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, mass rapid transit (MRT), metrô or U-Bahn. Template:As of 204 cities in 65 countries operate 917metro lines.
The London Underground first opened as an underground railway in 1863 and its first electrified underground line, the City and South London Railway, opened in 1890,<ref name="LU-history">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the world's first deep-level electric metro system.<ref name="uitp-sustain">Template:Cite web</ref> The Budapest Millennium Underground Railway, which opened in 1896, was the world's first electric underground railway specifically designed for urban transportation and is still in operation today.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Shanghai Metro is both the world's longest metro network at Template:Convert and the busiest with the highest annual ridership reaching approximately 2.83 billion passenger trips.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Beijing Subway has the greatest number of stations, with 424. Template:As of the country with the most metro systems is China, with 54 in operation, including 11 of the 12 longest networks in the world.
The International Association of Public Transport (Template:Lang, 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".<ref name="UITP">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Schwandl">Template:Cite web</ref> The terms heavy rail (mainly in North America) and heavy urban rail are essentially synonymous with the term "metro".<ref name="APTA-def">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FTA">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Heavy rail systems are also specifically defined as an "electric railway".<ref name="APTA-def"/><ref name="FTA"/>
The dividing line between the metro and other modes of public transport, such as light rail<ref name="APTA-def"/><ref name="FTA"/> and commuter rail,<ref name="APTA-def"/><ref name="FTA"/> is not always clear. The UITP only makes distinctions between "metros" and "light rail", whereas <ref name="UITP"/> the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) distinguish all three modes.<ref name="APTA-def"/><ref name="FTA"/> A common way to distinguish metro from light rail is by their separation from other traffic. While light rail systems may share roads with car traffic or use sections of track with level crossings across roads, metro systems tend to run on a grade-separated exclusive right-of-way with no access for 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.
File:World Metro systems.svgCountries shown in green have at least one operational metro system. Countries shown in yellow have at least one metro system under construction.
The most common English name of the metro system (including a link to the article for that system).
Year opened
File:Metro around the world.pngMap of all the world's metro systemsThe year the metro system was opened for commercial service at metro standards. In other words, parts of the system may be older, but as parts of a former light rail or commuter rail network, so the year that the system obtained metro standards (most notably electrification) is the one listed.
Year of last expansion
The last time the system length or number of stations in the metro system was expanded.
Stations
The number of stations in the metro network, with stations connected by transfer counted as one.
System length
The system length of a metro network is the sum of the lengths of all routes in the rail network in kilometers or miles. Each route is counted only once, regardless of how many lines pass over it, and regardless of whether it is single-track or multi-track, single carriageway or dual carriageway.
Ridership
The number of unique journeys on the metro system every year. There is a major discrepancy between the ridership figures: some metro systems count transferring between lines as multiple journeys, but others do not. Numbers may also be counted via different methods – faregates/turnstiles or light barriers at entrances or vehicle doors being the most common but far from the only ones.
1978<ref name="wiener_linien" /><ref group="Nb">Vienna's Metropolitan Railway (Wiener Stadtbahn) first opened for service in 1898, operating steam locomotive trains on mostly elevated or underground ROWs. From 1976 onwards, part of it was integrated into the newly established Vienna U-Bahn system (lines U4 and U6), operating as a modern metro.</ref>
100.38 (2024)<ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R Nb">Figure extrapolated from 2,75,000 average daily ridership figures over an year as mentioned in the cited report</ref>
304.0 (2023)<ref name="APTA-2023-Q4" group="R">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="APTA" group="R Nb">All American Public Transportation Association figures are derived from unlinked transit passenger trips (i.e. a transfer between two lines counts as two passenger trips, transferring twice counts as three trips, etc.).</ref>
302.5 (2023)<ref name="APTA-2023-Q4" group="R" /><ref name="APTA" group="R Nb" /><ref name="Toronto" group="R Nb">This ridership figure is the sum of the "Heavy Rail (HR)" and "Intermediate Rail (IR)" figures for Toronto from the APTA Ridership report – in other words, this figure includes ridership on the Line 3 Scarborough (RT) line which APTA considers to be "Intermediate Rail (IR)".</ref>
1971<ref group="Nb">The Beijing Subway's first line began trial operations on 1 October 1969. It opened to revenue service under trial operations on 15 January 1971. Initially, only members of the public with credential letters from their work units could purchase tickets, but this restriction was removed on 27 December 1972. The subway line passed its final inspections and ended trial operations on 15 September 1981. During the trial operations period, annual ridership rose from 8.28 million in 1971 to 55.2 million in 1980. See the history section of the Beijing Subway for details and references.</ref>
Foshan Metro<ref group="Nb" name="FL">First line of Foshan Metro, the Guangfo Line, serves two cities – Foshan and Guangzhou. The Guangfo Line is operated by Guangzhou Metro and as such is included in Guangzhou's tally.</ref>
1979<ref group="Nb">The first MTR route to offer metro service was the Modified Initial System in 1979, which consists of portions of the later Tsuen Wan Line and Kwun Tong Line. Though the eventual East Rail Line opened as a conventional railway in 1910, it did not offer metro service until at least in 1982 when it was electrified.</ref>
Template:Cvt<ref name="shanghai-14-18-line" /><ref name="exclude-maglev-22" group="Nb">This figure excludes Maglev line and Jinshan Railway, all of which often included in Shanghai Metro maps but not considered part of the system.</ref>
319<ref group="Nb">As of 04 January 2025, there are 394 stations if the 75 interchange stations (i.e. different sets of platforms) are counted multiple times, while there are 319 stations if they are counted as one station.</ref>
321Template:Refn<ref name="Paris-Metro">As for the size the system reached by the end of 2017, see Template:Cite web The Montmartre funicular is considered to be part of the metro system, within which is represented by a 303rd fictive station "Funiculaire".
1904<ref>Template:Cite web The Athens Metro incorporates the steam-powered Athens–Piraeus Railway (SAP, now Line 1), which opened on 27 February 1869. The railway's first tunnel section, between Template:Stl and Template:Stl, opened on 17 May 1895, and SAP completed the electrification of the line on 16 September 1904.</ref>Template:Refn
259.2 (2018)<ref group="R">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Athens" group="R Nb">This ridership figure is the sum of the two "Μετρό" figures (Γ1 line, or "Ηλεκτρικός", formerly ran by IASA and Γ2 - Γ3 lines, formerly ran by AMEL) from the OAΣA's 2018 Activity Report.</ref>
29.35 (2023<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb">Fiscal year not calendar year</ref>)<ref group="R">Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="R Nb">Total ridership figures from April 2023 to March 2024</ref>
14.6 (2023<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb" />)<ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R Nb">Figure extrapolated from 40,000 average daily ridership figures over an year as mentioned in the cited report</ref>
162.06 (2023<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb" />)<ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R Nb">Figure extrapolated from 4,40,000 average daily ridership figures over an year as mentioned in the cited report</ref>
26.82 (2023<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb" />)<ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R Nb">Figure extrapolated from 73,476 average daily ridership figures over an year as mentioned in the cited report</ref>
195.4 (2024)<ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R Nb">Figure extrapolated from a sum of average daily ridership figures of lines 1 (3,54,610), 2A & 7 (1,80,726.37) over an year as mentioned in the cited reports</ref>
33.93 (2024<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb" />)<ref group="R">Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="R Nb">Figure extrapolated from 75,000 average daily ridership figures over an year as mentioned in the cited report</ref>
2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="Nb" name="MS">Opening of metro-standards Line 2.</ref>
2023<ref group="Nb">Opening of RajaeeiShahr station.</ref>
10<ref name="karaj" group="Nb">The Template:Cvt Line 1 of Karaj Metro (part of line 5 of Tehran metro) is a commuter rail line, and so is not included in the statistics here. If Line 1 is included, there would be 10 stations.</ref>
131<ref name="SI" group="Nb">There are 131 stations if interchange stations are counted once, and 146 stations if they are counted multiple times. The Template:Cvt Line 5 of the Tehran Metro is a commuter rail line, and so is not included in the statistics here – only metro Lines 1–4 and 6–7 are. If Line 5 is included, the total length of the system would be Template:Cvt, and there would be 142 unique stations, and 159 total stations.</ref><ref name="Tehran">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
53.0 (2023<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb" />)<ref name="JSA" group="R">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref group="R Nb" name="japan">Compared to European or North American systems, Japanese rapid transit systems are generally neither thought of as metros nor as completely subterranean "subways" complicating whether only using the municipal subway statistic is accurate when comparing with other Metros around the world. As example Tokyo Metro and the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation's Toei Subway constitute only 22% of the 14.6 billion metropolitan railway ridership in Greater Tokyo (MLIT Yearly Statistics). In addition, when one considers intracity lines of JR East and private railway companies, Greater Tokyo (130 lines) has higher daily ridership than any other metropolitan area in the world with 14.6 billion passengers annually. The Osaka Municipal Subway also has only a minority share of all metropolitan railway ridership in Greater Osaka, constituting only 17.6% of Greater Osaka's 4.745 billion rail passengers annually in 2010. Including the municipal subway systems in both Kobe and Kyoto, the result still only comprises 22% of all rail travel in the Greater Osaka area with 1065.8 million passengers yearly (MLIT Yearly Statistics). For Greater Nagoya, the Nagoya Municipal Subway has only a minority share of all metropolitan railway ridership in Greater Nagoya constituting only 38% of Greater Nagoya's 1.095 billion rail passengers annually in 2010 (MLIT Yearly Statistics). For a complete list of urban rail systems in Japan with ridership statistics, see List of urban rail systems in Japan.</ref>
Seoul Metropolitan Subway<ref name="Seoul-Metro" group="Nb">The Seoul Subway Lines 1-9 and Seoul Light Rapid Transit is actually operated by several different operators – Seoul Metro and Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation (SLM9), plus through-operation services from Korail – but because all of these lines are owned by the City Government of Seoul, here in the table they are counted together as one system.</ref><ref group="Nb" name="Seoul">Seoul's Metropolitan Subway system can also be viewed as a comprehensive metro network made up of multiple owned/operated metro systems. If viewed as such, the combined route length of Seoul's comprehensive metro-standards network would be Template:Cvt.</ref>
2,403 (2022)<ref group="R">Template:Cite web (You can select English from the language dropdown that reads "Template:Lang")</ref><ref name="seoul" group="R Nb">This figure counts only gate-passers, so it only includes Seoul Metro and Seoul Subway Line 9 riders. Other lines that function as separate systems within the greater Seoul urban rail network are excluded.</ref><ref group="R Nb" name="unlinked">Ridership is based on unlinked passenger trips (i.e. a transfer between two lines counts as two trips, transferring between three lines counts as three trips, etc.).</ref>
122.5 (2019)<ref group="R" name="Seoul-stats">Template:Cite report</ref><ref group="R Nb">This ridership figure is the sum of the total annual trips (Template:Lang, boarding and transfer passengers) on the two sections (Phase 1 and Phase 2) of the line, from the accompanying reference.</ref>
SITEUR<ref group="Nb">Line 1 of the SITEUR system has some level crossings (with priority) and can be therefore be considered "light rail" instead of "metro".</ref>
1994<ref group="Nb">Line 1 was opened in 1989.</ref>
Rotterdam Metro<ref group="Nb">Some sections of the Rotterdam Metro (portions of Lines A, B, E) have some level crossings (with priority) and so could therefore be considered "light rail" instead of "metro".</ref>
Oslo Metro<ref group="Nb" name="Tramlike">These systems have similarities to light rail systems, because of the existence of a few road level crossings, but are listed since they are almost entirely separated from roads.</ref>
1966<ref group="Nb">The first underground portion was opened in 1928, but that was a tram line. One surface line has origins from 1898. System opened as a full Metro in 1966.</ref>
2016<ref group="Nb">Opening of the Løren station in 2016.</ref>
218.2 (2019)<ref group="R">Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="R Nb">This figure is the sum of the passenger ridership on the two LRTA lines, L1 and L2, from the accompanying reference; it is based on unlinked passenger trips (i.e. a transfer between two lines counts as two trips, etc.).</ref>
Barcelona Metro<ref group="Nb">TMB-operated lines L1-L5 and L9-L11 only. FGC-operated lines L6-L8 share track with other FGC commuter lines, and thus do not qualify as metro-standards lines.</ref>
132Template:Refn<ref name="Barcelona-TBM">As for the size the system reached by the end of 2018, see Template:Cite web The Montjuïc Funicular, despite being considered to be part of the metro system, is excluded.
1950<ref name="Stockholm-dates" /><ref group="Nb">The first line, later known as Green Line, was opened by stages during the 1950s, partly converting to metro operations prior rapid tram alignments. These included the oldest tunnel, built in 1933, which name (Tunnelbana) and symbol were bequeathed to the new system.</ref>
Lausanne Métro<ref group="Nb">The Lausanne Metro has two lines: Line M1 is light rail, while Line M2 is rapid transit. The stats listed are for Line M2 only.</ref>
36.0 (2024)<ref group="R">Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="R Nb">Ridership figure is for rapid transit Line M2 only; ridership on the light rail M1 line is excluded.</ref>
Template:Cvt<ref name="dailysabah.com" /><ref name="Ankara">Template:Cite web Simply sum the lengths and number of stations on the operational lines to obtain the totals for the Ankara Metro.</ref>
1863<ref group="Nb">London's Metropolitan Railway first opened for service in 1863, operating steam locomotive trains in cut and cover tunnels. It began operating as a modern metro when electric-propulsion trains began operating on the system's first deep-level tube line in 1890.</ref>
1,181 (2023)<ref name="FYnotCal" group="Nb" /><ref group="R" name="tfl-excel">Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="R Nb" name="London">Does not include ridership on the separate Docklands Light Railway (39.9 million), London Overground (53.8 million), Tramlink or National Rail systems within Greater London.</ref>
MBTA subway<ref group="Nb">Includes both MBTA's heavy and light rail lines, as the light rail utilizes the same tracks and system as the heavy rail. Does not include the Silver Line, as in actuality this is a bus route.
1901<ref name="APTA2016" /><ref group="Nb">The originally-elevated Orange Line opened in 1901, sharing the Tremont Street Subway that had opened in 1897 as an underground streetcar tunnel (for the light railGreen Line).</ref>
1892<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="Nb" name="CTA-Loop">Dated from the opening of the South Side Elevated on June 6, 1892. The "L" was first electrified in 1895 when the Metropolitan West Side Elevated opened. The entire system was unified and electrified in 1897 with the construction of the Union Loop.</ref>
Template:Cvt<ref name="CTA-facts" /><ref group="Nb" name="length">This figure comes from the sum of the following figures from the accompanying reference (i.e. Template:Cite web): 35.8 miles of elevated route, 35.0 miles at grade level, 20.6 miles on embankments, and 11.4 miles of subway.</ref>
Metro Rail<ref group="Nb" name="LA">Rapid transitB and D lines only. All other L.A. Metro Rail lines are light rail, and are not included here.</ref>
1993<ref name="LA-Metro-facts" />
2000<ref name="LA-Metro-facts" /><ref group="Nb">This was the date of the last extension to the B Line in the rapid transit portion of Los Angeles' Metro Rail.</ref>
1904<ref name="nyct" /><ref group="Nb">First regular elevated railway service, originally cable hauled, began in 1868. Elevateds converted to steam power in 1870, electrified by 1903. The first section of electrified subway opened in 1904.</ref>
1925<ref name="APTA2016" /><ref group="Nb">While the line opened as a railroad in 1860, it was not until 1925 that rapid transit equipment would be operated here.</ref>
1937<ref group="Nb">The last completely new stations were the current Newark and Harrison stations, which respectively replaced the Park Place and Harrison stations on a different alignment in 1937. According to PATH, its newest station is World Trade Center, which was completed in 2015 but replaced a previous station on the same site.</ref>
47<ref name="BART-facts" /><ref group="Nb">47 rapid transit stations, plus three additional stations (two eBART and one AGT) within the system.</ref>
6
Template:Cvt<ref name="BART-facts">Template:Cite web</ref><ref group="Nb">This figure excludes the eBART extension from Pittsburg/Bay Point to Antioch (9.2 miles) and the "BART to Oakland International Airport (OAK) elevated guideway" (3.2 miles).</ref>
Caracas Metro<ref group="Nb" name="Caracas">Statistics presented here include the Los Teques Metro which functions as effectively a subsidiary and extension of the Caracas Metro.</ref>
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 and Serbia are currently constructing their first ever metro systems.
