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JAPAN: Tobu Railway officially unveiled the first of its Series 90000 EMUs at its Shinrin-koen depot in Saitama prefecture on July 13. The first units are expected to enter revenue service on September 26, following the completion of test running.
The third-sector operator which serves Tokyo’s northern suburbs announced in March 2025 that it had ordered seven 10-car trainsets to replace the ageing Series 9000 units on its 1 067 mm gauge Tobu Tojo line, which runs northwest from Ikebukuro to Yorii via Kawagoe, Sakado and Ogawamachi. The new sets will also be deployed on through-running services to Yokohama over Tokyo Metro’s Yurakucho and Fukutoshin lines, Tokyu’s Toyoko Line and the Minatomirai Line.
Interior of Tobu Series 90000 EMU. Photo: Kazumiki Miura
Each trainset is formed of four motored cars and six unpowered vehicles including two driving trailers. The motor cars are each equipped with a single-arm pantograph which takes power at 1.5 kV DC. Each car has four 215 kW traction motors, fed by silicon-carbide traction inverters, giving the units a maximum speed of 110 km/h. LED lighting is used throughout, and Tobu expects the Series 90000 to consume around 40% less energy that the 9000 series they are replacing.
The aluminium-bodied vehicles are 20 m long, except for the driving cars which are 20.5 m. These end vehicles feature an upward reverse slant, which the operator explained was inspired by the Edo-era Takasebune cargo boats. Overall width is 2 780 mm. The interiors feature longitudinal seating throughout, with an accessible ‘free space’ in each vehicle. The intermediate cars can carry 141 passengers including 51 seated, while the driving cars have 45 seats for space for 86 standing passengers, giving a total capacity of 1 390. Pairs of 17 in LCD passenger information screens are installed above the doorways.
Driver’s cab of the Tobu Series 90000 EMU. Photo: Kazumiki Miura
Fleet replacement
The first Series 90000 set for the Tojo Line was delivered from Hitachi’s Kasado Works plant in February, with two further units following in March and April.
Tobu indicated in its November 2025 half-year results that Series 90000 units would gradually replace its Series 10000 sets dating from 1983 and the Series 30000 units delivered from 1997, although no further orders have yet been announced.
Meanwhile, the operator is putting into service 25 five-car Series 80000 EMUs ordered from Kinki Sharyo in April 2024 to replace older stock on the Urban Park Line. The first of these trainsets entered service in March 2025, and deliveries are scheduled to be completed by March 2029.
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