Hong Kong MTR Makes It To List Of World’s 18 Best Subway Systems

CNN places Hong Kong’s MTR among the 18 best subway systems in the world for its on-time performance, clean stations, and vast network. Other Asian cities in the list include Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore.

By Anjali Muthanna2024-03-042 Mins Read

Hong Kong’s MTR is among the world’s best subway systems, according to a list compiled by CNN. The city’s 10-line mass transit railway— which includes heavy rail, light rail, and a feeder bus service — made it to the list in large part because of its on-time performance, clean stations, and vast network in a relatively compact city.

CNN noted that Hong Kong, with its “densely populated city areas crowded around a deep natural harbour and towns scattered across dozens of islands and mountainous countryside”, is not an easy place to build railways. However, the MTR has gained a reputation for “quality, efficiency and punctuality” in the nearly 45 years since it first opened.

London Underground	Berlin U-Bahn
Beijing Metro	Moscow Metro
Copenhagen Metro	Glasgow Subway
Paris Métro	Shanghai Mass Rapid Transit
Tokyo subway	Kyiv Metro
Seoul Metro	Chicago “L”
New York City Subway	Delhi Metro
Mexico City STC Metro	Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway
Singapore Mass Rapid Transit	Budapest Metro

CNN’s complete list of the best subway systems in the world.

The system’s punctuality, in particular, was cited as one of the biggest reasons for its inclusion in the list, with a 99.9% on-time performance according to a 2019 study released by MTR. The subway was also lauded for its funding model, by which the construction of new lines fuels development, which in turns helps finance the system’s expansion. The vast network — comprising more than 150 miles (241 kilometres) of route and 99 stations — is also supported by “clean and spacious” stations.

Other Asian subway systems that made it to CNN’s list are Beijing for its driverless trains and cheap fares, Tokyo for its sprawling network, Seoul for its uninterrupted Wi-Fi, Singapore for its famously clean trains and stations, and Shanghai for its passenger capacity. While CNN’s list is not rank-based, the famous London Underground got first mention for being a “global cultural icon”, and “world leader in transport architecture and design for more than a century”.