The 20000 series fleet is scheduled to be replaced by new Tobu 70000 series EMUs with 20 m cars.
Variants
20000 series: 13 x 8-car sets introduced from March 1988
20050 series: 8 x 8-car sets introduced from December 1992 with 5-door cars
20070 series: 3 x 8-car sets introduced from March 1997
20400 series: 4-car sets introduced from 2018 for the Tobu Utsunomiya Line
20000 series
A total of 104 vehicles[4] (13 eight-car sets, numbered 21801 to 21813) were built to replace the ageing 2000 series trains on inter-running services between the Tobu Skytree Line and the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line in Tokyo, entering service on 25 March 1988. The body design uses a new lightweight corrugated stainless steel construction.[4] These trains use the same AFE (Automatic Field Excite) chopper control as the earlier Tobu 9000 series trains and bolsterless bogies.[5]
Formation
Trains are formed as follows, with six motored ("M") cars and two non-powered driving trailer ("Tc") cars.[3]
Designation
Tc1
M1
M2
M1
M3
M1
M4
Tc2
Numbering
21800
22800
23800
24800
25800
26800
27800
28800
The M1 cars are each fitted with one scissors type pantograph.[3]
20050 series
20050 series set 21856 in June 2018
A total of 64 vehicles[4] (8 eight-car sets, numbered 21851 to 21858) were introduced on 29 December 1992 on Tobu Isesaki Line (present-day Tobu Skytree Line) and Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line inter-running services. These sets feature two five-door cars at each end, and also LED destination indicators.[4] These sets have VVVF control.[1]
Formation
Trains are formed as follows, with six motored ("M") cars and two non-powered driving trailer ("Tc") cars.[3]
Designation
Tc3
M5
M2
M7
M3
M7
M6
Tc4
Numbering
21850
22850
23850
24850
25850
26850
27850
28850
The M5 and M7 cars are each fitted with one scissors type pantograph.[3]
Interior
Passenger accommodation consists of longitudinal bench seating throughout, with seats for three persons between each pair of doors in the five-door cars.[5] Seat width is 440 mm (17 in) per person for the three-person bench seats in five-door cars and 450 mm (18 in) per person for the ten-person bench seats in three-door cars.[5] As with the 9050 series EMUs introduced around the same time, these sets featured LCD passenger information screens above the doorways, but these were subsequently removed.[5]
20070 series
20070 series set 21872 in April 2008
These are eight-car sets that were introduced from 25 March 1997 to cope with an increased service frequency, of which 24 vehicles (three eight-car sets, numbered 21871 to 21873) were built.[4] These sets feature three-door cars throughout, and also LED destination indicators.[4] These sets have VVVF control.[1]
Formation
Trains are formed as follows, with six motored ("M") cars and two non-powered driving trailer ("Tc") cars.[3]
Designation
Tc1
M1
M2
M3
M4
M3
M5
Tc2
Numbering
21870
22870
23870
24870
25870
26870
27870
28870
The M1 and M3 cars are each fitted with one single-arm pantograph.[3]
Interior
Passenger accommodation consists of longitudinal bench seating throughout. These sets feature three-colour LCD passenger information displays above alternate doorways.[5]
20400 series
Set 21433 in August 2021
The 20400 series are four-car sets for Tobu Nikko Line and Utsunomiya Line operation north of Minami-Kurihashi Station.[2] The first trains entered revenue service on 3 September 2018.[6]
Formation
Trains are formed as follows, with two motored cars and two non-powered trailer cars.[2] Car 1 ("Tc2") and 4 ("Tc1") are former 20000 series cars built by Alna Koki in 1988, and cars 2 ("M2") and 3 ("M1") are former 20070 series cars built by Tokyu Car in 1997.[2] Some sets will incorporate former 20050 series cars, which will be converted from five doors to three doors per side.[2]
Designation
Tc2
M2
M1
Tc1
Numbering
24400
23400
22400
21400
The M1 car is fitted with two single-arm pantographs.[2]
Interior
Passenger accommodation consists of longitudinal bench seating throughout. The interior is based on the 70000 series design.[2]
General interior view, July 2021
Priority seating, July 2021
Passenger door buttons, July 2021
Withdrawal and refurbishment
The 20000 series trains began to be replaced by new 70000 series trains from 7 July 2017.[7] The first sets to be withdrawn, sets 21813 and 21809, were removed for scrapping in July 2017.[8] Some of the 20000 series trains are also refurbished as 20400 series to replace 8000 series trains.[6]
The five-door 20000 series trains are being withdrawn so that platform doors can be installed on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line stations.
^ abc 私鉄車両年鑑2015 [Japan Private Railways Annual 2015] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Ikaros Publications Ltd. 20 June 2015. p. 148. ISBN978-4-8022-0003-5.
^ abcdefghUeshin, Daisuke (19 July 2018). 東武鉄道20400型を公開、日光線・宇都宮線で9月デビュー! 写真83枚 [Tobu Railway 20400 series released, September debut on Nikko Line · Utsunomiya Line! 83 photos]. news.mynavi.jp (in Japanese). Mynavi Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
^ abcdefgh私鉄車両編成表 私鉄車両編成表 2010 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2010]. Japan: JRR. August 2010. p. 36. ISBN978-4-330-15310-0.
^ abcdefg ２００６東武鉄道通勤車両カタログ [2006 Tobu Railway Commuter Rolling Stock Catalogue]. Tetsudo Daiya Joho Magazine. Vol. 35, no. 263. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. March 2006. pp. 16–20.
^ abcde 東武鉄道の世界 [The World of Tobu Railway] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 8 April 2015. p. 41–43. ISBN978-4-330-54215-7.
^ abSaito, Takahisa (4 September 2018). 東武20400形が営業運転を開始 [Tobu 20400 series starts commercial operation]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
^"東武鉄道20000系が渡瀬へ" [Tobu Railway 20000 series to Watase]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online. Koyusha Co., Ltd. 29 July 2017. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019.
