Public transit discussions here tend to be very metro-centric and also heavily focused on North America or often lost in the dead Transportation forum, so I thought it would be interesting to create another worldwide statistics thread.
The idea is to discuss and compare transit systems all over the world through ridership numbers, lenght rankings, and urban context. This can include: metros/subways, commuter rail, suburban rail, regional rail, trams/LRT, buses/BRT systems, everything.
I’ll start with the Wikipedia
list of busiest metro systems in the world:
---------- System -- Stations - Lenght - Annual Ridership (millions)
Code:
Shanghai ---- Metro ------- 415 --- 890.0 km --- 3,773.8 (2024)
Beijing ----- Subway ------ 404 --- 891.1 km --- 3,621.3 (2024)
Guangzhou --- Metro ------- 317 --- 779.9 km --- 3,255.0 (2024)
Shenzhen ---- Metro ------- 332 --- 622.0 km --- 3,101.9 (2024)
Tokyo ------- Metro ------- 142 --- 195.1 km --- 2,496.8 (2024)
Seoul ------- Subway ------ 338 --- 358.5 km --- 2,403.0 (2022)
Delhi ------- Metro ------- 243 --- 375.9 km --- 2,358.0 (2025)
Moscow ------ Metro ------- 249 --- 535.3 km --- 2,288.5 (2023)
Chengdu ----- Metro ------- 363 --- 716.4 km --- 2,209.0 (2024)
New York ---- Subway ------ 424 --- 399.0 km --- 2,040.1 (2024)
Hong Kong --- MTR ---------- 99 --- 209.1 km --- 1,770.0 (2024)
Paris ------- Metro ------- 321 --- 245.6 km --- 1,475.5 (2024)
Hangzhou ---- Metro ------- 254 --- 516.2 km --- 1,469.8 (2024)
Wuhan ------- Metro ------- 289 --- 553.3 km --- 1,467.0 (2024)
Cairo ------- Metro -------- 84 --- 106.8 km --- 1,460.0 (2023)
Chongqing --- RT ---------- 286 --- 576.0 km --- 1,416.5 (2024)
Xi'an ------- Metro ------- 243 --- 422.2 km --- 1,406.4 (2024)
São Paulo --- Metro -------- 97 --- 111.1 km --- 1,265.0 (2025)
Singapore --- MRT --------- 143 --- 242.6 km --- 1,240.0 (2024)
London ------ Underground - 272 --- 402.0 km --- 1,216.0 (2024)
14 in Asia (9 in China), 3 in Europe, 2 in Americas and 1 in Africa
However, “metro” can be a very arbitrary definition and often fails to capture the whole urban transit in most cities (e.g. Tokyo, Paris, São Paulo, etc.). Here a (non-exhaustive) table:
---------- System -- Stations - Lenght - Annual Ridership (millions)
Code:
Tokyo ------- Metro/TOEI/* --- 368 --- 452.3 km --- 4.087,4 (2024/2023)
Shanghai ---- Metro ---------- 415 --- 890.0 km --- 3,773.8 (2024)
Beijing ----- Subway --------- 404 --- 891.1 km --- 3,621.3 (2024)
Guangzhou --- Metro ---------- 317 --- 779.9 km --- 3,255.0 (2024)
Shenzhen ---- Metro ---------- 332 --- 622.0 km --- 3,101.9 (2024)
Seoul ------- Subway/DX ------ 354 --- 391.9 km --- 2,525.5 (2022/2019)
Paris ------- Metro/RER ------ 578 --- 847.6 km --- 2,458.5 (2024/2019)
Delhi ------- Metro ---------- 243 --- 375.9 km --- 2,358.0 (2025)
New York ---- Subway/PATH/**-- 873 - 2,176.7 km --- 2,344.6 (2024)
Moscow ------ Metro ---------- 249 --- 535.3 km --- 2,288.5 (2023)
Chengdu ----- Metro ---------- 363 --- 716.4 km --- 2,209.0 (2024)
São Paulo --- Metro/CPTM ----- 193 --- 392.1 km --- 1,988.7 (2025)
Hong Kong --- MTR ------------- 99 --- 209.1 km --- 1,770.0 (2024)
London ------ Underground/*** 440 --- 731.0 km --- 1,738.2 (2024)
Hangzhou ---- Metro ---------- 254 --- 516.2 km --- 1,469.8 (2024)
Wuhan ------- Metro ---------- 289 --- 553.3 km --- 1,467.0 (2024)
Cairo ------- Metro ----------- 84 --- 106.8 km --- 1,460.0 (2023)
Chongqing --- RT ------------- 286 --- 576.0 km --- 1,416.5 (2024)
Xi'an ------- Metro ---------- 243 --- 422.2 km --- 1,406.4 (2024)
Singapore --- MRT ------------ 143 --- 242.6 km --- 1,240.0 (2024)
Osaka ------- Metro/**** ----- 186 --- 225.4 km --- 1,230.6 (2024)
Mexico City - Metro/Tren ----- 170 --- 227.9 km --- 1,217.0 (2024)
Nanjing ----- Metro ---------- 252 --- 627.5 km --- 1,093.5 (2024)
Changsha ---- Metro ---------- 140 --- 218.3 km --- 1,031.6 (2024)
Berlin ------ U-Bahn/S-Bahn -- 343 --- 495.6 km --- 1,010.3 (2024)
Madrid ------ U-Bahn/Cercanías 335 --- 666.4 km ----- 956.7 (2024)
* Rinkai, Yurikamome, Nippori-Toneri, Yokohama Subway, Minatomirai, Kanazawa Seaside, Saitama Rapid Railway, New Shuttle, Tōyō Rapid Railway
** Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, NJ Transit Rail
*** Overground, DLR, Elizabeth Line
**** Kyoto Subway, Kobe New Transit, Kyoto Subway
It's a collaborative thread, so feel free to post statistics, maps, rankings, operator data, historical trends or local insights from your cities and countries.
Threaded Mode