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This is the list of cities worldwide which have premetro systems. In other words: tram or light rail systems which are, or were, intended to be converted to full rapid transit systems.
| Location | Country | Relevant Wikipedia article | Years | Stations | System length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires |  Argentina | Subte de Buenos Aires (Line A) | 1913-1926 | — | — |
| Vienna |  Austria | Zweierlinie - U2 | 1966-1980 | 8 | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
| Line 64 - U6 | 1979-1995 | 3 | 0.8 km (0.50 mi) | ||
| Brussels |  Belgium | Brussels Metro Line 1/5 | 1969-1976 | — | — |
| Brussels Metro Line 2/6 | 1970-1988 | — | — | ||
| Rio de Janeiro |  Brasil | Rio de Janeiro Metro (Line 2) | 1983-1998 [10] | — | — |
| Nuremberg |  Germany | Nuremberg Metro (U1) [11] | 1970-1981 | 2 | 1.0 km (0.62 mi) |
| Oslo |  Norway | Oslo Metro | 1928-1966 | — | — |
| Stockholm |  Sweden | Stockholm Metro [12] [13] | 1933-1950 | — | — |
| Boston |  United States | MBTA Blue Line | 1904-1924 | 4 | 1.6 km (1.0 mi) |
Light rail transit (LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit characterized by a combination of tram and rapid transit features. While its rolling stock is similar to that of a traditional tram, it operates at a higher capacity and speed and often on an exclusive right-of-way. In many cities, light rail transit systems more closely resemble, and are therefore indistinguishable from, traditional underground or at-grade subways and heavy-rail metros.
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines at a metro station. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named. In the United States and Canada, it is often referred to as a cross-platform transfer.
The Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of four conventional metro lines and three premetro lines. The metro-grade lines are M1, M2, M5, and M6 with some shared sections, covering a total of 39.9 kilometres (24.8 mi), with 59 metro-only stations. The premetro network consists of three tram lines that partly travel over underground sections that were intended to be eventually converted into metro lines. Underground stations in the premetro network use the same design as metro stations. A few short underground tramway sections exist, so there is a total of 52.0 kilometres (32.3 mi) of underground metro and tram network. There are a total of 69 metro and premetro stations as of 2011.
Urban rail transit is a wide term for various types of local rail systems providing passenger service within and around urban or suburban areas. The set of urban rail systems can be roughly subdivided into the following categories, which sometimes overlap because some systems or lines have aspects of multiple types.
Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:
Stadtbahn is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that could be used independently from other traffic.
Brussels-Schuman railway station is a railway station in the City of Brussels, Belgium, serving the European Quarter. It received its name from the area around the Robert Schuman Roundabout, itself named after Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union.
A premetro is a tramway or light railway which includes segments built to rapid transit standards, generally as part of a process of conversion to a metro-standards railway usually by the construction of tunnels in the central city area.
The Antwerp Premetro is a network consisting of lines 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 15 of the Antwerp Tram system. It is a metre gauge system which runs underground in the city centre and further out on surface lines, which are mostly separated from motor vehicle traffic. The network is operated by De Lijn.
The Métro Léger de Charleroi is a 33-kilometre (21 mi) light rail network in Belgium. The system consists of a loop line around central Charleroi and three branches towards the suburbs of Gilly, Anderlues and Gosselies. Another branch to Châtelet was partially built, never entered service, but will finally do so in 2026.
A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS's trains are usually 1–4 cars. Most medium-capacity rail systems are automated or use light rail type vehicles.
The history of rapid transit began in London with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway, which is now part of the London Underground, in 1863. By World War I, electric underground railways were being used in Athens, Berlin, Boston, Buenos Aires, Budapest, Glasgow, Hamburg, Istanbul, Liverpool, New York City, Paris, and Philadelphia.
Rapid transit in the United Kingdom consists of four systems: the London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway in London; the Tyne and Wear Metro in Tyne and Wear; and the Glasgow Subway. The term may also include commuter rail systems with aspects of rapid transit such as the London Overground and Elizabeth line in London, and Merseyrail in the Liverpool City Region. Rapid transit has also been proposed in other UK cities including Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, and Cambridge.
The Premetro is a 7.4-kilometer long (4.6 mi) light rail line that runs along the outskirts of Buenos Aires, connecting with the Buenos Aires Underground line E, at Plaza de los Virreyes station and then to General Savio, with a short branch to Centro Cívico. It opened in 1987 and is operated by Metrovías. Originally, the Premetro was to include many more lines, but shortly after the privatisation of the railways the projects were postponed and never materialised and only "Premetro E2" was built.
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be called a subway, tube, or underground. Unlike buses or trams, rapid transit systems are railways, usually electric, that operate on an exclusive right-of-way, which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles. They are often grade-separated in tunnels or on elevated railways.
These lists of urban rail transit systems are sorted by the type of system:
Semi-metro is a form of public rail transport in which trams run partly on a conflict-free track, by using tunnels and/or viaducts. These stretches of track are designed to function like a regular metro or rapid transit line. Semi-metro lines run with tram cars because they are usually developed from an existing tram network.
Antwerpen rail network is a typical premetro network.
The Charleroi Metro is a typical prémétro network, i.e. trams that run underground in the city centre and on viaducts or separate right-of-way through outer parts (similar to German Stadtbahn systems).
BART would own the subway and designed Muni's level to be convertible to BART trains in the future if needed.
Such eventual upgrading of tram subways to Metro operation was widely advocated at this period, but conversion of Line 1 of the Brussels system in 1976 was the first after 1950 (in Stockholm) to actually take effect.
