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Cities in motion

A short history of world metro systems – in pictures

This article is more than 12 years old

From the world’s first subway system, the London Underground, to New York, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Moscow, Beijing and Seoul

Luna Lin
Wed 10 Sep 2014 13.43 CESTLast modified on Mon 3 Feb 2020 13.57 CET
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William Gladstone with directors and engineers of the Metropolitan railway company on an inspection of the world's first underground line, London, May 1862.
The London Underground, which opened in 1863, was the world’s first underground railway system. More than 30,000 passengers tried out the Tube on the opening day and it was hailed by the Times as “the great engineering triumph of the day”. Pictured - William Gladstone on an inspection of the first underground line. Photograph: Hulton Getty
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The London Underground, which opened in 1863, is the world's first and longest-serving underground railway system.
The London Underground now carries 1.17 billion passengers a year.Photograph: Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images
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A workman caulks joints with lead to make them waterproof during the construction of the 6th Avenue subway tunnel in June 1939.
The New York City Subway is 110 years old this year. Pictured - a workman caulks joints with lead to make them waterproof during the construction of the 6th Avenue subway tunnel in June 1939.Photograph: NY Daily News via Getty Images
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The New York City Subway, 110 years old this year, is one of the very few that offers 24 hours service
The New York subway is one of the very few that offers 24 hours service and has more stations (at 468) than any other in the world. It carried 1.71 billion passengers last year.Photograph: Eric Thayer/Reuters
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One of the 48 entrances to the world's largest underground railway station, under the Ginza, Tokyo's shopping and entertainment centre, circa 1950.
The Tokyo subway opened in 1927. Pictured - one of 48 entrances to the world’s largest underground railway station, under the Ginza, Tokyo’s shopping and entertainment centre, in 1950.Photograph: Three Lions/Getty Images
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The Tokyo Subway, opened in 1927, is one of the busiest with a daily ridership of 8.7 million passengers. It has introduced women-only carriages during the morning rush hours to provide "a sense of security". Its Subway Manners guidebook advises passengers to set their mobile to silent mode and refrain from talking during their rides.
Now Tokyo’s metro system carries 8.7 million passengers a day. It has introduced women-only carriages during the morning rush hours to provide “a sense of security”. Its Subway Manners guidebook advises passengers to set their mobile to silent mode and refrain from talking during the ride.Photograph: Lee Jae Won/Reuters
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Wooden subway cars are unloaded, in Buenos Aires. Argentina, May 1934.
Opened in 1913, the Buenos Aires metro is the oldest in Latin America. Pictured - wooden subway cars are unloaded in 1934.Photograph: Keystone-France/100% Keystone
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Opened in 1913, the Buenos Aires Underground is the oldest subway system in Latin America. The wooden carriages of the trains, which were constructed between 1912 and 1919 in Belgium, had been running in the system for nearly 100 years before they were phased out in early 2013, to be replaced by modern Chinese units.
Wooden carriages were used for nearly 100 years until they were phased out in early 2013, to be replaced by modern Chinese units.Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP
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Muscovites look at the new Taganskaya underground station in Moscow, Russia, January 1950.
Although Moscow’s metro opened in 1935, the first plans date back to the Tsarist era. According to Pravda, Joseph Stalin was the first passenger and the driver had to practise driving a train with a Stalin dummy in it for several days before the actual trip. Pictured - Muscovites admire the new Taganskaya station in 1950.Photograph: AP
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Novoslobodskaya metro station, Russia.
Moscow’s Metro is famed for the grand designs of its stations, sometimes dubbed the people’s palaces. Pictured - Novoslobodskaya metro station. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian
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Beijing subway in the 1980s.
Plans to build the Beijing metro system were first discussed in the early 1950s, but preparations were halted in 1961 as a result of the Great Famine. When the subway plan was first discussed, the Chinese capital had a population of only three million. Pictured - the Beijing subway in the 1980s. Photograph: Eric Brissaud/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
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Passengers getting off and on a subway train in Beijing.
When the subway was first built the then-premier, Zhou Enlai, said: “Beijing is building the subway purely for defence reasons. If it was for transport, purchasing 200 buses would solve the problem.” However, Beijing’s subway is now one of the busiest in the world, carrying nearly 10 million passengers a day. Photograph: Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images
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Screens advertising an online mobile game in a subway train in Seoul.
Seoul’s 40-year-old subway is the currently the world’s longest system. It provides 4G and wireless broadband coverage in all stations and trains. The seats are climate-controlled and automatically heat up in winter. Its cleanliness and ease of use has also earned it the reputation of being one of the world’s best systems.Photograph: Ahn Young-joon/AP
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