Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, also known as Toei, is a bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government which operates public transport services in Tokyo. Among its services, the Toei Subway is one of two rapid transit systems which make up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Tokyo Metro.
Toei Subway
The Toei Subway lines were originally licensed to the Teito Rapid Transit Authority 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 FY2006.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 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.
Branding
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. 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.Lines
The Toei Subway is made up of four lines operating on of route.Two of the lines have different colors for their station signs: Asakusa and Shinjuku. The Ōedo Line formerly had a darker magenta as its designated color.
Through services to other lines
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 | Keikyu Kurihama Line and Keikyu Airport Line both via the Keikyu Main Line |
| Asakusa | Keisei Oshiage Line, Keisei Main Line, Narita Sky Access Line, Hokuso Line, Keisei Higashi-Narita Line and Shibayama Railway Line |
| Mita | Tokyu Meguro Line |
| Shinjuku | Keio New Line and Keio Sagamihara Line both via the Keiō Line |
| Ōedo | - |
- Mita Line shares tracks of the section from Meguro to Shirokane-Takanawa with Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, 2.3 km.
Stations
There are a total of 99 unique stations on the Toei Subway network, or 106 total stations if each station on each line counts as one station. 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
Light rail lines
In addition to the subways, Toei also operates the Toden Arakawa Line streetcar, the Ueno Zoo Monorail, and the Nippori-Toneri Liner automated guideway transit.Bus lines
Toei operates local bus service in central Tokyo, generally to fill in the gaps unserved by the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway networks.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 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 which crosses the Rainbow Bridge. Some cross-town routes begin with the character 都.
Other services
Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation also maintains a large fiber optic cable network in the city, as well as several electric power generators.History
Establishment
purchased the Tokyo Railway Company, a streetcar operator, in 1911, and placed its lines under the authority of the Tokyo Municipal Electric Bureau. The TMEB began bus service in 1924 as an emergency measure after the Great Kantō earthquake knocked out streetcar service in the city..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, the Keio Electric Railway and the Tokyu Corporation, as well as the Oji Electric Tramway and several smaller bus companies.
In 1943, Tokyo City was abolished and the TMEB's operations were transferred to the new TMBT.
Trolley buses
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