Distinguishing Between Metro & Subway Systems

Rapid transit systems can be found in many major cities with large populations around the world. These electricity-driven railways are known by different names, such as underground, metro, subway, or metropolitan railway systems. While once only available in a few select countries, these systems can now be found in cities such as London (the Tube), New York (the Subway), and New Delhi (the Metro).

Key Takeaways

• Metro, Tube, Subway, and Underground are all names for underground rail systems in different cities around the world.
• New York’s system is called the Subway, while Paris has the Metro.
• The term “metro” was first used in Paris and later adopted by other cities like Moscow and New Delhi.

The word “subway” is commonly used for an underground railway, but it can also refer to an underground pass used by pedestrians. In New York, locals may use the terms “metro” and “subway” interchangeably, although the official name is the Subway. Meanwhile, in London, the system is always referred to as The Tube or the Underground, likely because all lines were originally underground tracks.

In British English, “subway” typically refers to an underground pedestrian crossing. Although the New York Subway and The Tube in London both connect city and suburban areas, their names differ. “Subway” is a more generic term for an underground rail system.

The word “metro” was first used officially when the Paris rail network opened. It later came to be used for similar underground rail networks in other cities worldwide. For example, Washington’s system is called the metro because the operating company is named the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.