Editing Transport in Germany (section)

=== Rapid transit (U-Bahn) ===
[[File:Munich subway C-Zug.jpg|thumb|Train ([[MVG Class C]]) on the [[Munich U-Bahn]]]]
Relatively few cities have a full-fledged underground [[Rapid transit in Germany#U-Bahn|U-Bahn]] system; [[S-Bahn]] (suburban [[commuter railway]]) systems are far more common. In some cities the distinction between U-Bahn and S-Bahn systems is blurred; for instance, some S-Bahn systems run underground, have frequencies similar to U-Bahn, and form part of the same [[integrated transport network]]. A larger number of cities has upgraded their tramways to [[light rail]] standards. These systems are called [[Stadtbahn]] (not to be confused with S-Bahn).

Cities with [[Rapid transit in Germany#U-Bahn|U-Bahn]] systems are:
* [[Berlin]] ([[Berlin U-Bahn|U-Bahn]])
* [[Hamburg]] ([[Hamburg U-Bahn|U-Bahn]])
* [[Munich]] ([[Munich U-Bahn|U-Bahn]])
* [[Nuremberg]]/[[Fürth]] ([[Nuremberg U-Bahn|U-Bahn]])
[[File:Street car passengers as percent of total by German lander gradient map (2016) 2.gif|thumb|Street car passengers and tram systems by [[German Länder]]]]
With the exception of Hamburg, all of those aforementioned cities also have a tram system, often with new lines built to light rail standards. Berlin and Hamburg (as well as the then independent city of [[Schöneberg]] whose lone subway line is today's [[U4 (Berlin U-Bahn)|line 4 of the Berlin U-Bahn]]) began building their networks before World War I whereas Nuremberg and Munich - despite earlier attempts in the 1930s and 1940s - only opened their networks in the 1970s (in time for the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in the case of Munich).

[[File:Logo Stadtbahn Stuttgart.svg|thumb|Logo of the [[Stadtbahn Stuttgart]]. The prominence of the U-Bahn-like "U" compared to the "Stadtbahn" term makes the confusion understandable.]]
Cities with ''Stadtbahn'' systems can be found in the article [[Trams in Germany]]. Locals sometimes confuse ''Stadtbahn'' and "proper" ''U-Bahn'' as the logo for the former sometimes employs a white U on a blue background similar to the logo of the latter (in most cases, however, the Stadtbahn-logo includes additions to that U-logo). Furthermore, Stadtbahn systems often include partially or wholly underground sections (especially in city centers) and in the case of [[Frankfurt U-Bahn]] what is properly a ''Stadtbahn'' is even officially called an U-Bahn. To some extent this confusion was deliberate at the time of the opening of the Stadtbahn networks, as it was seen at the time to be more desirable to have a "proper" U-Bahn system than a "mere" tram system and many cities which embarked on Stadtbahn building projects did so with the official goal of eventually converting the entire network to U-Bahn standards.