Why Yurikamome’s Unpainted Aluminum and Film Decals Create a Circular Urban Transit System

Trains adorned in beautiful corporate

colors—such as Keikyu's red, Hankyu's

maroon, and Meitetsu's red—possess

a striking presence on the tracks.

However, the bodies of

Yurikamome’s second-generation

train cars (7300 and 7500 series)

feature no paint whatsoever. Behind

their seemingly simple silver exterior

lies environmental technology

designed with future recycling and

disposal in mind.

Unpainted aluminum alloy car bodies

feature a "hairline finish" that forms a

protective oxide layer on the surface,

safeguarding the structure from rust

without relying on paint. Furthermore,

instead of paint, specialized film decals

are used for the signature rainbow

stripes, company logos, and train set

numbers.

The primary purpose of combining

unpainted aluminum with film decals is

to make recycling in electric arc

furnaces exceptionally easy when the

train reaches the end of its service life.

On conventional painted car bodies,

removing paint coatings for recycling

required immense energy, labor, and

cost. With film decals, however,

workers simply peel off the film during

dismantling, allowing high-purity

aluminum to be fed smoothly into

melting furnaces without incurring

paint-stripping costs or energy.

This foundational concept of a "silver

armor" paired with film decal

specifications established by

Yurikamome was subsequently

adopted by other AGT lines, including

the Nippori-Toneri Liner, New Shuttle,

and Leo Liner. Pursuing car body

recyclability supports resource

circulation and the formation of a

sustainable society across urban

transit systems.

I hope you look forward to the next

AGT Blog!