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The Tokyo Metro 03 series is a Japanese city commuter electric multiple unit operated by the Teito Rapid Transit Authority and its successor Tokyo Metro from July 1988 to February 2020.

History[]

The 03 series was conceived in 1988 as a new train that would be put into service on the TRTA Hibiya Line; at the time, the rolling stock on the line consisted of twenty-seven-year old 3000 series sets, and a new train had to be made to replace them at some point. Following in the success of the 01 series sets used on the Ginza Line and based on R&D that would be used to develop the 05 series that were to be used on the Tōzai Line, the 03 series sets were constructed in the 01 and 05 series sets' image.

Seven batches of sets were produced from 1988 to 1994 and put into service on the TRTA Hibiya Line from 1 July 1988. When the TRTA was dissolved in 2004, ownership of the 42 sets was handed over to Tokyo Metro. As of 2018, 320 cars are in service, forming forty eight-car sets, all stationed at either Senju or Takenotsuka Depots. The sets are also capable of through-running services to and from the Tobu Skytree Line, Tobu Isesaki Line and the Tokyu Tōyokō Line, although they no longer perform through services on the latter two lines.

Some life-expired sets were later resold to other railroads, particularly the Kumamoto Electric Railway, Nagano Electric Railway and the Hokuriku Railroad. The last set was retired on 28 February 2020; no special events were held to mark their withdrawal, with Tokyo Metro citing the overcrowding caused by rail enthusiasts during the retirement ceremony of the Tokyo Metro 6000 series sets in 2018 a factor in this decision.

Design[]

The 03 series uses a fairly modern design with an unpainted body made of an extruded aluminum alloy. Metal inert gas welding is used to improve quality of construction and lower costs.

Specifications[]

Construction is of an extruded aluminum alloy. Cars are 18 meters long, 2.78 meters wide and 3.973 to 3.99 meters high. Sets 03-101 to 03-125 use a four-quadrant gate turn-off thyristor chopper system produced by Mitsubishi and Hitachi that produced a melodic whine that steps up in pitch; the system used on the 03 series sets is identical to the one that was once used on the 05 series sets.

Sets 03-126 and onward utilize more modern three-level insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives produced by a myriad of manufacturers; sets 03-126 to 03-135 use three-level IGBT drives produced by Hitachi which produce a shrill sound while sets 03-136 to 03-142 use three-level IGBT drives produced by Mitsubishi that produce a hissing sound that increases in intensity. Some sets have had their IGBT drives changed for newer, more modern three-level IGBT drives also produced by Mitsubishi which produce a hissing sound.

References[]

Tokyo Metro rolling stock
Active Ginza Line 1000 (gen 2)
Marunouchi Line 2000 (gen 2)
Hibiya Line 13000
Tōzai Line 0505N0715000
Chiyoda Line 0516000
Yūrakuchō Line 1000017000
Hanzōmon Line 08800018000
Namboku Line 9000
Fukutoshin Line 1000017000
Withdrawn Ginza Line 011001000 (gen 1)110012001300140015001500N16001700180019002000 (gen 1)
Marunouchi Line 02500
Hibiya Line 033000
Tōzai Line 5000
Chiyoda Line 0650006000
Yūrakuchō Line 077000
Fukutoshin Line 7000
Proposed Ginza Line 200
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