This is a list of rapid transit systems around the world. Such systems are commonly called metros, subways, elevated railways, light rail, rapid rail, or underground railways. A rapid transit system is a rail-based transportation system used within urban areas to transport people. To be considered a rapid transit system, it must meet certain criteria:
- an urban, electric mass transit railway system
- completely independent from other traffic
- with high capacity and service frequency
Other types of urban public transport systems, such as light rail, regional rail, tramway, bus, monorail, or people mover, are not included here.
Contents |
Africa
| Location | Name | Opened | Stations | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Egypt |
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| Cairo | Cairo Metro | 1987 | 49 | 62.5 km (38.8 mi) |
Asia
| Location | Name | Opened | Stations | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 China |
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| Beijing | Beijing Subway | 1969 | 93 | 142 km (88 mi) |
| Chongqing | Chongqing Metro | 2005 | 18 | 19.2 km (11.9 mi) |
| Guangzhou | Guangzhou Metro | 1999 | 60 | 116 km (72 mi) |
| Hong Kong | MTR | 1979 | 82 | 175.4 km (109 mi) |
| Nanjing | Nanjing Metro | 2005 | 17 | 13 km (8 mi) |
| Shanghai | Shanghai Metro | 1995 | 162 | 228.4 km (141.9 mi) |
| Shenzhen | Shenzhen Metro | 2004 | 19 | 21.9 km (13.6 mi) |
| Tianjin | Tianjin Metro | 1984 | 22 | 26.2 km (16.3 mi) |
| Wuhan | Wuhan Metro | 2004 | 10 | 10.2 km (6.3 mi) |
 India |
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| Chennai | Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System | 1997 | 17 | 27 km (17 mi) |
| Kolkata | Kolkata Metro | 1984 | 17 | 16.5 km (10.3 mi) |
| Delhi | Delhi Metro | 2002 | 59 | 65.1 km (40.5 mi) |
 Iran |
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| Tehran | Tehran Metro | 2000 | 40 | 48.5 km (30.1 mi) |
 Japan |
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| Fukuoka | Fukuoka City Subway | 1981 | 35 | 29.8 km (18.5 mi) |
| Hiroshima | Astram Line | 1994 | 21 | 18.4 km (11.4 mi) |
| Kobe | Kobe Rapid Railway | 1968 | 10 | 7.6 km (4.7 mi) |
| Kobe Municipal Subway | 1977 | 25 | 30.6 km (19 mi) | |
| Kyoto | Kyoto Municipal Subway | 1981 | 29 | 28.8 km (17.9 mi) |
| Nagoya | Nagoya Municipal Subway | 1957 | 83 | 89.1 km (55.4 mi) |
| Osaka | Osaka Municipal Subway | 1933 | 101 | 137.8 km (85.6 mi) |
| Saitama | Saitama Rapid Railway Line | 2001 | 8 | 14.6 km (9.1 mi) |
| Sapporo | Sapporo Municipal Subway | 1971 | 46 | 48 km (30 mi) |
| Sendai | Sendai Subway | 1987 | 17 | 14.8 km (9.2 mi) |
| Tokyo (23 special wards) |
Tokyo Metro | 1927 | 168 | 183.2 km (113.8 mi) |
| Toei Subway | 1960 | 106 | 121.5 km (75.5 mi) | |
| Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit | 1996 | 8 | 12.2 km (7.6 mi) | |
| Yokohama | Yokohama Municipal Subway | 1972 | 32 | 40.4 km (25.1 mi) |
| Minatomirai Line | 2004 | 6 | 4.1 km (2.5 mi) | |
 North Korea |
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| Pyongyang | Pyongyang Metro | 1973 | 17 | 35 km (22 mi) |
 South Korea |
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| Busan | Busan Subway | 1985 | 86 | 89.9 km (55.9 mi) |
| Daegu | Daegu Subway | 1997 | 55 | 53.9 km (33.5 mi) |
| Daejeon | Daejeon Subway | 2006 | 22 | 22.6 km (14 mi) |
| Gwangju | Gwangju Subway | 2004 | 14 | 12.2 km (7.6 mi) |
| Incheon | Incheon Subway | 1999 | 22 | 24.6 km (15.3 mi) |
| Seoul | Seoul Subway | 1974 | 266 | 287 km (178 mi) |
 Malaysia |
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| Kuala Lumpur | Ampang Line | 1996 | 25 | 27 km (17 mi) |
| Kelana Jaya Line | 1998 | 24 | 29 km (18 mi) | |
 Philippines |
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| Manila | Manila Light Rail Transit System | 1984 | 29 | 28.8 km (17.9 mi) |
| Manila Metro Rail Transit System | 1999 | 13 | 17.0 km (10.6 mi) | |
 Singapore |
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| Singapore | Mass Rapid Transit | 1987 | 64 | 109.4 km (68 mi) |
 Taiwan |
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| Taipei | Taipei Rapid Transit System | 1996 | 67 | 74.4 km (46.2 mi) |
 Thailand |
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| Bangkok | Bangkok Skytrain | 1999 | 23 | 23 km (14 mi) |
| Bangkok Metro | 2004 | 18 | 21 km (13 mi) | |
 Turkey |
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| Ankara | Ankara Metro | 1997 | 12 | 14.7 km (9.1 mi) |
| Istanbul | Istanbul Metro | 2000 | 6 | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| İzmir | İzmir Metro | 2000 | 10 | 11.6 km (7.2 mi) |
 Uzbekistan |
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| Tashkent | Tashkent Metro | 1977 | 29 | 39.1 km (24.4 mi) |
Europe
| Location | Name | Opened | Stations | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Armenia |
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| Yerevan | Yerevan Metro | 1981 | 10 | 13.4 km (8.3 mi) |
 Austria |
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| Vienna | Vienna U-Bahn | 1976 | 90 | 65.6 km (40.8 mi) |
 Azerbaijan |
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| Baku | Baku Metro | 1967 | 20 | 29.9 km (18.6 mi) |
 Belarus |
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| Minsk | Minsk Metro | 1984 | 25 | 30.3 km (18.8 mi) |
 Belgium |
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| Brussels | Brussels Metro | 1976 | 59 | 32 km (20 mi) |
 Bulgaria |
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| Sofia | Sofia Metro | 1998 | 8 | 10 km (6 mi) |
 Czech Republic |
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| Prague | Prague Metro | 1974 | 54 | 54.7 km (34 mi) |
 Denmark |
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| Copenhagen | Copenhagen Metro | 2002 | 22 | 21 km (13 mi) |
| S-train | 1934 | 85 | ||
 Finland |
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| Helsinki | Helsinki Metro | 1982 | 17 | 22.1 km (13.7 mi) |
 France |
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| Lille | Lille Metro | 1983 | 60 | 45.2 km (28.1 mi) |
| Lyon | Lyon Metro | 1968 | 39 | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Marseille | Marseille Metro | 1977 | 24 | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Paris | Paris Métro | 1900 | 298 | 213 km (132 mi) |
| RER | 1977 | 256 | 587 km (365 mi) | |
| Rennes | Rennes Metro | 2002 | 15 | 9.4 km (5.8 mi) |
| Toulouse | Toulouse Metro | 1993 | 37 | 37.5 km (23.3 mi) |
 Georgia |
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| Tbilisi | Tbilisi Metro | 1966 | 22 | 26.4 km (16.4 mi) |
 Germany |
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| Berlin | Berlin U-Bahn | 1902 | 170 | 151.7 km (94.3 mi) |
| Berlin S-Bahn | 1924 | 165 | 331 km (206 mi) | |
| Frankfurt | Frankfurt U-Bahn | 1968 | 85 | 58.6 km (36.4 mi) |
| Hamburg | Hamburg U-Bahn | 1912 | 89 | 100.7 km (62.6 mi) |
| Hamburg S-Bahn | 1907 | 59 | 115.2 km (71.6 mi) | |
| Munich | Munich U-Bahn | 1971 | 98 | 100.8 km (62.6 mi) |
| Nuremberg | Nuremberg U-Bahn | 1972 | 41 | 32.4 km (20.1 mi) |
 Greece |
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| Athens | Athens Metro | 1869/2000 | 52 | 72.2 km (44.9 mi) |
 Hungary |
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| Budapest | Budapest Metro | 1896 | 40 | 31.7 km (19.7 mi) |
 Italy |
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| Catania | Catania Metro | 1999 | 6 | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Genoa | Genoa Metro | 1990 | 7 | 5.3 km (3.3 mi) |
| Milan | Milan Metro | 1964 | 86 | 76 km (47 mi) |
| Naples | Naples Metro | 1993 | 18 | 15.3 km (9.5 mi) |
| Rome | Rome Metro | 1955 | 48 | 38 km (24 mi) |
| Turin | Metrotorino | 2006 | 15 | 9.6 km (6 mi) |
 Netherlands |
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| Amsterdam | Amsterdam Metro | 1977 | 52 | |
| Rotterdam | Rotterdam Metro | 1968 | 49 | |
 Norway |
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| Oslo | Oslo T-bane | 1966 | 104 | 84.2 km (52.3 mi) |
 Poland |
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| Warsaw | Warsaw Metro | 1995 | 17 | 18.2 km (11.3 mi) |
 Portugal |
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| Lisbon | Lisbon Metro | 1959 | 46 | 39 km (24 mi) |
| Porto | Porto Metro | 2002 | 68 | 60 km (37 mi) |
 Romania |
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| Bucharest | Bucharest Metro | 1979 | 45 | 62.2 km (38.7 mi) |
 Russia |
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| Kazan | Kazan Metro | 2005 | 5 | 8.4 km (5.2 mi) |
| Moscow | Moscow Metro | 1935 | 174 | 282.5 km (175.5 mi) |
| Nizhny Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod Metro | 1985 | 13 | 15.3 km (9.5 mi) |
| Novosibirsk | Novosibirsk Metro | 1986 | 12 | 14.3 km (8.9 mi) |
| Saint Petersburg | Saint Petersburg Metro | 1955 | 60 | 104.1 km (64.7 mi) |
| Samara | Samara Metro | 1987 | 9 | 10.2 km (6.3 mi) |
| Yekaterinburg | Yekaterinburg Metro | 1991 | 7 | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
 Spain |
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| Barcelona | Barcelona Metro | 1924 | 150 | 115 km (71 mi) |
| Bilbao | Bilbao Metro | 1995 | 36 | 38.2 km (23.7 mi) |
| Madrid | Madrid Metro | 1919 | 316 | 317 km (197 mi) |
| Palma de Mallorca | Palma de Mallorca Metro | 2007 | 9 | 7.2 km (4.5 mi) |
| Valencia | Valencia Metro | 1988 | 37 | 31.8 km (19.8 mi) |
 Sweden |
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| Stockholm | Stockholm Metro | 1950 | 100 | 108 km (67 mi) |
 Ukraine |
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| Dnipropetrovsk | Dnipropetrovsk Metro | 1995 | 6 | 7.1 km (4.4 mi) |
| Kharkiv | Kharkiv Metro | 1975 | 28 | 35.4 km (22 mi) |
| Kiev | Kiev Metro | 1960 | 45 | 58.8 km (36.5 mi) |
 United Kingdom |
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| Glasgow | Glasgow Subway | 1896 | 15 | 10.4 km (6.5 mi) |
| London | London Underground | 1863 | 275 | 408 km (254 mi) |
| Docklands Light Railway | 1987 | 39 | 31 km (19 mi) | |
| Newcastle upon Tyne & Sunderland | Tyne & Wear Metro | 1980 | 59 | 77.7 km (48.3 mi) |
North America
| Location | Name | Opened | Stations | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canada |
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| Montreal | Montreal Metro | 1966 | 68 | 66.0 km (41 mi) |
| Toronto | Toronto subway and RT | 1954 | 69 | 68.3 km (42.4 mi) |
| Vancouver | SkyTrain | 1985 | 33 | 49.5 km (30.8 mi) |
 Mexico |
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| Mexico City | Mexico City Metro | 1969 | 198 | 177 km (110 mi) |
| Monterrey | Monterrey Metro | 1991 | 28 | 23 km (14.3 mi) |
| Guadalajara | Guadalajara Metro | 1989 | 28 | 24.3 km (15.1 mi) |
 United States |
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| Atlanta | MARTA | 1979 | 38 | 77 km (48 mi) |
| Baltimore | Metro Subway | 1983 | 14 | 24.5 km (15.2 mi) |
| Boston | MBTA | 1897 | 51 | 103 km (64 mi) |
| Chicago | Chicago 'L' | 1892 | 144 | 170.6 km (106 mi) |
| Cleveland | RTA Rapid Transit | 1955 | 28 | 31 km (19 mi) |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles County Metro Rail | 1993 | 16 | 28.0 km (17.4 mi) |
| Miami | Miami-Dade Metrorail | 1984 | 22 | 36 km (22 mi) |
| New York | New York City Subway | 1904 | 468 | 368 km (229 mi) |
| Staten Island Railway | 1860 | 23 | 22 km (14 mi) | |
| Port Authority Trans-Hudson | 1908 | 13 | 22.2 km (14 mi) | |
| Philadelphia | SEPTA | 1907 | 51 | 38.7 km (24 mi) |
| PATCO Speedline | 1936 | 13 | 22.9 km (14 mi) | |
| San Francisco Bay Area | Bay Area Rapid Transit | 1972 | 43 | 167 km (104 mi) |
| San Juan | Tren Urbano | 2004 | 16 | 17.2 km (10.7 mi) |
| Washington, D.C. | Metrorail | 1976 | 86 | 171 km (106 mi) |
South America
| Location | Name | Opened | Stations | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
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| Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires Metro | 1913 | 74 | 52.3 km (32.5 mi) |
 Brazil |
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| Belo Horizonte | Belo Horizonte Metro | 1986 | 19 | 28.2 km (17.5 mi) |
| Brasília | Brasília Metro | 2001 | 24 | 42.0 km (26 mi) |
| Porto Alegre | Porto Alegre Metro | 1985 | 17 | 33.8 km (21 mi) |
| Recife | Recife Metro | 1985 | 20 | 29.3 km (18.2 mi) |
| Rio de Janeiro | Rio de Janeiro Metro | 1979 | 32 | 42.0 km (26.1 mi) |
| São Paulo | São Paulo Metro | 1974 | 55 | 61.3 km (38.1 mi) |
| Teresina | Teresina Metro | 1989 | 8 | 12.5 km (7.8 mi) |
 Chile |
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| Santiago de Chile | Santiago Metro | 1975 | 105 | 104.5 km (64.9 mi) |
| Valparaíso | Valparaiso Metro | 2005 | 43 | 20 km (12 mi) |
 Colombia |
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| Medellín | Metro de Medellín | 1995 | 28 | 32.0 km (20 mi) |
 Peru |
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| Lima | Lima Metro | 2003 | 10 | 6.0 km (4 mi) |
 Venezuela |
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| Caracas | Caracas Metro | 1983 | 44 | 51.0 km (32 mi) |
| Los Teques | Los Teques Metro | 2006 | 2 | 9.5 km (5.9 mi) |
| Maracaibo | Maracaibo Metro | 2006 | 3 | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Valencia | Valencia Metro | 2006 | 7 | 4.7 km (2.9 mi) |
Earliest Rapid Transit Systems
- 1863 London Underground
- 1868 Ninth Avenue Elevated (New York City)
- 1869 Athens Metro (Athens-Piraeus Railway, Line 1)
- 1892 Chicago 'L'
- 1893 Liverpool Overhead Railway
- 1896 Budapest Metro
- 1896 Glasgow Subway
- 1897 Boston's "T"
- 1900 Paris Métro
- 1902 Berlin U-Bahn
- 1904 New York City Subway
- 1907 Market-Frankford Line, (Philadelphia)
- 1912 Hamburg U-Bahn
- 1913 Buenos Aires Metro
- 1919 Madrid Metro
- 1924 Barcelona Metro
- 1927 Tokyo Metro
Rankings
For rail systems rankings, go to the following links:
- Metro systems by annual passenger rides
- Metro systems by number of stations
- List of urban rail systems by length
References
- UrbanRail.Net - Guide to metro systems of the world
- LRTA - World System List of LRT, Tramways and Metro
- Metro Bits - World Metro List
- CityRailTransit.com´s line-based list for the worldwide metro systems
Books
- Garbutt, Paul. World Metro Systems. Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-191-0.
- W Hinkel, K Treiber, G Valenta and H Liebsch. Underground Railways Yesterday - Today - Tomorrow. Schmid Verlag. ISBN 3-900607-44-3.
- Ovenden, Mark. Metro Maps Of The World. Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-288-7.
- Fischler, Stan. Subways Of The World. MBI. ISBN 0-7603-0752-0.
See also
- List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership
- List of suburban and commuter rail systems
- List of light-rail transit systems
- List of airport people mover systems
- List of bus rapid transit systems
- List of town tramway systems
- List of trolleybus systems
- List of articulated bus systems
- List of monorail systems
- List of funicular railways
