World’s greatest metro railways
History, design and operations

World Metros is a new series by City Mayors. The series will feature the world's greatest metro railway systems systems, explain their history and describe current operations. The first articles in the series deal with London, New York and Sao Paulo. Please write to the editor if you wish to contribute to the World Metro series.

Metros featured: Barcelona | Guatemala City | London | New York | Paris | Sao Paulo | Tokyo |

Barcelona Metro: On track to become
the world’s most user-friendly subway
In the 81 years since its opening, the Barcelona Metro has grown to a network of six lines, spanning 86 kilometers and serving 123 stations. Backed by enormous investment and vision on the part of its parent company, Ferrocarils Metropolitans de Barcelona (FCMB), the city transit authority (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, TMB) and the Catalan government, the system is poised for impressive growth. Various extensions and state of the art upgrades will provide Barcelona residents with one of the most expansive and sophisticated metros in the world by the end of this decade. More

London Underground carries
three million people every day
Heritage and modernisation are the watchwords for London’s tube network.  The world’s first underground railway, between Paddington and Farringdon Street was opened by the Metropolitan Railway in December 1863.  Today, London Underground carries three million passengers a day across 275 stations on its 253 mile network. More

Some 4.5 million people use the 100-year-old
New York City Subway every business day
Over the past 100 years, the New York City Subway has evolved and grown from a nine-mile line to a four-borough system consisting of 26 lines and 468 stations. Carried on upwards of 600 trains, more than 4.5 million people depend on it each business day to reach their destinations. More

Paris Métro: Icon of
city's chic and style
The Paris Métro has come to embody the iconic qualities of the French capital, with the distinctive art noveau stations of Hector Guimand considered to be the essence of that style. More recently, the system has become associated with introducing aromas at stations to counter odours and offering free massages to stressed passengers. Having opened the first line in 1900, most of the network was completed by the outset of war in 1939. Its 380 stations are served by 16 lines totalling 221km in length, which also serve the city’s six equally iconic rail termini. 1.3bn passenger journeys were made in 2004. More

Sao Paulo Metro offers cheap travel
but not all parts of the city are served
As Brazil’s economic capital and cultural hub, Sao Paulo is served by a metro rail network that is comprehensive and expansive by Brazilian standards, though somewhat undeveloped in comparison to comparable cities elsewhere in the world. Begun in 1968, it is one of the most recent major metropolitan systems of its size in the world and its 55 stations and 58km of track is relied upon by 2.5m passengers every day. More

Tokyo Metro: The world’s cleanest
and most extensive subway system
The world’s largest, Tokyo’s Metro achieved considerable prominence in 1995 following the poison gas attack on the network by the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo. Tokyo’s dense public transport network is comparable to those in its sister global cities of London, New York and Paris, surpassing them in many regards. Its first line opened in 1927 during the capital’s rapid urbanisation and today operates 21 lines owned by two principal operating companies. In addition to the subway, a number of monorail, tram and private lines also serve the city. More