Skirtless sets 01 to 15 (1991-202X) on the left, front-skirt-fitted sets 16 to 27 (1994-2023) on the right.

 

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All the necessary dependencies are either included in this package or are avaible on the DLS. Soundscript by Rizky_Adiputra.

(Consists are included! Don’t bother with placing individual cars!)

 

By the late 1980s, Toei’s fleet for the Asakusa Line was almost entirely formed of the original 5000 Series trains that were introduced in service when the line opened in 1960, supplemented by two 5200 Series sets built in the mid-1976s and based on the Mita Line 6000 Series and the 10-010 prototype set for the future Shinjuku Line. After 30 years of intense services, the formers were now considerably worn out and in need of a replacement. Furthemore, having been designed in the late 1950s, the 5000 Series was considerably devoid of any modern fetaures or amenities, especially air-conditioning, leaving much to be desired in terms of comfort, especially if compared to the rather more modern trains Keisei (and it’s related companies) and Keikyu were already running on Asakusa Line through-services. The 5200 Series were instead too few to make any meaningful difference.

 

Furthemore, with the planned introduction through-services with the Hokuso Line, Toei also had a need for additional trains to put on these services. Therefore, by the late 1980s the decision was take to introduce a new type of train for the Asakusa Line.
Classified as the 5300 Series, the new trains were maufactured by Hitachi, Nippon Sharyo, Kinki Sharyo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with the first set entering in service on the 31st of March 1991.
The new trains were a considerable step-up from the older 5000 Series, both from a passenger viewpoint, as they were fitted with air-conditioning, more comfortable seats and automated in-car announcments, a crew viewpoint, as they were fitted with spacious and ergonomic cabs as well as a technical one – the 5300 Series bears the distinction of being Toei’s first inverter-controlled subway train, using a GTO-VVVF Inverter manufactured by Mitsubishi electric.

 

Great consideration was also put in their design, courtesy of Hitachi’s own “Design Laboratories”, both in regards to the shape of the train itself (inspired by the ground-breaking 1st-batch 12-000 Series trains that were being delivered at the same time for the Oedo Line) as well as the livery, wich was based on the overall white livery with a red stripe as fitted to the 5000 Series since 1985. The slightly rounded aereodynamic front was also choosen as the new 5300 Series were expected to be used on a sizeable number of express services, somewheat contradicting their nature as subway trains.

 

Formed as 8-car sets, the first two were built by Hitachi in 1990, followed by sets 03 to 06 built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 1991, sets 07 to 10 by Nippon Sharyo in 1992 and sets 11 to 14 by Hitachi in 1993.
Sets 15 to 17 were built by Nippon Sharyo in 1994, and from sets 16 onwards, newly built cab cars were to be fitted with an enlonged front skirt. Sets 18 to 21 were also built in 1994, but by Kinki Sharyo, and sets 22 to 26 were built in 1995 by Hitachi.
With enough 5300 Series sets now in service, the older 5000 Series was increasingly relegated to lesser duties until it was finally completely replaced, being officially retired on the 1st of July 1995.

After the retirement of the 5000 Series, an additional set was delivered, this being set No.27, manufactured in 1997 by Kinki Sharyo was intended as a testbed, being fitted with more powerful traction motors, to increase it’s maximium speed from 110 to 120Km/h while maintaining the crucial high-accelleration specs necessary for a subway train, as Toei was interested to match the speed of Keikyu’s limited express services, operated at 120Km/h using the famous 2100 Series.
Similar modifications were to be eventually carried out for the whole fleet, but the plan fell trough pretty early and was later canceled, with Set No.27 being used interchangeably with other 5300 Series sets, without taking advantage of it’s higher maximium speed.

 

As part of various overhaul programs in the early 2000s, door chimes (based on the ones used on Keikyu trains) were fitted on all 5300 Series sets by 2003. In 2006, with the retirement of the 5200 Series sets (the two 6-car sets had been merged into an 8-car one a few years earlier), the 5300 Series became Toei’s only train for the Asakusa Line.

 

As part of the huge number of reciprocal through-services, Toei’s 5300 Series trains could be found all over Keikyu and Keisei networks, even pretty far away from Tokyo – besides their “home” Asakusa Line, the 5300 Series also ran on Keikyu’s Main Line, Zushi Line, Kurihama Line and Haneda Airport Line, running through-services from and to Horinouchi, Zushi-Hayama, Keikyu Kurihama and Haneda Airport, and likewise could also be found on the Keisei Main Line, Oshiage Line, Higashi-Narita Line as well as the Hokuso Line and even the Shibayama Railway, running through-sercies equally from and to Aoto, Narita Airport, Imba-Nihon-Idai and Shibayama-Chiyoda (more than 50Km from the Asakusa Line’s northern terminus at the namesake Asakusa station!).

 

However, these very intense services began to take their toll on the 5300 Series over the years. As they were nearing their 30 year mark, plans for a replacement began to be drawn., altough initally not considered a priority.
This was soon reversed with the nearing of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: as the Asakusa Line (via the through-services from and to Narita and Haneda airports) was considered an important “gateway” to Tokyo (as well as an important “tourist mover” – after all, it’s the line of choice for many to get to the Kaminari-Mon gate and the Senso-ji temple) and with many other railway company embarking in an olympics-fueled rolling stock replacement frenzy in motion, the 5300 Series was shortlisted for replacement as well.
It’s replacement, designated as the 5500 Series and built by J-TREC as part of it’s Sustina S13 family, entered service on the 30th of June 2018, replacing the 5300 Series on a set-by-set basis, starting with the oldest one, Set No.01, wich became the first 5300 Series to be retired. This replacement carried on in the following years, past the Olympics, until late 2022, with only one 5300 Series set remaining in service.

 

Set No.20 (built by Kinki Sharyo in 1994) was the last to be retired, having being retained for a year-and-a-half (all 27 necessary 5500 Series sets being available since September 2021) as a spare train, being withdrawn from service in February 2023, unfortunately without any fanfare, closing a 32-year long career.

 

Unfortunately, depsite the availability of new and relatively up-to date inverter-controlled rolling stock, no 1435mm-gauge third-sector railway company expressed any interest for an eventual second-hand purchase (likely due to the fact that being rather modern and complex means higher maintainance costs, unaffordable for many) and thus, unfortunately the vast majority of 5300 Series cars was, or is in the process of being scrapped.
Reportedly, only set No.20 is still togheter “in one piece”, altough it’s unlikely it’ll remain as such for a long time. Unfortunately, unlike Tokyo Metro, Toei isn’t exactly known for being keen on preserving withdrawn rolling stock, and thus the scrapping of the only surviving set is unfortunately a very likely possibility. There could be hope however for the preservation of a cab car inside Toei’s Nishi-Magome depot.

 

Trivia:
According to Hitachi, the design of the 5300 Series was inspired by the “à là mode” image of Asakusa and Ginza. Seat upholstery depicts sakura blossoms, and the curtains fetaure a design inspired by the ripples of the Sumida river.
The 5300 Series’ design is supposed to “aim for the 21st century”, be “an innovative design with an urban touch”, have “bright and refreshing” interiors, make it a comfortable and easy to use vehicle, and finally, to reduce maintainance requirements trough the usage of new technologies.