The table compares six underground railway networks based on their opening dates, total route lengths, and annual passenger figures.
Overall, London has the oldest and most extensive underground system, while Tokyo serves the highest number of passengers per year. In contrast, the more recently established networks in Kyoto and Los Angeles are significantly smaller in scale and carry the fewest passengers.
Looking at the older networks, London’s system opened first in 1863 and boasts the longest route at 394 kilometres, serving 775 million passengers annually. Paris followed in 1900 with a 199-kilometre route but handles a larger passenger volume of 1,191 million. Tokyo, established in 1927, has a shorter route of 155 kilometres but records the highest ridership of all six cities, with 1,927 million passengers per year.
In contrast, the newer systems are much more limited. Washington DC, opened in 1976, has a 126-kilometre route and carries 144 million passengers. The remaining two systems, Kyoto (1981) and Los Angeles (2001), have the shortest routes at 11 and 28 kilometres respectively, and both serve 50 million or fewer passengers annually.