This list of metro systems includes electrified rapid transit train systems worldwide. In some parts of the world, metro systems are referred to as subways, undergrounds, tubes or U-Bahn. As of 6 March 2024, [update] 201 cities in 62 countries have a metro system.
The London Underground first opened as an underground railway in 1863 and its first electrified underground line opened in 1890, [1] making it the world's oldest metro system. [2] The Beijing Subway is the world's longest metro network at 815.2 kilometres (507 mi) and the Shanghai Metro has the highest annual ridership at 2.83 billion trips. [3] The New York City Subway has the greatest number of stations with 472. [4] [5] As of 2023, [update] the country with the most metro systems is China, with 46 in operation.
The International Association of Public Transport (L'Union Internationale des Transports Publics, or UITP) defines metro systems as urban passenger transport systems, "operated on their own right of way and segregated from general road and pedestrian traffic". [6] [7] The terms heavy rail (mainly in North America) and heavy urban rail are essentially synonymous with the term "metro". [8] [9] [10] Heavy rail systems are also specifically defined as an "electric railway". [8] [9]
The dividing line between the metro and other modes of public transport, such as light rail [8] [9] and commuter rail, [8] [9] is not always clear. The UITP only makes distinctions between "metros" and "light rail", [6] the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) distinguish all three modes. [8] [9] A common way to distinguish metro from light rail is by their separation from other traffic. While light rail systems may share roads or have level crossings, a metro system runs, almost always, on a grade-separated exclusive right-of-way, with no access for pedestrians and other traffic.
In contrast to commuter rail or light rail, metro systems are primarily used for transport within a city, and have higher service frequencies and substantially higher passenger volume capacities. Most metro systems do not share tracks with freight trains or inter-city rail services. It is not relevant whether the system runs on steel wheels or rubber tyres, or if the power supply is from a third rail or overhead line.
The name of the system is not a criterion for inclusion or exclusion. Some cities use "metro" as a brand name for a transit line with no component of rapid transit whatsoever. Similarly, there are systems branded "light rail" that meet every criterion for being a rapid transit system. Some systems also incorporate light metro or light rail lines as part of the larger system under a common name. These are listed, but the light rail lines are not counted in the provided network data.
Certain transit networks may match the service standards of metro systems, but reach far out of the city and are sometimes known as S-Bahn, suburban, regional or commuter rail. These are not included in this list. Neither are funicular systems, or people movers, such as amusement park, ski resort and airport transport systems.
This list counts metros separately when multiple metros in one city or metropolitan area have separate owners or operating companies. This list expressly does not aim at representing the size and scope of the total rapid transit network of a certain city or metropolitan area. The data in this list should not be used to infer the size of a city's, region's, or country's urban rail transit systems, or to establish a ranking.
^* Indicates ridership figures based on the fiscal year rather than the calendar year.
^* Indicates ridership figures based on the fiscal year rather than the calendar year.
Recent ridership figures, particularly for 2020, will have been affected by the COVID pandemic.
Country | Systems | Length | Lines | Stations | Annual ridership / km (millions) | Inauguration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 47 | 9,827.5 km (6,106.5 mi) | 281 | 5,384 | 2.10 (2020) [R Nb 30] | 1971 |
United States | 16 | 1,389.4 km (863.3 mi) | 71 | 1,000 | 1.66 (2022) | 1892 |
India | 17 | 902.4 km (560.7 mi) | 38 | 715 | 3.70 (2021) [R Nb 31] | 1984 [428] |
South Korea | 6 | 888.6 km (552.2 mi) | 23 | 648 | 3.87 (2019) | 1974 |
Japan | 15 | 816.1 km (507.1 mi) | 47 | 774 | 8.19 (2019) | 1927 |
Russia | 7 | 663.7 km (412.4 mi) | 29 | 426 | 4.62 (2022) | 1935 |
United Kingdom | 3 | 332 km (206 mi) | 19 | 332 | 2.11 (2022) | 1863 |
Spain | 3 | 467.3 km (290.4 mi) | 23 | 539 | 1.43 (2019) | 1919 |
Turkey | 5 | 391.2 km (243.1 mi) | 18 | 280 | 1.94 (2019–20) [R Nb 32] | 1989 |
Germany | 4 | 386.8 km (240.3 mi) | 24 | 413 | 3.59 (2019) | 1902 |
France | 6 | 379.6 km (235.9 mi) | 28 | 504 | 3.70 (2019–20) | 1900 |
Brazil | 8 | 374.3 km (232.6 mi) | 20 | 266 | 3.45 (2018–20) | 1974 |
Iran | 6 | 338.5 km (210.3 mi) | 17 | 262 | 4.08 (2018) [R Nb 33] | 1999 |
Mexico | 3 | 287.5 km (178.6 mi) | 18 | 283 | 4.37 (2020) [R Nb 34] | 1969 |
Singapore | 1 | 230 km (140 mi) | 6 | 134 | 3.41 (2020) | 1987 |
Taiwan | 5 | 258.7 km (160.7 mi) | 11 | 231 | 3.26 (2019–20) [R Nb 35] | 1996 |
Canada | 4 | 243.3 km (151.2 mi) | 12 | 201 | 2.64 (2022) | 1954 |
Italy | 7 | 239.6 km (148.9 mi) | 15 | 280 | 3.73 (2018–19) | 1955 |
Malaysia | 1 | 210.4 km (130.7 mi) | 6 | 149 | 1.60 (2023) | 1996 |
Thailand | 2 | 205.95 km (127.97 mi) | 7 | 171 | 2.11 (2023) | 1999 |
Chile | 1 | 149 km (93 mi) | 7 | 143 | 1.88 (2020) | 1975 |
Netherlands | 2 | 143.5 km (89.2 mi) | 10 | 109 | 1.48 (2019) | 1968 |
Ukraine | 3 | 114.2 km (71.0 mi) | 7 | 88 | 6.43 (2022) | 1960 |
Sweden | 1 | 108 km (67 mi) | 7 | 100 | 3.10 (2018) | 1950 |
Egypt | 1 | 93.4 km (58.0 mi) | 3 | 74 | n/a | 1987 |
Greece | 1 | 91.7 km (57.0 mi) | 3 | 72 | 2.92 (2018) | 1904 |
United Arab Emirates | 1 | 89.5 km (55.6 mi) | 3 | 53 | 1.26 (2020) | 2009 |
Indonesia | 4 | 89.4 km (55.6 mi) | 5 | 50 | 0.63 (2020) | 2018 |
Norway | 1 | 85 km (53 mi) | 5 | 101 | 0.87 (2020) | 1966 |
Austria | 1 | 83.3 km (51.8 mi) | 5 | 109 | 5.51 (2019) | 1978 |
Romania | 1 | 80.1 km (49.8 mi) | 5 | 64 | 1.6 (2023) | 1979 |
Qatar | 1 | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 | 37 | n/a | 2019 |
Venezuela | 1 | 67.2 km (41.8 mi) | 5 | 49 | 5.32 (2017) | 1983 |
Uzbekistan | 1 | 66.5 km (41.3 mi) | 4 | 43 | 2.32 (2022) | 1977 |
Czech Republic | 1 | 65.4 km (40.6 mi) | 3 | 61 | 3.85 (2020) | 1974 |
Argentina | 1 | 56.7 km (35.2 mi) | 7 | 104 | 1.31 (2020) | 1913 |
Philippines | 2 | 54.1 km (33.6 mi) | 3 | 46 | 5.82 (2019) | 1984 |
Bulgaria | 1 | 52 km (32 mi) | 4 | 47 | 1.79 (2018) | 1998 |
Portugal | 1 | 44.2 km (27.5 mi) | 4 | 56 | 1.93 (2020) | 1959 |
Finland | 1 | 43 km (27 mi) | 2 | 30 | 1.84 (2023) | 1982 |
Poland | 1 | 41.2 km (25.6 mi) | 2 | 34 | 5.50 (2019) | 1995 |
Belarus | 1 | 40.8 km (25.4 mi) | 3 | 33 | 5.54 (2022) | 1984 |
Azerbaijan | 1 | 40.7 km (25.3 mi) | 3 | 27 | 4.98 (2022) | 1967 |
Belgium | 1 | 39.9 km (24.8 mi) | 4 | 59 | 2.19 (2020) | 1976 |
Hungary | 1 | 39.4 km (24.5 mi) | 4 | 48 | 6.09 (2020) | 1896 |
Peru | 1 | 39.4 km (24.5 mi) | 2 | 31 | 3.19 (2018) | 2011 |
Denmark | 1 | 38.2 km (23.7 mi) | 4 | 39 | 1.66 (2020) | 2002 |
Panama | 1 | 37.8 km (23.5 mi) | 2 | 29 | 1.38 (2020) | 2014 |
Australia | 1 | 36 km (22 mi) | 1 | 13 | 0.35 (2020) | 2019 |
Colombia | 1 | 31.3 km (19.4 mi) | 2 | 27 | 7.16 (2023) | 1995 |
Dominican Republic | 1 | 31 km (19 mi) | 2 | 34 | 1.60 (2020) | 2009 |
Georgia | 1 | 27.3 km (17.0 mi) | 2 | 23 | 2.74 (2022) | 1966 |
Pakistan | 1 | 27.1 km (16.8 mi) | 1 | 26 | 0.74 (2020–2021) | 2020 |
Ecuador | 1 | 22.6 km (14.0 mi) | 1 | 15 | n/a | 2023 |
North Korea | 1 | 22 km (14 mi) | 2 | 16 | 1.63 (2009) | 1973 |
Bangladesh | 1 | 20.1 km (12.5 mi) | 1 | 16 | n/a | 2022 |
Algeria | 1 | 18.5 km (11.5 mi) | 1 | 19 | 2.40 (2019) | 2011 |
Kazakhstan | 1 | 13.4 km (8.3 mi) | 1 | 11 | 1.27 (2022) | 2011 |
Vietnam | 1 | 13.1 km (8.1 mi) | 1 | 12 | n/a | 2021 |
Nigeria | 1 | 13 km (8.1 mi) | 1 | 5 | n/a | 2023 |
Armenia | 1 | 12.1 km (7.5 mi) | 1 | 10 | 1.93 (2022) | 1981 |
Switzerland | 1 | 5.9 km (3.7 mi) | 1 [R Nb 36] | 14 | 5.55 (2019) | 2008 |
The following is a list of new worldwide metro systems that are currently actively under construction. In some cases it is not clear if the system will be considered a full metro system once it begins operational service. Only metro systems under construction are listed where there are no metro systems currently in operation in the same city.
The countries of Ivory Coast, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia and Serbia are currently constructing their first ever metro systems.
The Beijing Subway is the rapid transit system of Beijing Municipality that consists of 27 lines including 22 rapid transit lines, two airport rail links, one maglev line and 2 light rail lines, and 490 stations. The rail network extends 836 km (519 mi) across 12 urban and suburban districts of Beijing and into one district of Langfang in neighboring Hebei province. With 3.8484 billion trips delivered in 2018, an average of 10.544 million trips per day, the Beijing Subway is the world's busiest metro system. Single-day ridership set a record of 13.7538 million on July 12, 2019. Being 836 kilometres (519 mi) in system length, the Beijing Subway is the longest metro system by route length, surpassing the Shanghai Metro in December 2023.
The Batong Line of the Beijing Subway is an east–west rapid transit line in eastern Beijing. It extends Line 1 further east from Sihui in Chaoyang District to Universal Resort in Tongzhou District. Through operation with Line 1 started on August 29, 2021.
The Tianjin Metro or Tianjin Rail Transit is the rapid transit system in the city of Tianjin, which was the second city in mainland China after Beijing to operate a subway system. First opened in 1984, the system currently has 10 operating lines and 217 stations spanning 301 km (187.0 mi).
The Chongqing Rail Transit is the rapid transit system in the city of Chongqing, China. In operation since 2005, it serves the transportation needs of the city's main business and entertainment downtown areas and inner suburbs. As of December 2023, CRT consisted of eleven lines, with a total track length of 523.68 km (325 mi). Lines 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 18, the Loop line and Jiangtiao line are conventional heavy-rail metro lines, while Lines 2 and 3 are high-capacity monorails. To keep up with urban growth, construction is under way on Line 18 and several other lines, in addition to extensions to Lines 5, 6 and 10.
The Chengdu Metro is the rapid transit system of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, China. With the opening of Line 1 on 27 September 2010, the system consists of 13 subway lines and 1 light rail line. It has subsequently undergone rapid expansion. Since the opening of Lines 6, 8, 9, and 17 on 18 December 2020, the Chengdu Metro is the 4th longest metro system in the world.
Urban rail transit in China encompasses a broad range of urban and suburban electric passenger rail mass transit systems including subway, light rail, tram and maglev. Some classifications also include non-rail bus rapid transport. As of 31 December 2023, China has the world's longest urban rail transit system with more than 10,000 km (6,200 mi) of urban rail nationwide in 49 systems in 47 cities, accounting for 9 of the 10 longest metro systems, with the exceptions of the Moscow Metro or metro systems in Seoul combined if metro systems in the same cities are merged in the rank.
The Shenyang Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Shenyang, Liaoning, China. It's the seventh operational subway system in Mainland China and the first in Northeast China.
Changchun Rail Transit, is the rapid transit and light rail system in the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, China. Its first line, Line 3, is the first true light rail line in Mainland China. The system consists of three light rail lines and three rapid transit lines.
The Xi'an Metro, also known as the Xi'an Rail Transit, is a rapid transit system in the city of Xi'an and the neighbouring city of Xianyang, in Shaanxi province, China.
The Harbin Metro is the rapid transit system of Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China.́ The system began operation on 26 September 2013 with the opening of Line 1. The system has a total of three lines as of November 2021.
Qingdao Metro is a rapid transit system in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. The first line, Line 3 began operation on December 16, 2015.
Ningbo Rail Transit, also known as the Ningbo Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang and its suburbs. Six metro lines are being built inside the urban area of Ningbo, serving Haishu, Jiangbei, Zhenhai, Beilun and Yinzhou. The first phase of Line 1 started construction in June 2009 and began to service the public on May 30, 2014. Line 2 began service on September 26, 2015.
Kunming Metro, or Kunming Rail Transit, is a rapid transit system in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. With a rapidly growing population of just over 3 million people at the time, Kunming was one of the largest cities in China without a metro system before its construction. The system currently consists of 6 lines with 2 extensions to existing lines under construction and 3 more lines planned.
The Guiyang Metro is a rapid transit system in the city of Guiyang, Guizhou province, China. It is operated and branded as Guiyang Urban Rail Transit (GYURT).
The Line 2 of Wuhan Metro is the first underground metro line crossing the Yangtze River. The line started its trial run on September 25, 2012, and officially opened on December 28, 2012. It is Wuhan's second metro line after Line 1, and the city's first underground line, since Line 1 is mostly elevated. Line 2 runs in a northwest–southeast direction, connecting Hankou and Wuchang, including Hankou Railway Station and major commercial districts.
Line 11 of the Beijing Subway is a rapid transit line of the Beijing Subway. The line opened between Jin'anqiao and Xinshougang on December 31, 2021, and between Jin'anqiao and Moshikou on December 30, 2023. Line 11's color is grapefruit.
Line 6 of the Chengdu Metro is a rapid transit line in Chengdu. It starts at Wangcong Temple and ends at Lanjiagou. The total length is 68.223 km (42.4 mi) with 56 stations.
Nantong Rail Transit is a rapid transit system in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China.
Hohhot Metro or Hohhot Rail Transit is a metro system in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. The Hohhot Metro is in operation. Line 1 opened on 29 December 2019.
As for the station opened after the end of 2019, see "Estação Estrada Parque começa a funcionar na segunda-feira" [Estrada Parque station starts operating on Monday]. Correio Braziliense (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diários Associados. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
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As for the section opened after the end of 2017, see "Ce que va permettre le prolongement de la ligne 14 du métro à Paris" [What the extension of metro line 14 in Paris will allow]. L'Express (in French). Altice Europe N.V. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
As for the section opened after the end of 2009, see Fender, Keith (4 December 2020). "Berlin U5 extension opens" . International Railway Journal. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
As for the latest extension, see "'CMRL likely to handle up to 3.5L daily commuters soon'". The Times of India. Chennai: The Times Group - Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 14 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
As for the section opened after the end of 2019, see Roy, Subhajoy (14 February 2020). "First phase of East-West Metro unveiled". The Telegraph . Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) Group. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link)As for the Line 1, which was extended after the end of 2018, see Lee, In-kyung (14 December 2020). 인천도시철도 1호선 송도달빛축제공원역 개통 기념 첫 손님맞이행사 실시 [First-guest-welcoming event to commemorate the opening of Songdo Moonlight Festival Park Station on Incheon Metro Line 1]. www.itrailnews.co.kr (in Korean). Rail News Corp. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
As for the latest extension, see "L'estació de Zona Franca de la línia 10 Sud de metro obrirà les portes dissabte a les 3 de la tarda". Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB). 30 January 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
As for the latest extension, see "La Comunidad abre la estación de metro Arroyofresno al público tras 20 años" [The Community of Madrid opens Arroyofresno metro station to the public after 20 years]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Grupo Godó. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
London Underground, better known as the Tube, has 11 lines covering 402km and serving 272 stations.
This ridership figure is the sum of those quoted for the rapid transit lines
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Annual ridership figure is calculated from the 2378229 passenger daily average quoted for metro lines (高速鉄道) only.
Annual ridership figure is calculated from the 259468 passenger daily average quoted.
The ridership figure includes system-wide ridership.
This ridership figure is derived from the sum of the twelve monthly subtotals for 2020
This ridership figure is derived from the sum of the twelve monthly subtotals for 2020
This ridership figure is derived from the sum of the twelve monthly subtotals for 2019
This ridership figure is derived from the sum of the twelve monthly subtotals for 2020.
This ridership figure is derived from the sum of the twelve monthly subtotals for 2019