[continues from preceeding post]
Depsite it's unluky history and inglorious end, very recently, the 03 Series began to be popular on the second-hand rolling stock market, something unusual for ex-subway stock.
Not even before the retirement of the 03 Series from Hibiya Line services, the Kumamoto Electric Railway in Kyushu already set forth to acquire two 2-car sets to replace it's sole 200 Series set and to supplement the increasingly tired 6000 Series (wich are ex-Toei Mita Line 6000 Series from 1968).
A first 2-car set was bought on the 30th of July 2018 and was shipped to Kumamoto on the 15th of March 2019, entering in service on the following 4th of April. On the 13th of February 2020 the second set arrived too, entering in service on the 27th of April.
The two trains were heavily modified, notably, two single-arm pantographs had to be retrofitted on the roof of one of the two cars in each set and both trains had to be adapted for one-man operation. Depsite all the modifications, the trains keep both the "03 Series" designation and the Hibiya Line livery from their Tokyo Metro days. Furthemore, Kumaden decided to keep all the in-car advertisements as they were in Tokyo.
As of today, both 03 Series sets are in operation on both lines of the Kumamoto Electric Railway; the railway actually has plans to buy yet another 2-car set from Tokyo Metro, bringing the total to three 03 Series sets.
The second, and most interesting of the company buying withdrawn 03 Series cars was the Nagano Electric Railway, wich currently has plans to introduce a total of five 3-car sets of ex-03 Series trains to replace it's 3500 Series fleet, wich interestingly enough, are the ex-TRTA 3000 Series trains that had been already replaced by the 03 Series when they ran on the Hibiya Line!
Re-classified as the "3000 Series", these were also adapted to one-man operation, and kept the Hibiya Line livery too, except for the front portion, wich has been painted red. The first set quietly entered in service on the 30th of May 2020, with the "official" entry-into-service ceremony being held one month later, on the 30th of June.
Finally, the third, and least expected railway to buy 03 Series trains is the Hokuriku Railway, wich plans to buy five 2-car sets to replace its 8000 Series (ex-Keio Inokashira Line 3000 Series trains from 1962) on the Asanogawa Line by 2023.
After undergoing a conversion work nearly identical to the one made on the Kumaden trains at a JR West workshop (one notable difference being that the pantographs fitted were of the older scissor type, taken from intermediate 03 Series cars, instead of the more modern single-arm type), the first of Hokuriku Railway's new trains, wich will keep the "03 Series" classification, arrived on the railway's tracks on the 11th of January 2020, and after being re-liveried (the Hibiya Line gray of side band was changed to the strong orange color of Hokuriku Railway), the first set entered regular service on the 21st of December.
Tokyo Metro still has plenty of 03 Series trains in storage, meaning that there's still the chance of a third-sector railway taking an interest in these humble, but reliable trains.
Trivia#1
Only 10 months passed between TRTA's decision to anticipate the introduction of new stock on the Hibiya Line and the entry in regular service of the 03 Series. Quite a feat, considering that all of the designing, construction of the first set, testing and training had to be done within less than a year.
Trivia#2
With the retirement of the 200 Series (wich was ex-Nankai stock), nowdays Kumaden operates only ex-Tokyo Subway trains, from both Toei and Tokyo Metro.
Trivia#3
Currently, there are rumors about Hokuriku Railway considering to buy ex-Marunouchi Line 02 Series trains for use on it's Ishikawa Line, wich is electrified at 600V DC (unlike the Asanogawa Line, wich runs at 1500V DC).
Model Trivia#1
Personal opinion: my best model (yet).
Model Trivia#2
The choice of a 03 Series as this year's last model isn't casual, in fact, last year's last model was it's predecessor: the TRTA 3000 Series!
Depsite it's unluky history and inglorious end, very recently, the 03 Series began to be popular on the second-hand rolling stock market, something unusual for ex-subway stock.
Not even before the retirement of the 03 Series from Hibiya Line services, the Kumamoto Electric Railway in Kyushu already set forth to acquire two 2-car sets to replace it's sole 200 Series set and to supplement the increasingly tired 6000 Series (wich are ex-Toei Mita Line 6000 Series from 1968).
A first 2-car set was bought on the 30th of July 2018 and was shipped to Kumamoto on the 15th of March 2019, entering in service on the following 4th of April. On the 13th of February 2020 the second set arrived too, entering in service on the 27th of April.
The two trains were heavily modified, notably, two single-arm pantographs had to be retrofitted on the roof of one of the two cars in each set and both trains had to be adapted for one-man operation. Depsite all the modifications, the trains keep both the "03 Series" designation and the Hibiya Line livery from their Tokyo Metro days. Furthemore, Kumaden decided to keep all the in-car advertisements as they were in Tokyo.
As of today, both 03 Series sets are in operation on both lines of the Kumamoto Electric Railway; the railway actually has plans to buy yet another 2-car set from Tokyo Metro, bringing the total to three 03 Series sets.
The second, and most interesting of the company buying withdrawn 03 Series cars was the Nagano Electric Railway, wich currently has plans to introduce a total of five 3-car sets of ex-03 Series trains to replace it's 3500 Series fleet, wich interestingly enough, are the ex-TRTA 3000 Series trains that had been already replaced by the 03 Series when they ran on the Hibiya Line!
Re-classified as the "3000 Series", these were also adapted to one-man operation, and kept the Hibiya Line livery too, except for the front portion, wich has been painted red. The first set quietly entered in service on the 30th of May 2020, with the "official" entry-into-service ceremony being held one month later, on the 30th of June.
Finally, the third, and least expected railway to buy 03 Series trains is the Hokuriku Railway, wich plans to buy five 2-car sets to replace its 8000 Series (ex-Keio Inokashira Line 3000 Series trains from 1962) on the Asanogawa Line by 2023.
After undergoing a conversion work nearly identical to the one made on the Kumaden trains at a JR West workshop (one notable difference being that the pantographs fitted were of the older scissor type, taken from intermediate 03 Series cars, instead of the more modern single-arm type), the first of Hokuriku Railway's new trains, wich will keep the "03 Series" classification, arrived on the railway's tracks on the 11th of January 2020, and after being re-liveried (the Hibiya Line gray of side band was changed to the strong orange color of Hokuriku Railway), the first set entered regular service on the 21st of December.
Tokyo Metro still has plenty of 03 Series trains in storage, meaning that there's still the chance of a third-sector railway taking an interest in these humble, but reliable trains.
Trivia#1
Only 10 months passed between TRTA's decision to anticipate the introduction of new stock on the Hibiya Line and the entry in regular service of the 03 Series. Quite a feat, considering that all of the designing, construction of the first set, testing and training had to be done within less than a year.
Trivia#2
With the retirement of the 200 Series (wich was ex-Nankai stock), nowdays Kumaden operates only ex-Tokyo Subway trains, from both Toei and Tokyo Metro.
Trivia#3
Currently, there are rumors about Hokuriku Railway considering to buy ex-Marunouchi Line 02 Series trains for use on it's Ishikawa Line, wich is electrified at 600V DC (unlike the Asanogawa Line, wich runs at 1500V DC).
Model Trivia#1
Personal opinion: my best model (yet).
Model Trivia#2
The choice of a 03 Series as this year's last model isn't casual, in fact, last year's last model was it's predecessor: the TRTA 3000 Series!