Thursday 2 April 2015

EMU Sotetsu 7000 Series: The Evergreen Train

EMU Soetsu 7000 series, limited express train, travels on the Isumino Line
 
Sagami Railway (Sotetsu) is one of major private railways in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Starting from Yokohama, the main city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Sotetsu connects Ebina on the Main Line and Shonandai on the Isumino Line. There are 25 stations over a total operating length of 35.9km.

It is slightly old news, but Sotetsu changed the timetable on April 27th last year. The highlight of this new timetable was the launch of the "limited express train" on the Main and Isumino lines. As a result of this new timetable, we came to see a limited express train using the company's oldest model, the EMU 7000 series. The 7000 series is the Sotetsu's longest-serving active model, which was launched in 1975. A total of 80 units have been manufactured.

I absolutely love this train, because the 7000 series has an afterglow of the 1970s. Its design is rough with angular bodies, simple rounded front lights, and bare jumper cables in the front. From the present viewpoint, its equipment is also rather old, such as DC motors, bare disc brakes, and a resistance control system; however, everything fills me with nostalgia. What's worth more than anything else is that the 7000 series is still commissioned as the company's promotional train, limited express.

When I visited Sotetsu last year, I came across the limited express train using the 7000 series at Ryokuen-toshi Station on the Isumino Line. It was shining in the glare of the spring sun.
 
EMU Sotesu 7000 series, limited express train, passes through Ryokuen-toshi Station
 
More information about Sotetsu Trains (in Japanese):