What is the top 10 metro in the world?

Tokyo sprawls. A megacity. 37 million. Fascinating how these urban organisms evolve.

Moscow. Russia’s heart. 12 million. Urban planning differs drastically from Asian models.

Mumbai, India. Dense. 20 million. The sheer human energy.

Beijing. China’s capital. 21 million. Ancient history meets modern skyscrapers. A juxtaposition for the ages.

Shanghai. China’s financial powerhouse. 29 million. A different energy from Beijing, somehow. More frenetic.

NYC. The Big Apple. 20 million. Iconic skyline. A global hub.

Delhi. India’s bustling capital. 32 million. The mix of old and new, always captivating.

London. Historic. Global influence. 9 million. Smaller than some, but its impact is undeniable. Culture, finance, history—it has it all. Quite something.

Istanbul. Bridges continents. 15 million. A unique position, geographically and culturally.

Cairo. Ancient Egypt’s legacy. 20 million. A city shaped by the Nile.

• Population figures are 2023 estimates. These things shift constantly.
• Metro areas often include surrounding suburban sprawl. Defining boundaries can get tricky.
• “Top 10” depends on metrics. Population? Economic output? Cultural influence? There’s no single answer. I personally find the interplay of history and modern development fascinating. Like in Beijing. Or Delhi.
• Think about it. Millions of lives intertwined. Each city a unique ecosystem.

Which country is famous for metro?

Beijing boasts the longest metro system. 815.2 kilometers. That’s a lot of track. Shanghai? Highest ridership. Think 2.83 billion trips in a year. Mind-boggling, how many lives intersect underground. New York City? Most stations. A rabbit warren of steel and flickering lights. But China, as of 2024, takes the crown for most metro systems overall. 47 and counting. Is it infrastructure or a reflection of society’s movement?

• Longest System: Beijing (815.2 km)
• Highest Ridership: Shanghai (2.83 billion trips annually)
• Most Stations: New York City
• Most Metro Systems (2024): China (47)

Urbanization. A constant push and pull. I remember visiting Tokyo’s metro, packed like sardines. Efficient, yet dehumanizing. These systems are marvels of engineering. But at what cost to the human spirit? China’s rapid expansion reflects its booming population and economic growth. Forty-seven systems… it’s like an organism’s circulatory system, constantly expanding. Reminds me of capillaries, veins. But are we the blood cells, or something else entirely? I took the London Underground once. Got completely lost. Ended up in some random suburb. Still, there’s something romantic about the anonymity of the underground. Everyone rushing, going somewhere. Yet no one knows where anyone else is going.

• Other notable systems: Tokyo, London, Paris, Moscow.
• The future of metro: Automation, integration with other transport modes. Sustainability.

Maybe the future of cities is underground. Maybe it’s not. It’s funny, though, how these systems connect us, yet keep us separate. Think of all the stories unfolding beneath our feet. A silent, subterranean world.

What is the biggest metro system in the world?

Okay, biggest metro… Shanghai?

Wait, Shanghai Metro is the longest… or is it? Uh, 831 km… that’s a LOT.

• Shanghai has a ton of stations. 508 stations! Crazy!

Is it the busiest?

• No, wait, Beijing is busier.

Beijing… Okay, so Beijing Subway is 815.2 km. So smaller? But busier? Confusing!

• Beijing is the busiest metro, got it. But Shanghai is longer. Or has more stations. One of those things.

3. 7 billion riders on Shanghai. Wow. Wonder how many on Beijing?

Did I walk on the Shanghai one when I was traveling around the world with my family on November 23rd, 2023? I definitely rode some metro. A blur, seriously.

It’s Shanghai Metro, right? Think so. 831 km is a long system.

Additional Information

• Metro systems are a big deal! They move so many people.

• Thinking about it, the Shanghai Metro is like a city under the city. Makes sense with the density.

• Beijing is busier! Imagine that crush! No thanks. Especially on a Monday.

• I wonder how other cities compare? Like, Tokyo, New York… places like that.

• These numbers are just massive. Hard to even visualize.

• Metro expansion is HUGE in China. The Beijing Subway opened in 1969! Now its much bigger!

• The first metro opened in 1863 in London, UK.

• Wow, it opened in London in 1863! That is old! Crazy!

Which metro is the most beautiful in the world?

Moscow’s Komsomolskaya. Baroque chandeliers. Grand, kinda feels Tsarist-era. What’s beauty anyway? It’s subjective.

• Paris’ Arts et Metiers. Steampunk vibe. Like a submarine. Jules Verne would approve. My friend Anya visited last year; she loved it.
• Naples’ Toledo Station. Descent into light. Mosaic artwork. Reminds me of the Duomo somehow.

Other stations, sure, they have their charms. But these… impact.

• Formosa Boulevard (Kaohsiung): Dome of Light. Impressive scale. Feels a bit like a shopping mall, though.
• Avtovo (St. Petersburg): Ornate columns. Soviet grandeur. Beauty can be propaganda, right?

Thinking about architecture and power… Makes you wonder. I saw a documentary on this once.

• Moyua Square (Bilbao): Modern. Clean. But maybe too clean? Lacks a bit of soul, maybe. I prefer Art Deco.
• Union Station (DC): Beaux-Arts. Impressive. But American monumentalism has a different feel than European. Visited DC in 2022 for a conference.

Beauty isn’t about cost or size. It’s an experience.

• Stockholm’s T-Centralen: Cave-like. Organic. Unexpected. Saw photos online. Want to go someday.
• Munich’s Westfriedhof: Bold colors. Modern art. Like a gallery. Remember a professor in college lecturing on this.

The list could go on. Dubai, Pyongyang. All subjective, beauty. Always changing. Who decides?