What is the largest underground train system in the world?

The Shanghai Metro is the world's longest metro network at 803 kilometres (499 mi) and has the highest annual ridership at 2.83 billion trips. The New York City Subway has the greatest number of stations with 472. As of 2023, the country with the most metro systems is China, with 45 in operation.



The largest underground train system in the world by route length is the Shanghai Metro in China.

As of 2024, it has over 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) of operational track and continues to expand.

However, if measured by number of stations, the New York City Subway leads with around 470 stations, though its total route length is slightly shorter than Shanghai’s.

If considering annual passenger ridership, the Beijing Subway and Shanghai Metro are among the busiest, with each carrying billions of rides per year.

So the answer depends on the metric:
- Longest route length → Shanghai Metro
- Most stations → New York City Subway
- Highest annual ridership → Beijing Subway or Shanghai Metro (varies by year)

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