9 Of The World's Best Subways (PHOTOS)

Metros are high capacity, high frequency, urban electric transport railway systems. Also known as the subway, underground, and tube, they are distinguished by being separated from all other types of traffic, pedestrians included. When it comes to energy consumption and space occupancy, metros are among the most efficient means of transportation. In 2006, 155 million people traveled by metro every single day.

MetroRail 2010, held at the end of March, was the 6th annual conference bringing together worldwide leaders of the public transportation industry. The Metros are awards given at the event to recognize the top metro companies.

We've compiled information on the 2010 Metro Awards winners, and highlighted some other notable metros. Vote for your favorite!

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Copenhagen, Denmark

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The Copenhagen Metro was awarded the World’s Best Metro, noted for its high customer satistfaction and record of reliability. It was also awarded for Best Driverless Metro. The Copenhagen Metro debuted in 2002, and runs 24 hours 7 days a week over 13 miles.

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The Copenhagen Metro was awarded the World’s Best Metro, noted for its high customer satistfaction and record of reliability. It was also awarded for Best Driverless Metro. The Copenhagen Metro debuted in 2002, and runs 24 hours 7 days a week over 13 miles.

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Comments

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

11:15 AM on 04/25/2010

MBTA is pretty great.

[squiems]

09:53 AM on 04/15/2010

the dc metro is superior in almost every way to nyc.

[Mij13]

03:56 AM on 05/05/2010

I agree. I cannot believe it didn't make the list.

[David Rozgonyi]

01:32 AM on 04/14/2010

Anyone else love the Moscow subway? That thing is a work of art, and in many cases, literally! Plus it runs 3 x the ridership of New York City, highest in the world... not bad!

http://www.vrmag.org/issue15/MOSCOW_METRO_STATIONS_-_UNDERGROUND_PALACE_PANORAMAS.html

[Protocolor]

10:32 PM on 04/13/2010

Hong Kong and Singapore being left off the list is rather odd. The Beijing and Shanghai systems are both pretty enormous, very clean, and reasonably efficient too, so I would have expected to see one of them on the list.

On the other hand, as dirty, poorly maintained and unsafe as the NYC subway system is, there are few places in the city where you are far from a station and it does (sorta) operate 24/7. Most other systems in the world shut down for a number of hours in the early morning. These two points likely account for NYC's system making the list.

My personal favorite is the Metro of Medellin, Colombia. Though the system is not very extensive yet, and they don't have automated fare kiosks, and thus it probably doesn't deserve to be on a sort list of best systems, it is clean and compliments the city well. After suffering through what passes for public transportation in some of the other cities of the continent, Medellin's Metro is quite the refreshing change. The cable cars to get up into the higher parts of the city are effective and somewhat unusual element of a mass transit system as well.

[AlysonWandaLand]

02:55 PM on 04/13/2010

How is DC Metro not on here??? but NYC is?? that's bs. Serious BS

[hackerblaster]

08:05 AM on 04/13/2010

Can't believe Philadelphia isn't listed here. They are the most expensive in the US. Oh wait, they suck managing their money. I forgot.

[TheBaffler]

08:00 AM on 04/13/2010

Barcelona's subway is first rate.

[netzwerg]

07:43 AM on 04/13/2010

I would rank Moscow subway really high, its definately the most beautiful.

I wonder where the Shanghai Metro is on that list, its the cleanest and best I have ever seen.

[netzwerg]

07:45 AM on 04/13/2010

Here's a photo of the moscow subway: http://www.trekexchange.com/images/Moscow_Metro.jpg

[Pandaforum]

07:35 AM on 04/13/2010

they're missing one. i can't believe they have NY in this list and not Moscow.

[phute]

09:28 AM on 04/13/2010

The London subway is unbearable when it's hot - zilch air con, neither in the booking halls or down on the platforms or on the trains.

[TheOuroborus]

05:31 AM on 04/13/2010

Ah, the NYC Subway... what I wouldn't give for a giant whiff of stale urine smell right now surrounded by the aesthetic sense of a 1st Grader. Maybe it's the rats as big as dogs or the toll booth operator who won't help a woman getting raped right in front of their window. Go ahead, put your filthy boots up on the seat, no-one is going to sit there after you. What's that?... Two N trains just rolled through here back to back, so there's probably not going to be another one for an hour? Yep, great system. "Stan kler ov da klozing drrs."

[KIVPossum]

05:39 AM on 04/13/2010

LOL.

[CologneCitizen]

05:11 AM on 04/13/2010

I guess Hong Kong and Washington DC should be in the upper 5. Both are clean, comortable and very efficient. No idea who makes up these funny lists and rankings. They hardly are correct or relevant.

[Sapientia]

04:44 AM on 04/13/2010

Seoul Subway System is just hands down amazing. It is actually CLEAN. It is also very convenient to use; everything is technology-based compared to TTC here in Toronto. The dirty TTC and New York subway system is nothing compared to it. Can't speak for any other because I haven't rode any of them.

[ligligl]

04:34 AM on 04/13/2010

Don't worry about LA, nobody's on it anyway.

[FreelanceMinion]

01:26 PM on 04/13/2010

Well as a new comer under heavily developed real estate in geologically active areas (including flamible and toxic gasses), they can't really build enough of it to make a mark for the city.

But they could at least make it more friendly to commuters by--
1) allowing riders to eat and drink on it (really crazy you can get a $200 fine for eating on commuter rail)
2) make money by renting concession stands in the HUGE station spaces they have.

They are losing money and inconveniencing the few passengers they have (this counts for the above ground portion of the rail system too).

[stuckinredstate]

04:25 AM on 04/13/2010

"MIND THE GAP"

[riall1]

04:22 AM on 04/13/2010

How much is london paying for all of this advertisement? I can only compare to what I know, but between paris, london and new york, paris wins hands down. their metro system is cheaper than london's, it is by far cleaner, quieter, more frequent and much MUCH MORE reliable. London's system is always in a state of repair and when it breaks down, they act like this has never happened before, because they are never prepared and they never have a well organized alternative. i commuted to london for one year and the one thing i could depend on was that something would go wrong with the london underground. I loved sitting on the platform and watching trains pass with peoples faces pressed up against the glass and fogging the window with their breath. i particularly loved the laughter generated, when while standing in packed platforms bearly able to move and tne announcer says that all trains are running normally. that never happens in paris!!!!!! i am losing all faith in these lists, a few weeks ago i read that london was more economical than paris and now this.....what a joke!!!!

[FanaticRealist]

05:59 AM on 04/13/2010

I'm a native Londoner who now lives in Surrey.

I barely use the Tube in London and when I do, I normally have to psyche myself up for the experience for 48 hours beforehand and it takes a day to decompress afterwards.

Anyone who rates the London tube above Paris or the joy that is Amsterdam is obviously smoking something that screws with your head.

[dutchman]

06:30 AM on 04/13/2010

Fanned.

[sparkandy]

06:32 AM on 04/13/2010

I think Paris Metro is super easy to use, even if you don't speak French. But sometimes the trains are crowded and smelly. I liked London's better, because it's so clean. As for New York, eeww! I've never seen anything so dirty. I'm not from a place where there's any sort of public transportation to speak of so it was all amazing to me. I love the way you can just hop on a train in a big city and get where you're going so fast.

[KIVPossum]

07:51 AM on 04/13/2010

I always get lost on the Paris metro.