Top 10 Largest Subway Systems Around the World

Chengdu Metro serves as the rapid transit system for Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China. The system began with the opening of Line 1 on September 27, 2010, and has expanded significantly since. With the addition of Lines 6, 8, 9, 17, and 18 in December 2020, Chengdu Metro became the fourth longest subway system in the world. In just over a decade, it has outgrown all subway systems outside of China, with approximately 6 million daily rides recorded in 2021.

Currently, the Chengdu Metro operates 12 subway lines covering a total length of 519 km, along with one light rail line. This rapid growth has earned it admiration from Western countries, with an average of one new line added each year since its inception. As one of the newest metro networks in the world, it boasts modern stations with vibrant designs and futuristic architecture. Notably, Line 9 features fully automated trains, following in the footsteps of cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The Moscow Metro has been in operation since the mid-1930s and has undergone significant expansion over the past decade. Several major tunnels have been constructed, and 150 km of new tracks were added to better connect the city. The system now links Moscow with nearby smaller cities such as Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy, and Kotelniki. As the busiest metro system in Europe, it has even become a tourist attraction, with some of its older stations offering a glimpse into the Soviet era.

Running deep underground, the Moscow Metro reaches a depth of 84 meters at Park Pobedy, its deepest station, making it one of the deepest metro stations in the world. The metro network includes 15 lines and 250 stations, organized in a radial pattern with most routes running from the city center to its outskirts. While most lines are underground, some sections run on elevated tracks. The Moscow Metro operates from 5:25 AM to 1:00 AM, and by 2017, it carried an average of 6.99 million passengers daily, with a peak of 9.71 million passengers recorded on December 26, 2014.

Shenzhen Metro is the rapid transit system serving the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China. The network operates 15 lines with 345 stations. It became the sixth longest subway system in China and the world when it was inaugurated on December 28, 2004. Since the first phase opened in 2004, passenger numbers have steadily increased. In 2009 and 2010, passenger traffic saw a significant surge with the opening of new lines, and by 2010, ridership had tripled. On July 12, 2019, the metro system set a new record with a peak of 6.63 million passengers in a single day. Some stations also feature free restrooms and public telephones.

By 2035, the Shenzhen Metro is planned to expand further, adding 8 express lines and 24 non-express lines, with a total length of 1,142 km. Lines 1 and 4 will cross the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, reducing travel time between central districts and suburbs to just 45 minutes. This expansion aims to increase public transport's share of motorized trips in the city to over 70%, shorten the gap between cities, boost tourism, and offer more housing options for residents.

The London Underground is the oldest subway system in the world, operating since 1863 under the name Metropolitan Railway. After its launch, the system inspired similar projects in cities like New York and Madrid. While it is commonly referred to as the 'Underground,' nearly half of the network actually runs above ground. The system spans 270 stations and over 402 km. However, it does not cover much of Greater London's southern areas, with only 33 stations located south of the River Thames. In the 2006-2007 period, the Underground recorded over 1 billion passenger journeys.

The London Underground network has expanded to 11 lines, serving more than 296 million passengers in 2020/21, making it one of the busiest subway systems globally. With 11 integrated lines, it accommodates over 5 million passenger journeys per day across 272 stations. The escalators in the system are among the longest in Europe. The Underground runs for 20 hours each day, 364 days a year, with 13,000 passengers using it each hour, 95% of whom travel simultaneously.

The New York City Subway is one of the longest subway systems in the world. It is owned by the City of New York and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 27, 1904, it is among the oldest, most used, and largest public transit systems in the world, with 472 active stations.

The New York City Subway operates 24/7 year-round, except during emergencies and disasters. In terms of annual ridership, it is the busiest rapid transit system in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh busiest in the world. In 2021, the system recorded 1,311,320,200 rides, which averages around 5.65 million daily trips by the second quarter of 2022. On October 29, 2015, the subway set a new record with over 6.2 million passengers in a single day, marking the highest ridership since records began in 1985.

The Nanjing Metro is a rapid transit system serving the urban districts and suburbs of Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province in China. The launch of Line 1 made Nanjing the sixth city on the Chinese mainland to have a metro system, following Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The system consists of seven lines and 128 stations, and it is built, maintained, and operated by the Nanjing Metro Group. Operations began in September 2005.

The Nanjing Metro spans 378 km and features 175 stations, divided between urban metro stations and S-train stations. In 2015, the metro system recorded a total of 720 million trips. Services start early in the morning, with the first train from Yushan Station on Line 10 at 5:40 AM, and the last train departs from Waigaoqiao Station on Line 1 just after 12:27 AM the following day. Long-term plans include expanding the network to 24 lines in total.

The Chongqing Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chongqing in China. It began operations in 2005 and serves the city’s major commercial and entertainment hubs as well as suburban areas. To keep up with urban development, construction is underway on Line 18 and the Jiang Tiao Line, in addition to several extensions for Lines 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. A network of 18 lines is also planned for the future.

Chongqing’s rail transport system is unique due to the city’s mountainous terrain and dense population, with many river valleys. Two lines use heavy monorail technology, which helps navigate steep slopes and tight turns while maintaining rapid transit speeds. The Chongqing Metro can transport up to 32,000 passengers per hour in each direction, though the busiest section of Line 3 reached a peak of 37,700 pphpd in 2019. The metro features many double-decker bridges for both vehicles and trains, such as the Chaotianmen Bridge, the longest arch bridge in the world.

The Shanghai Metro is a rapid transit system in Shanghai, providing transportation services within the city and to suburban areas, covering 14 of the city’s 16 districts and extending to Kunshan in Jiangsu province. As part of the Shanghai Railway system, the Shanghai Metro holds the title of the world’s largest metro system by route length. The city is on track to become a global leader across various sectors in this century, and it only makes sense for it to have a world-class transportation system. Additionally, it ranks as the second-largest metro in the world by the number of stations, with 396 stations across 19 lines.

The Shanghai Metro leads the world in annual ridership, with nearly 4 billion trips made in 2019, equating to over 10 million trips per day. The daily ridership record was set at 13.29 million on March 8, 2019. Over 10 million people use the metro on an average weekday. The metro is undoubtedly the easiest way to navigate Shanghai, although commuting can still be lengthy for many residents. Its longest line spans 82 km, reaching the Shanghai Disney Resort in the Pudong district, which opened to the public in 2016.

The Beijing Metro is the busiest metro system in the world by ridership, with approximately 10 million passengers daily. It first opened in 1969 (fully operational by 1971), and for many years, it struggled to meet the demands of a city of its size and population. However, thanks to the 2008 Olympics and sustained economic growth, the entire network has undergone significant expansion and upgrades. The Beijing Metro now has 24 active lines, covering 703 km of track and 248 stations. It is larger than the metro systems in London, Moscow, and New York.

The Beijing Metro is just 40 km shorter than its counterpart in Shanghai. It is much older, having opened in 1971, 22 years before Shanghai's metro, and has since been a vital transport link for both residents and visitors in China’s capital. The system currently operates 24 lines, with numerous new sections under construction, and 12 planned extensions expected to add over 140 km to its existing network by the end of 2022. Looking ahead, Beijing’s metro could become the longest in China, and potentially the world. The Beijing Metro provides both locals and tourists with a fast, convenient, and cost-effective mode of travel.

The Guangzhou Metro serves the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, China. Operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Group, it is the fourth metro system built on the Chinese mainland, following those in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. The metro system operates daily from 6:00 AM to midnight, with an average daily ridership of over 7 million. In 2018, it recorded 3.029 billion rides, making it the third-busiest metro in the world and the third-largest by track length, after Beijing and Shanghai.

With 247 stations and 14 lines, Guangzhou's metro network is one of the largest globally, extending as far south as Nansha Port, halfway between the city center and the cities of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. There are plans to further expand the system to reach the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, providing faster connections to the two Special Administrative Regions. The proposed Line 18, once completed, will feature trains capable of reaching speeds of 160 km/h—fast by urban metro standards, but slower compared to China's high-speed rail network.