Band 8+: This table illustrates the number of people making a journey and the money they pay for one ticket with the distance travelled in six underground systems of different cities.

The table compares six underground railway networks in terms of their physical size, annual passenger numbers, and ticket prices.

Overall, the New York City Subway is the largest system in terms of lines and total length, while Beijing records the highest annual ridership. In contrast, London features the most expensive single ticket despite having the lowest number of passengers.

Regarding network size, New York dominates with 24 lines and a total length of 659 miles. Beijing ranks second with 19 lines covering 357 miles. Paris follows with 16 lines spanning 127 miles. Meanwhile, London, Tokyo, and Mexico City have relatively similar network sizes, containing between 11 and 13 lines, with total lengths ranging from 140 to 249 miles.

In terms of usage and fares, Beijing registers the highest passenger traffic at 3.6 billion journeys per year, while offering a very cheap ticket at $0.45. Tokyo also records a massive annual volume of 3.1 billion passengers, with a fare of $1.64. Conversely, London charges the highest price at $7.30 per ticket, but sees the lowest usage at only 1.2 billion journeys. For the remaining cities, annual passenger numbers are fairly close (1.5 to 1.65 billion), but ticket costs vary widely, from a low of $0.23 in Mexico City to around $2.30-$2.50 in Paris and New York.