| Toei Subway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| 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 | 2.85 million (FY2014)[1] | ||
| Website | Toei | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1960 | ||
| Operator(s) | Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 109.0 km (67.7 mi)[1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 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) | ||
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC from overhead catenary[1] | ||
| |||
The Toei Subway (都営地下鉄, Toei chikatetsu, lit. 'metropolis-operated subway'[2]) is one of two subway systems in Tokyo, the other being Tokyo Metro. 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. 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. The Toei Subway is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation.
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.