Shanghai has the longest metro network in the world (802 km at the end of 2023), followed by Beijing (761 km). Five of the ten longest networks are in mainland China, and China has 43% of the world's metro length.
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Shanghai has the longest metro network in the world (802 km at the end of 2023), followed by Beijing (761 km). Five of the ten longest networks are in mainland China, and China has 43% of the world's metro length.
Data year 2023
| Rank | City (urban agglomeration) | Network length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | 802 |
| 2 | Beijing | 761 |
| 3 | Seoul | 569 |
| 4 | Chengdu | 562 |
| 5 | Shenzhen | 555 |
| 6 | Guangzhou | 555 |
| 7 | Tokyo (Greater Tokyo Area) | 480 |
| 8 | London | 443 |
| 9 | Moscow | 443 |
| 10 | New York metropolitan area | 433 |
World total: 20,453 km.
Key figures
Read before you quote
UITP counts urban rail on its own right-of-way (metro), by urban agglomeration, at the end of 2023. Trams and suburban rail are not included. Chinese official 'urban rail transit' totals include light rail and trams, so they are larger and should not be compared with this table.
In China
Checked 24 October 2026
CC BY 4.0
These figures are compiled by PreeChina from the sources above. You may reuse them under the CC BY 4.0 licence: credit "PreeChina" and link to this page. Download the table as CSV.
Suggested citation:
PreeChina, "Which Cities Have the Longest Metro Networks?", China by the Numbers, https://www.preechina.com/first-time-china/china-by-the-numbers/longest-metro-networks/, checked 24 October 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Original data: UITP (International Association of Public Transport).
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