Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation

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Toei Subway
Native name 都営地下鉄
Toei chikatetsu
Locale Tokyo, Japan
Transit type Rapid transit
Number of lines 4[1]
Number of stations 106[1]
Daily ridership 2.37 million (FY2012)[1]
Website Toei
Began operation 1960
Operator(s) Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
System length 109.0 km (67.7 mi)[1]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (東京都交通局 Tōkyō-to Kōtsū-kyoku?), also known as Toei (都営?),[Note 1] is one of two rapid transit systems which make up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Tokyo Metro.

Toei Subway[edit]

The Toei Subway (都営地下鉄 Toei chikatetsu?) lines were originally licensed to the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (the predecessor of Tokyo Metro) but were constructed by the Tokyo metropolitan government following transfers of the licenses for each line. The subway has run at a financial loss for most of its history due to high construction expenses, particularly for the Oedo Line. However, it reported its first net profit of ¥3.13bn in FY 2006.

Tokyo Metro and Toei trains form completely separate networks. While users of prepaid rail passes can freely interchange between the two networks, regular ticket holders must purchase a second ticket, or a special transfer ticket, to change from a Toei line to a Tokyo Metro line and vice versa. The sole exception is on the segment of the Toei Mita Line between Meguro and Shirokane-Takanawa, where the platforms are shared with the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and it is therefore possible to change between the networks without passing through a ticket gate.


The Toei Metro is made up of four lines operating on 109.0 kilometers (67.7 mi) of route.[1]

Line color Mark Line number Line Japanese Route Stations[1] Length[1] Opened Gauge[1] Current supply[1]
rose Subway TokyoAsakusa.png Line 1 Asakusa Line 浅草線 Nishi-Magome to Oshiage 20 18.3 km 1960 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) 1500 VDC,
overhead supply
blue Subway TokyoMita.png Line 6 Mita Line 三田線 Meguro to Nishi-Takashimadaira 27 26.5 km 1968 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
leaf green Subway TokyoShinjuku.png Line 10 Shinjuku Line 新宿線 Shinjuku to Moto-Yawata 21 23.5 km 1978 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
ruby Subway TokyoOedo.png Line 12 Ōedo Line 大江戸線 Hikarigaoka to Tochōmae via Tochōmae, Roppongi and Ryogoku 38 40.7 km 1991 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)

Through services to other lines[edit]

The different gauges of the Toei lines arose in part due to the need to accommodate through services with private suburban railway lines. Through services currently in regular operation include:

Line Through Lines
I Mita Line Tokyu Meguro Line (Meguro to Hiyoshi)
E Ōedo Line none

According to the company, an average of 2.34 million people used the company's four subway routes each day in 2008. The company made a profit of ¥12.2 billion in 2009.[2]


There are a total of 99 “unique” stations (i.e., counting stations served by multiple lines only once) on the Toei Subway network, or 106 total stations if each station on each line counts as one station.[1] Almost all stations are located within the 23 special wards, with many located in areas not served by the complementary Tokyo Metro network.

Rolling stock[edit]

Light rail lines[edit]

The Ueno Zoo Monorail carries passengers within the Ueno Zoo.


Bus lines[edit]

Main article: Toei Bus


Most routes are designated by a kanji character followed by a two-digit route number. The initial character usually indicates the main railway station where the line terminates: for instance, 渋66 (Shibu 66) is a suburban route from Shibuya Station. Some routes replace the initial character with Latin letters, one prominent example being the RH01 service between Roppongi Hills and Shibuya. Others use a special character derived from the route, such as 虹01 (Niji [Rainbow] 01) which crosses the Rainbow Bridge. Some cross-town routes begin with the character 都 (to "metropolitan").

Other services[edit]

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation also maintains a large fiber optic cable network in the city, as well as several electric power generators.



Tokyo City purchased the Tokyo Railway Company, a streetcar operator, in 1911, and placed its lines under the authority of the Tokyo Municipal Electric Bureau (東京市電気局 Tokyo-shi Denki Kyoku?). The TMEB began bus service in 1924 as an emergency measure after the Great Kanto Earthquake knocked out streetcar service in the city. (The TMEB was also responsible for providing electric power to Tokyo, but this service was privatized in 1942 as Tokyo Electric).

In 1942, the Japanese government forced a number of private transit businesses in Tokyo to merge into the TMEB. These included the bus lines of the Tokyo Underground Railway (whose Ginza Line remained independent), the Keio Electric Railway and the Tokyu Corporation, as well as the Oji Electric Tramway (operator of the Arakawa Line) and several smaller bus companies.

In 1943, Tokyo City was abolished and the TMEB's operations were transferred to the new TMBT.

Trolley buses[edit]

TMBT operated electric "trolley buses" between 1952 and 1968 on four routes:

  • Route 101: Imai - Kameido - Oshiage - Asakusa - Ueno
  • Route 102: Ikebukuro - Shibuya - Naka-meguro - Gotanda - Shinagawa
  • Route 103: Ikebukuro - Oji - San'ya - Kameido
  • Route 104: Ikebukuro - Oji - Asakusa

The trolley buses were short-lived, however, mostly owing to their vulnerability to weather: rain caused problems with the overhead power supply, and snow required tire chains to be installed on vehicles in order to maintain grounding.


  1. ^ Toei means "operated (ei) by the metropolitan government (to)."


External links[edit]