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Technological progress, as you know, does not stand still, thanks to which people got the opportunity to overcome significant distances in a few minutes. At the same time, the metro is an important urban mode of transport, which circulates every few minutes, overcomes the station in 2-5 minutes and is capable of transporting a huge number of people at the same time.
Of course, if you live in a small town and have arrived in a metropolis for the first time, then the “underground beast” that is terribly noisy and full of people will frighten and disorient you at first. And after a while, you will understand how convenient it is to use the “subway” – you go to yourself, peacefully swaying and reading your favorite book, and you are not nervous because of traffic jams and the need to pass the fare.
Did you knowthat the metro, as a form of transport, is already a century and a half old? The very first extended line appeared in London in 1863 – then the length of the line was only six kilometers.
Now there are more than 200 subways in the world, many of which fascinate with their length, dimensions and beauty.
We have prepared a selection of the 10 longest subways in the world, which are also so attractive for tourists.
10 Mexico City, Mexico – 225 km
The metro of this big city with dense tourist traffic stretches for more than 200 km. Many of the largest cities are located at a shorter distance from each other, and here such a length. At the same time, there are only 195 stations here, which annually take on a flow of more than one and a half billion passengers.
In the subway Mexico City has its own unique feature – the names of all stations are accompanied by the corresponding logos. We can see plants, people, animals as well as graphic abstractions. And such a trick is being done for local residents and visitors to the city, who have not learned to read. Yes, and for tourists, you see, it is more convenient to navigate by capacious pictures than by ads in a language unfamiliar to them.
9. Madrid, Spain – 293 km
Still, the subway of the capital of Spain, which is famous for the receptions of a huge flow of football fans, would not be huge. The length is almost 300 kilometers, while the number of stations is almost the same as the Paris metro (301 pieces).
It is noteworthy that despite the impressive length, the metro Madrid receives the least number of passengers per year (only half a billion people) compared to other heroes of our top. The first branch was founded in 1919.
It is also interesting for the fact, which has “ghost station”which was closed in 1966. Now “Chambers” functions as a subway museum, attracting crowds of tourists with its unusualness.
8. Tokyo, Japan – 310 kilometers
It is known for certain that Tokyo is the world’s largest metropolitan area in terms of population density. It is not surprising that the metro here has an impressive size – the average length has reached 310 kilometers with 290 stations.
Of course, this particular subway is one of the most congested in the world, since it manages to serve about 3 billion people a year (the local population and a huge flow of tourists).
An interesting factthat during rush hour, “rammers” appear at some stations, whose duties include pushing people into the cars to facilitate and speed up boarding.
7. New York, USA – 373 km
The Big Apple is America’s largest business, political and commercial center. Films and series are filmed here, people come here to conduct major deals, as well as those who just want to stare at the bright shop windows, billboards and the bustle of the metropolis.
To serve all the “rotozee” metro New York stretches for 373 kilometers in length, while the number of stations is the largest in the world – 472. In combination, this subway is considered one of the oldest, since the first line was laid back in 1904.
6. Moscow, Russia – 379 km
The capital of our country annually serves crowds of tourists, and the size of the city itself inspires. In 1935, the subway began to function here with a total length of lines of 379 kilometers. Every year, the subway overstrains, transporting about 2,5 billion people – an indicator close to “Tokyo”.
Our subway has a lot of interesting features and is generally a local landmark. It is in Russia that the most beautiful stations in the world are located (and their total number is 206).
Tourists can meet real “underground palaces” with chandeliers, chandeliers, stucco, frescoes and marvelous airbrushing. day in Moscow you can kill just to ride through all the famous stations with their own history.
5. Seoul, South Korea – 393 km
If we consider large subways, then in Seoul lines are quite young (they were opened in 1974). For such a short period, the Korean subway managed to become the record holder in length – 393 kilometers with a total number of 429 stations.
A kind of underground colossus should annually serve 2,5 billion people. But Seoul breaks records not only in this. It turned out that this is where the longest metro line on the planet (52,3 kilometers). To fully overcome it, you need an interesting book or a long fascinating movie.
4. London, England – 402 km
As we mentioned above, the oldest subway in the world during its existence, “overgrown” with 402 kilometers of length and 270 stations. Passenger turnover in London small and accounts for about 1,2 billion passengers.
Interestinglythat this metro gave its name to other world underground networks. It turns out that the construction of the subway was in charge of the Metropolitan Railway, thanks to which the subway received the name of the same name. In the future, it was reduced to the usual “metro”, which took root around the world.
But in the UK itself, this name has not been used for a long time, preferring the poetic Underground or youth Tube to it (due to the “pipe” shape of the stations).
3. Paris, France – 587 km
In this capital, the metro is one of the oldest, since the branch was laid exactly in 1900. For a century and a half, the subway stretched for 587 kilometers, and the number of stations barely exceeded three hundred.
Rumor has it that for the day the train Paris manage to roll about 4 million people, but is it so?
Interestinglythat the local Madeleine station has a stained-glass window with the image of the “Ryaba chicken” and the same name. The decoration is a gift to the capital from the Moscow Metro.
2. Shanghai, China – 538 km
A major Chinese city has a very long subway (538 kilometers), thanks to which it receives a “silver medal” in our review.
Number of stations in Shanghai not the largest, only 365, but they are obliged to serve a flow of 2,2 billion passengers. This metro is considered one of the youngest in the world, as it was opened in 1993. And in 2007, it managed to set a record, since 92 kilometers of tracks were laid in a year, on which 70 stations are located.
1. Beijing, China – 599 km
In China, as you know, there are a lot of people, and they are forced to carry the subway with a length of almost 600 km with 343 stations. The system serves more than 3 billion passengers a year.
Metro Beijing equipped with very modern trains and allows you to perform many manipulations on the way home or to work, for example, to buy online in a supermarket using a terminal. And it is also the leader in terms of length in our list.
Here are some amazing facts that you probably did not know about subways. But it’s better to see everything with your own eyes.