a small group on the Oimachi line. It was commissioned in 1992 mainly for the Denentoshi line under the original name of the 2000 series. 15 cars (3 trainsets) are currently operating on the Oimachi line under the new name of the 9020 series. Technical specifications of the 9000 and 9020 series are more or less the same. The photo is trainset 9007 of the EMU 9000 series with special decorations. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Tokyu Group, the company operated this special poster train from April, 2022 to April, 2023.
I don't know how many years more until the retirement of the 9000 and 9020 series, but hope that they'll be operated as long as possible.
