Shanghai Metro vs New York City Subway

Map credit to Robert Schwandl at UrbanRail.net for the Shanghai and New York MapsThe map above shows the difference in growth between the Shanghai Metro and New York City Subway between 1992 and 2025.

Here’s how the two stack up:

	Shanghai Metro	New York City Subway
Number of Stations	409	424
Number of Lines	19	28
System Length	808 km (502 mi)	399 km (248 mi)
Annual Users	3.6 Billion	2 Billion
Year Opened	1993	1904
Last Expanded	2024	2017

Interesting Facts

Shanghai Metro:

Speed of growth: Expanded from its first line in 1993 to the largest network in the world in just over 30 years.
2010 Expo effect: More than 300 km of new track was added in the years leading up to the Shanghai World Expo.
Payment flexibility: Riders can use contactless bank cards, mobile apps like Alipay/WeChat, or even face-recognition gates in pilot programs.
Multiple operators: While unified under “Shanghai Metro” branding, different companies operate some lines.

New York City Subway:

24/7 operation: Running non-stop since 1904 (except short suspensions during extreme events like 9/11 or COVID lockdown).
Complex track sharing: Trains from different lines often share the same tracks, leading to unusual service patterns – e.g., an “A” train might share a platform with an “E” train in Manhattan.
Historic stations: Some original 1904 stations still exist (City Hall station is preserved but closed to public).
Art in Transit: Over 300 permanent artworks are installed across stations, from mosaics to sculptures.