I’ve received the latest photo from an Indonesian railfan. It shows the last active set, 8618F, of the ex-Tokyu 8500-series EMU still operating in Jakarta. My thanks go to Faris Fadhli, who kindly sent me this beautiful picture.
Let me briefly review the Tokyu 8500 series EMU the Tokyu 8500-series EMU. These direct-current commuter trains ran on the Tokyu lines in Japan from 1975 to 2023, and a total of 400 cars were built by Tokyu Sharyo. After their retirement from Tokyu Electric Railway, 29 cars were transferred to Nagano Electric Railway, Chichibu Railway, and Izukyu, while 64 cars were exported to Indonesia as second-hand trains. Those exported sets have been operated by the local railway company, PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia.
Now, let’s move on to the main topic. Please take a look at the top photo. There you see 8618F—the very last active 8500-series set in Indonesia. It still looks to be in good condition, doesn’t it? When I lived in Jakarta from 2007 to 2011, I often used commuter trains. I still remember clearly when 8618F first arrived in Indonesia in 2008. I visited Bukit Duri Railyard on August 24th with several enthusiastic Indonesian railfans and welcomed 8618F together with them (see the photo below). Sixteen years have passed since then. Time really flies.
The 8500 series’ second life is now approaching its final chapter… but 8618F still remains on the rails, faithfully carrying countless commuters every day. I would like to express my gratitude to the dedicated railway engineers in Indonesia, and I sincerely hope that this set will continue to run for as long as possible.
