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Toei Subway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the subway system operating under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. For the subway system operating under the Tokyo Metro Co., see Tokyo Metro. For the whole subway network in Tokyo, see Tokyo subway.
Not to be confused with Toei Company.
Toei Subway
A Toei 12-000 series train at Kiba Depot
A Toei 12-000 series train at Kiba Depot
Overview
Native name都営地下鉄
LocaleTokyo, Japan
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines4[1]
Number of stations106[1]
Daily ridership2.85 million (FY2014)[1]
WebsiteToei
Operation
Began operation4 December 1960; 65 years ago (4 December 1960)
Operator(s)Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
Technical
System length109.0 km (67.7 mi)[1]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (Asakusa and Ōedo lines)
1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in) (Shinjuku line)
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (Mita line)
ElectrificationOverhead line, 1,500 V DC[1]

The Toei Subway (Japanese: 都営地下鉄; lit. 'metropolis-operated subway'[2]) is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Underground High-Speed Trains[3]. The Toei Subway 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 in 1958.[4]

It is the one of Tokyo's two subway operators, with an average daily ridership of 2.85 million; the other operator, the Tokyo Metro, carries approximately 6.52 million passengers per day, as of 2023. 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 ($26.9 mil) in FY2006.

Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway 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 exceptions are 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 at Kudanshita on the Shinjuku Line, where the platform is shared with the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line. At these stations, it is possible to change between the networks without passing through a ticket gate. It is one of only two rapid transit systems operating on 3 track gauges, the other being the Barcelona Metro, Spain, using narrow, standard and broad gauge.

History

[edit]

In 1920, Tokyo City, the administrative predecessor of today’s 23 special wards, announced its first formal subway development proposal through Tokyo City Notification No. 2 of 1920 (大正9年東京市告示第2号), designating seven routes. Consistent with the city’s broader policy of public ownership and operation of urban transportation, the network was intended to be constructed and managed municipally.[5][6] However, the Great Kantō Earthquake struck on September 1, 1923, inflicting catastrophic damage on central Tokyo and altering the city’s urban and transportation planning priorities.[7]

In 1925, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued Ministry of Home Affairs Notification No. 56 of 1925 (大正14年内務省告示第56号), which formally designated five routes.[8][9] Under this framework, Tokyo City obtained operating licenses for four of the five proposed subway lines. However, burdened by substantial public debt in the aftermath of earthquake reconstruction, the city faced strong opposition from both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. As a result, Tokyo City was unable to secure final approval to commence construction, effectively halting its municipal subway plans.[8]

At the time, the only subway line, now known as the Ginza Line, was constructed and operated separately by two private companies, the Tokyo Underground Railway and the Tokyo Rapid Railway, with through services between the two operators.[10]

After the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese government integrated these two companies in 1941 to form the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA), commonly known as Eidan, which later became the predecessor of today's Tokyo Metro.[10]

Postwar construction

[edit]
A crowded platform on the Teito Rapid Transit Authority line during the 1950s.

In Tokyo during the 1950s, post–World War II economic expansion led to rapid population growth and a sharp increase in road traffic. As a result, the effectiveness of existing public transport infrastructure, such as the Tokyo Toden (tram) system, steadily declined due to chronic road congestion, while the existing Teito Rapid Transit Authority subway network alone was unable to keep pace with rising transportation demand.[11][12]

In 1954, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly adopted a resolution to construct a public subway system in addition to the network operated by the Teito Rapid Transit Authority. In accordance with urban planning directives, the Tokyo Metropolitan government Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation and Keikyu corporation obtained a license from the Teito Rapid Transit Authority to build its first line between Kuramae and Magome, and began construction of the line as part of the Toei Subway system in 1958.[4][11]

Since the Toei Subway began operations on the Asakusa Line between Asakusabashi and Oshiage in 1960, with through services to the Keisei Line, the system has expanded steadily, with the opening of the Mita Line in December 1968, the Shinjuku Line in December 1978, and the Ōedo Line in December 1991. The Mita Line was extended between Meguro and Mita stations, and the Ōedo Line entered full operation.

Lines

[edit]

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

Name Color Icon No.[A] Route Stations[1] Length
km (mi)[1] 		Opened Last extension Daily ridership

(FY2024)[13]

Gauge[1]
Asakusa Rose 1 Nishi-magome – Oshiage 20 18.3 (11.4) 1960 1968 1,457,778 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Mita Blue 6 Meguro – Nishi-takashimadaira 27 26.5 (16.5) 1968 2000 1,292,710 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Shinjuku Lime 10 Shinjuku – Moto-Yawata 21 23.5 (14.6) 1978 1989 1,480,760 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in)
Ōedo Magenta 12 Hikarigaoka – Tochōmae via Tochōmae, Roppongi and Ryōgoku 38 40.7 (25.3) 1991 2000 1,777,914 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Total 106 109.0 (67.7)   5,281,532
  1. ^ Line numbers are only used internally and are not listed on subway maps

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
Asakusa Keikyū Kurihama Line and Keikyū Airport Line both via the Keikyū Main Line (Sengakuji to Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2 or Misakiguchi)
Icon for the Keisei Oshiage Line. Keisei Oshiage Line, Icon for the Keisei Main Line. Keisei Main Line, Icon for the Narita Sky Access Line. Keisei Narita Airport Line, Hokusō Line, Icon for the Keisei Higashi-Narita Line. Keisei Higashi-Narita Line and Shibayama Railway (Oshiage to Narita Airport Terminal 1, Imba Nihon-idai or Shibayama-Chiyoda)
Mita  Meguro Line (Meguro to Hiyoshi), then Tōkyū Shin-Yokohama Line (Hiyoshi to Shin-Yokohama), then Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (Shin-Yokohama to Nishiya), then Sōtetsu Main Line (Nishiya to Futamata-gawa to Ebina) or Sōtetsu Izumino Line (Futamata-gawa to Shōnandai)
Shinjuku Icon for the Keiō New Line. Keiō New Line and Icon for the Keiō Sagamihara Line. Keio Sagamihara Line both via the Icon for the Keiō Line. Keiō Line (Shinjuku to Hashimoto or Takaosanguchi)

Revenue and ridership

[edit]

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.[14]

Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government[15]

Net profit/loss (in million JPY)
JFY Asakusa line Mita line Shinjuku line Oedo line Toei Subway
2006 6,714 2,170 9,328 -15,628 2,584
2007 8,849 3,335 11,193 -12,398 10,980
2008 15,514 4,197 12,197 -11,580 20,329
2009 9,676 4,102 10,653 -12,077 12,355
2010 8,660 4,143 9,833 -13,238 9,399
2011 7,853 3,649 9,543 -12,395 8,650
2012 10,339 4,492 8,223 -10,296 12,275
2013 10,244 4,756 8,586 -8,143 15,446
2014 10,235 4,529 8,751 -4,939 18,577
2015 10,716 5,831 10,581 -1,272 25,856
2016 12,810 8,156 11,627 317 32,911
2017 13,496 9,276 10,535 876 34,184
2018 14,335 9,954 11,378 981 36,649
2019 12,279 8,356 10,460 -10,194 20,912
2020 371 -687 -41 -14,226 -14,584
2021 1,467 1,045 2,269 -11,218 -6,435
2022 4,265 1,595 3,514 -9,823 -447
2023 8,666 6,302 6,249 -3,203 18,013
2024 15,344 7,395 6,736 -3,094 26,882

Note: All financial figures are in million ¥.

100
200
300
400
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
  •   Asakusa line
  •   Mita line
  •   Shinjuku line
  •   Oedo line

Ridership

[edit]

Source: [16]

Average daily ridership by line[a]
Year Asakusa Line Mita Line Shinjuku Line Oedo Line Total
1960 15,622 15,622
1961 22,450 22,450
1962 35,755 35,755
1963 86,345 86,345
1964 137,250 137,250
1965 157,354 157,354
1966 175,418 175,418
1967 193,386 193,386
1968 263,814 66,269 330,083
1969 364,730 77,691 442,421
1970 409,074 89,931 499,005
1971 436,813 104,550 541,363
1972 452,643 202,169 654,812
1973 446,268 271,331 717,599
1974 448,438 314,169 762,607
1975 454,128 358,890 813,018
1976 439,904 369,432 809,336
1977 445,523 384,117 829,640
1978 431,945 377,378 21,300 830,623
1979 426,857 371,827 25,843 824,527
1980 461,443 416,535 228,727 1,106,705
1981 437,342 382,758 244,068 1,064,168
1982 439,898 386,816 265,336 1,092,050
1983 444,301 394,427 295,134 1,133,862
1984 454,328 403,323 325,339 1,182,990
1985 486,528 452,927 380,202 1,319,657
1986 510,761 458,052 419,178 1,387,991
1987 485,323 412,578 408,641 1,306,542
1988 503,786 422,917 430,756 1,357,459
1989 516,641 430,257 467,084 1,413,982
1990 570,129 500,635 569,942 1,640,706
1991 564,197 450,923 511,797 6,191 1,533,108
1992 615,040 440,120 439,912 18,906 1,513,978
1993 613,652 509,723 587,701 25,273 1,736,349
1994 611,493 504,186 586,336 27,553 1,729,568
1995 592,921 484,725 597,769 28,827 1,704,242
1996 545,621 408,709 507,731 29,424 1,491,485
1997 540,378 408,408 501,698 46,254 1,496,738
1998 536,621 405,923 500,350 103,038 1,545,932
1999 527,616 391,542 491,402 112,027 1,522,587
2000 571,897 405,183 488,457 198,526 1,664,063
2001 584,414 428,021 474,087 453,027 1,939,549
2002 593,123 436,542 478,931 504,934 2,013,530
2003 579,757 436,556 476,024 562,405 2,054,742
2004 574,995 501,180 585,937 647,573 2,309,685
2005 582,599 513,229 592,756 681,623 2,370,207
2006 597,415 527,777 608,645 720,162 2,453,999
2007 623,714 550,688 646,548 781,487 2,602,437
2008 632,555 564,380 662,950 796,257 2,656,142
2009 627,217 566,862 665,233 792,256 2,651,568
2010 623,563 564,345 664,792 795,461 2,648,161
2011 605,990 553,538 654,031 780,714 2,594,273
2012 635,486 573,146 665,377 825,666 2,699,675
2013 657,513 589,097 689,609 859,196 2,795,415
2014 669,603 600,570 701,902 878,960 2,851,035
2015 696,743 620,076 724,915 914,012 2,955,746
2016 718,855 638,365 745,889 933,621 3,036,730
2017 742,803 657,460 772,415 956,041 3,128,719
2018 764,911 672,738 792,321 976,957 3,206,927
2019 767,994 678,499 794,117 978,206 3,218,816
2020 504,604 459,124 555,442 653,881 2,173,051
2021 522,336 483,114 584,354 676,730 2,266,534
2022 600,055 547,997 647,592 750,383 2,546,027
2023 683,003 606,811 704,235 836,179 2,830,228
2024 728,889 646,355 740,380 888,957 3,004,581
2025 762,395 674,222 767,340 920,462 3,124,419
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
00
05
10
15
20
25
  •   Asakusa line
  •   Mita line
  •   Shinjuku line
  •   Oedo line

Branding

[edit]
Icons of four lines, as the system consists of four lines, compared with Tokyo Metro’s nine.

Apart from its own logo, a stylized ginkgo leaf used as the symbol of the Tokyo Metropolis, Toei Subway shares a design language in common with Tokyo Metro. Lines are indicated by a letter in Futura Bold on a white background inside a roundel in the line color, with signs indicating stations adding the station number as well. Line colors and letter-designations are complementary with Tokyo Metro's, with none overlapping (e.g., the Mita Line's letter-designation is “I”, rather than “M”, which is used by the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line).

Informational signage is also designed identically, with platform-level station placards differing only in the placement of the bands in the line color: Toei Subway has two thin bands at the top and bottom, while Tokyo Metro has one wider band at the bottom (or, in the case of long, narrow placards, in a continuous band extending to the left and right along the wall itself).

Stations

[edit]
See also: List of Toei Subway stations

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]
Main article: Toei Subway rolling stock

Current vehicles

[edit]
  • Asakusa Line – 5500 series and E5000 series (electric locomotives)
  • Mita Line – 6300 series and 6500 series[17]
  • Shinjuku Line – 10-300 series
  • Oedo Line – 12-000 series and 12-600 series[18]
  • 5500 series
    5500 series
  • 6300 series
    6300 series
  • 6500 series
    6500 series
  • 10-300 series
    10-300 series
  • 12-000 series
    12-000 series
  • 12-600 series
    12-600 series
  • E5000 series
    E5000 series

Former vehicles

[edit]
  • Asakusa Line – 5000 series, 5200 series and 5300 series
  • Mita Line – 6000 series and 10-000 series
  • Shinjuku Line – 10-000 series and 10-300R series
  • 5000 series
    5000 series
  • 5200 series
    5200 series
  • 5300 series
    5300 series
  • 6000 series
    6000 series
  • 10-000 series
    10-000 series
  • 10-300R series
    10-300R series

Network map

[edit]

Map


See also

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ Includes transfers within the Toei Subway system from 2006 onward; transfers prior to this date are excluded.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tokyo Toei Subway.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 東京都交通局ホーム - 経営情報 - 交通局の概要 - 都営地下鉄 [Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Home - Management Information - Overview of the Department of Transportation - Toei Subway] (in Japanese). 東京都交通局 [Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation]. April 1, 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  2. ^ 日本国語大辞典,デジタル大辞泉, 精選版. "都営(とえい)とは？ 意味や使い方". コトバンク (in Japanese).
  3. ^ Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs (東京都産業労働局). "Tokyo Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Underground High-Speed Trains (東京都地下高速電車条例)". Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  4. ^ a b "東京都交通局,交通局について,都営地下鉄". 東京都交通局 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  5. ^ パンフレットで読み解く東京メトロ建設と開業の歴史 (in Japanese). Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha.
  6. ^ "国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション". dl.ndl.go.jp. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  7. ^ "丸ノ内線建設史 - メトロアーカイブアルバム". メトロアーカイブアルバム - メトロアーカイブアルバムは、これまでに整理・保存してきた貴重な写真を使って東京の地下鉄の歴史を紹介していくサイトです。 (in Japanese). 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  8. ^ a b "丸ノ内線建設史（上巻）". metroarchive.jp. pp. 19–24. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  9. ^ "丸ノ内線建設史（上巻）". metroarchive.jp. pp. 295–299. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  10. ^ a b "国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション". dl.ndl.go.jp. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  11. ^ a b "Toei Subway｜Japanese subway｜JAPAN SUBWAY ASSOCIATION". www.jametro.or.jp. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
  12. ^ "東京に2つの地下鉄「東京メトロ」と「都営」が存在する理由". ITmedia ビジネスオンライン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  13. ^ "東京都交通局,都営地下鉄,各駅乗降人員一覧". 東京都交通局 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  14. ^ Martin, Alex, "Ubiquitous Tokyo subways moving the daily masses", Japan Times, August 3, 2010, p. 3.
  15. ^ "決算" [Financial results briefing]. www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  16. ^ "Tokyo Statistical Yearbook". honyaku.j-server.com. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  17. ^ raillab.jp https://raillab.jp/news/article/27396. Retrieved 2026-01-19. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ "東京都交通局12-600形が甲種輸送される｜鉄道ニュース｜2011年8月29日掲載｜鉄道ファン・railf.jp". 鉄道ファン・railf.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-01-19.
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