World’s Greatest Public Transit Systems

A Paris tram

A Paris tram

From Shanghai to Stockholm, these are the world’s greatest public transportation systems – as voted by the people who use them every day

1. Berlin – Metro pop. – 6.1 mil. [Trams] (Metro)

2. Prague – Metro pop. – 2.7 mil. [Trams] (Metro)

3. Tokyo – Metro pop. – 40.7 mil. [Trams] (subway)

4. Copenhagen – Metro pop.  – 2.1 mil. (Metro) Trams planned with the first line opening in 2025

5. Stockholm – Metro pop. p 2.5 mil. [Trams] (RT Metro)

A tram in Stockholm, offering Metro service at a fraction of the cost.

A tram in Stockholm, offering Metro service at a fraction of the cost.

6. Singapore  – Metro pop. – 5.6  – (MRT)

7. Hong Kong – Metro pop.-  7.33 mil. [Trams] (MTR)

8. Taipei – Metro pop. – 9.07 mil. (MRT)

9. Shanghai – Metro pop. – 44.4 mil. [Trams] (Metro)

10. Amsterdam – Metro pop. – 2.5 mil. [Trams] (Metro)

11. London – Metro pop. – 14.2 mil.  (LUL LRT-DLR & Tramlink)

12. Madrid – metro pop. – 6.8 mil. [Trams] (Metro)

13. Edinburgh – Metro pop. – 901,000 [Trams]

14. Paris – Metro pop. 19 mil. [Trams] (Metro)

A paris tram transitioning from on-street operation to a dedicated and lawned rights-of-ways.

A paris tram transitioning from on-street operation to a dedicated and lawned rights-of-ways.

15. New York – Metro pop. 19.5 million – (subway) Trams being planned

16. Montreal – Metro pop. 4.2 million – (Metro) {Light-Metro}

17. Chicago – Metro pop. 6.8 million -(L – elevated metro)

18. Beijing Metro pop. 21.9 million –  [Trams] (subway)

19. Mumbai – Metro pop. 18.4 million – (Metro)

13 of 19 cities have Trams

2 of 19 cities are planning Trams

See how easily a Berlin tram transitions from being light rail on a dedicated right-of-way to a streetcar on a street. This flexibility of servcie has enabled simple trams to compete against very expensive light and heavy metros.

See how easily a Berlin tram transitions from being light rail on a dedicated right-of-way to a streetcar on a street. This flexibility of service has enabled simple trams to compete against very expensive light and heavy metros.

Comments

One Response to “World’s Greatest Public Transit Systems”
  1. LHR says:

    LRT is not good for Canada.

    https://youtu.be/wfc9iGRIkvM

    Ottawa lrt shut down a few weeks ago due to weather.

    https://youtu.be/CXpJhs2pI8k

    Toronto ripping up a LRT station and delaying the opening of the LRT that has cost $12 billion.

    Skytrain to Langley is cheap.

    Zwei replies: Obviously you do not read the news because Ottawa’s light metro line (yes it is a light-metro, which operates on a totally segregated line and the trains have automatic signalling) problems were politcal and not endemic to the light rail vehicles used on the line. You can automate any railway if you wish, if you are willing to spend the money.

    By the way, it is designed to operate as LRT on future lesser rights-of-ways, so it can be extended much further, cheaper to attract more customers compared to the MALM system used on the Expo and Millennium Lines.

    By the way, Toronto’s SRT (The Expo and millennium Line’s close cousin, did not operate for 5 days during the same blizzard.

    You also forget that Calgary Edmonton and Toronto all operate trams/LRT and they seem to work well in the snow. And again you forget that no one wants the MALM system (what you erroneously call SkyTrain), with only 7 such systems sold in over 40 years and no sales in the past 18 years.

    If you think, spending $5 billion for a 16 km line that will carry, according to TransLink, fewer passengers daily than the Broadway B-Line bus, then I am glad you are not involved in transit planning. SkyTrain ain’t cheap, it is a vast money-pit.

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