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. As of 2024, [update] the country with the most metro systems is China, with 54 in operation (excluding Hong Kong and Macau).
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". [4] [5] The terms heavy rail (mainly in North America) and heavy urban rail are essentially synonymous with the term "metro". [6] [7] [8] Heavy rail systems are also specifically defined as an "electric railway". [6] [7]
The dividing line between the metro and other modes of public transport, such as light rail [6] [7] and commuter rail, [6] [7] is not always clear. The UITP only makes distinctions between "metros" and "light rail", [4] the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) distinguish all three modes. [6] [7] 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.
Recent ridership figures, particularly for 2020, will have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Country/region | Systems | Length | Lines | Stations | Annual ridership / km (millions) | Inauguration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China (mainland) | 54 | 10,273.7 km (6,383.8 mi) | 281 | 5,384 | 2.10 (2020) [R Nb 29] | 1971 |
United States | 16 | 1,389.4 km (863.3 mi) | 71 | 1,000 | 1.66 (2022) | 1892 |
India | 17 | 967.84 km (601.39 mi) | 38 | 715 | 3.70 (2021) [R Nb 30] | 1984 [433] |
Japan | 15 | 816.1 km (507.1 mi) | 47 | 774 | 8.19 (2019) | 1927 |
South Korea | 6 | 753.93 km (468.47 mi) | 35 | 683 | 3.87 (2019) | 1974 |
Russia | 7 | 663.7 km (412.4 mi) | 29 | 426 | 4.62 (2022) | 1935 |
Spain | 3 | 467.3 km (290.4 mi) | 23 | 539 | 1.43 (2019) | 1919 |
United Kingdom | 3 | 446.4 km (277.4 mi) | 19 | 332 | 2.11 (2022) | 1863 |
France | 6 | 398.3 km (247.5 mi) | 28 | 516 | 3.70 (2019–20) | 1900 |
Turkey | 5 | 391.2 km (243.1 mi) | 18 | 280 | 1.94 (2019–20) [R Nb 31] | 1989 |
Germany | 4 | 386.8 km (240.3 mi) | 24 | 413 | 3.59 (2019) | 1902 |
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 32] | 1999 |
Mexico | 3 | 287.5 km (178.6 mi) | 18 | 283 | 4.37 (2020) [R Nb 33] | 1969 |
Taiwan | 5 | 258.7 km (160.7 mi) | 11 | 231 | 3.26 (2019–20) [R Nb 34] | 1996 |
Italy | 7 | 244.9 km (152.2 mi) | 15 | 288 | 3.73 (2018–19) | 1955 |
Canada | 4 | 243.3 km (151.2 mi) | 12 | 201 | 2.64 (2022) | 1954 |
Singapore | 1 | 241 km (150 mi) | 6 | 141 | 3.41 (2020) | 1987 |
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 | 106.8 km (66.4 mi) | 3 | 84 | 7.45 (2020) | 1987 |
Greece | 1 | 91.7 km (57.0 mi) | 3 | 72 | 2.92 (2018) | 1869 |
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 | 2 | 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 |
Australia | 1 | 52 km (32 mi) | 1 | 21 | 0.35 (2020) | 2019 |
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 |
Nigeria | 1 | 40 km (25 mi) | 2 | 13 | n/a | 2023 |
Belgium | 1 | 39.9 km (24.8 mi) | 4 | 59 | 2.19 (2020) | 1976 |
Hungary | 1 | 39.4 km (24.5 mi) | 4 | 48 | 9.71 (2023) | 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 |
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 |
Vietnam | 1 | 21.6 km (13.4 mi) | 2 | 20 | 0.82 (2023) | 2021 |
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 |
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 35] | 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.
City | Country | Name | Construction started | Projected opening | Lines | Stations | Length by first opening |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Melbourne | Australia | Metro Tunnel (including Sunbury-Dandenong Line Corridor) | 2017 | 2025 | 1 | 5 | 9 km (5.6 mi) |
Suburban Rail Loop | 2022 | 2035 | 1 | 6 | 26 km (16 mi) | ||
Bengbu | China | Bengbu Rail Transit | 2019 | 2025 | 1 | 24 | 32.7 km (20.3 mi) |
Liuzhou | China | Liuzhou Rail Transit | 2016 | 2024 | 4 | 97 | 150 km (93 mi) |
Shantou | China | Shantou Metro | 2016 | 2025 | 3 | 45 | 76.9 km (47.8 mi) |
Bogotá | Colombia | Bogotá Metro | 2020 [434] | 2028 | 1 | 16 | 24 km (15 mi) |
Thessaloniki | Greece | Thessaloniki Metro | 2006 [435] | 2024 [436] | 2 | 18 | 14.3 km (8.9 mi) |
Bhopal | India | Bhopal Metro | 2018 | 2024 [437] | 2 | 29 | 27.9 km (17.3 mi) |
Bhubaneswar | India | Bhubaneswar Metro | 2024 [438] | 2028 [439] | 1 | 20 | 26 km (16 mi) |
Indore | India | Indore Metro | 2018 | 2024 [440] | 1 | 29 | 33.5 km (20.8 mi) |
Meerut | India | Meerut Metro | 2019 [441] | 2025 | 1 | 13 | 23.6 km |
Patna | India | Patna Metro | 2020 | 2027 | 2 | 26 | 32.9 km (20.5 mi) |
Surat | India | Surat Metro | 2021 | 2027 | 2 | 38 | 40.3 km (25 mi) |
Denpasar [442] | Indonesia | Bali Mass Rapid Transit | 2024 | 2028 [443] | 2 | Unknown | 29.5 km (18.3 mi) |
Ahvaz | Iran | Ahvaz Metro | 2004 | 2024 [444] | 1 | 24 | 23 km (14.3 mi) |
Qom [445] | Iran | Qom Urban Railway | 2009 | 2024 [446] | 1 | 14 | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
Abidjan | Ivory Coast | Abidjan Metro | 2017 | 2028 [447] | 1 | 18 | 37.5 km (23.3 mi) |
Johor Bahru Woodlands | Malaysia Singapore | Rapid Transit System Link | 2020 [448] | 2026 | 1 | 2 | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
George Town Seberang Perai | Malaysia | Penang Light Rapid Transit | 2024 [449] [450] | 2030 | 1 | 20 | 29 km (18 mi) |
Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar Metro | 2025 | 2028 | 1 | 14 | 17.7 km (11.0 mi) |
Cluj-Napoca | Romania | Cluj-Napoca Metro | 2023 | 2026 | 1 | 9 | 9.2 km (5.7 mi) |
Krasnoyarsk | Russia | Krasnoyarsk Metro | 1995 | 2026 [451] | 1 | 9 | 10.6 km (6.6 mi) |
Chelyabinsk | Russia | Chelyabinsk Metro | 1992 | 2026 | 1 | 4 | 5.7 km (3.5 mi) |
Astana | Kazakhstan | Astana Metro | 1988 | 2024 | 1 | 18 | 21.5 km (13.4 mi) |
Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah Metro | 2014 [ citation needed ] | 2025 | 3 | 46 | 108 km (67 mi) |
Riyadh [452] | Saudi Arabia | Riyadh Metro | 2014 [452] | 2024 [453] | 6 | 84 | 176 km (109 mi) |
Belgrade | Serbia | Belgrade Metro | 2021 [454] | 2028 [455] | 2 | 43 | 40.5 km (25.2 mi) |
New Taipei | Taiwan | New Taipei Metro | 2016 | 2025 | 1 | 12 | 14.3 km (8.9 mi) |
Gebze | Turkey | Gebze Metro | 2018 | 2024 | 1 | 12 | 15.4 km (9.6 mi) |
Konya | Turkey | Konya Metro | 2020 [456] | 2025 [457] | 1 | 22 | 21.1 km (13.1 mi) |
Mersin | Turkey | Mersin Metro | 2022 [458] | 2026 | 1 | 11 | 13.4 km (8.3 mi) |
Ho Chi Minh City [459] [460] | Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City Metro | 2012 [459] | 2024 [461] | 1 | 14 | 19.7 km (12.2 mi) |
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 two light rail tram 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. In December 2023, the Beijing Subway became the world's longest metro system by route length, surpassing the Shanghai Metro. With 3.8484 billion trips delivered in 2018 and single-day ridership record of 13.7538 million set on July 12, 2019, the Beijing Subway was the world's busiest metro system in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Shanghai Metro (Chinese: 上海地铁; pinyin: Shànghǎi Dìtiě; Shanghainese: Zaon6he5 Di6thiq7) is a rapid transit system in Shanghai, operating urban and suburban transit services to 14 of its 16 municipal districts and to the neighboring township of Huaqiao, in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province.
The Shenzhen Metro is the rapid transit system for the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China. The Line 8 Extension – which opened on December 27, 2023 – put the network at 555.43 kilometres of trackage. It currently operates on 16 lines with 373 stations. Despite having only opened on December 28, 2004, the Shenzhen Metro is the 5th longest metro system in China and 6th longest in the world. By 2035, the network is planned to comprise 8 express and 24 non-express lines totaling 1,142 kilometres of trackage.
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 218 stations spanning 301 km (187.0 mi).
Wuhan Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Wuhan, Hubei, China. Owned and operated by Wuhan Metro Group Co., Ltd., the network now includes 12 lines, 300 stations, and 486.3 km (302.2 mi) of track length. With 1.35 billion annual passengers in 2023, Wuhan Metro is the sixth-busiest rapid transit system in mainland China. There are a number of lines or sections under construction.
The Nanjing Metro is a rapid transit system serving the urban and suburban districts of Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province in the People's Republic of China.
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 had thirteen subway lines and one 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.
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.
Line 7 of the Beijing Subway is a rapid transit line in Beijing. It runs parallel and to the south of Line 1 and Batong line, from the Beijing West railway station in Fengtai District to Universal Resort in Tongzhou District. Like Line 6, Line 7 provides additional relief to the overcapacity Line 1 adding another east–west trunk line to the Beijing Subway network. The line uses 8-car Type B trains. Line 7's color is light orange.
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.
Kunming Metro, or Kunming Rail Transit, is a rapid transit system in Kunming, the capital of China's Yunnan Province. The system currently consists of 6 lines with 2 extensions to existing lines under construction and 3 more lines planned, with a total track length of 164.3 kilometers.
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).
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.
Nanning Metro or Nanning Rail Transit (NNRT) is a rapid transit system in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China.
The Xuzhou Metro is a rapid transit system in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Construction began in February 2014, and Line 1 was opened on September 28, 2019, Line 2 was opened on November 28, 2020, and Line 3 was opened on June 28, 2021.
The Changzhou Metro is a rapid transit system in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The system started operation on 21 September 2019, with the opening of its first line, Line 1 becoming the 35th city in China with a subway in Mainland China. The Changzhou metro currently has Line 1 and Line 2 in operation, while Line 5 is still under construction.
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.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)将于本月25日开通运营体育会展站、东界站、洪坑站、翔安市民公园站
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.
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.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)This ridership figure is the sum of those quoted for the rapid transit lines
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