FAQ

What is a metro, what is a subway?

Metro and subway are used synonymously here. Metro systems can move people within cities more efficiently than any other means of transport. A striking feature is that they often run in tunnels and stop at underground stations. Hidden from view, like the arteries of a living organism, they keep the big cities alive. The dense skyscraper districts of modern cities wouldn't even exist without metros.

A popular definition from [urbanrail.net] defines a metro as
an urban electric mass rail transport system, i.e. it is primarily used to move within the city,

totally independent from other traffic, rail or street traffic,

providing high-frequency service (maximum interval approximately 10 minutes during normal daytime service).
However, definitions of what a metro is can vary according to who you ask. Furthermore, the differences between heavy rail, metros, and trams are increasingly fading since the middle of the 20th century as many metros or light rails are gradually evolving from trams or regional rail lines, and new hybrid trains are able to interconnect different systems. This makes it sometimes difficult to decide whether a rail line should be counted as a metro or not.

Call it metro or subway or what?

The name of the subject is kind of problematic. The word metro is used in most cities around the world while subway is mainly American usage. But it would be too easy if there weren't exceptions. Transit systems in Washington and Los Angeles call themselves Metro while Glasgow in Scotland officially has a Subway. In transcripts, subway is used in Japan and South Korea as American English is preferred over British English there, but metro in other parts of Asia. And of course do many cities or countries have their own terms, for example Underground or Tube (London), MRT or mass rapid transit (several Asian cities), U-Bahn (Germany), T-Bane (Sweden, Norway), Subte (Buenos Aires).

Globally, metro and subway are predominant among other denominations, but ambiguity also adds to the naming chaos. In America, the word metro usually stands for 'metropolitan area'. In British English, a subway is just a pedestrian underpass.

Conclusion for Metro Bits: since metro and subway are likewise widely in use and ambiguous, both terms will be used in a lively mixture more or less randomly throughout the website.

How to take photos?

A photography permit may be required, metro companies will usually issue it for free. Some cities have banned photography in metros after 11 September 2001, some of them have again dropped the bans later. After massive protests of photographer associations and civil rights groups, even New York City's MTA has completely dropped its ban on 23 May 2005 and now explicitly permits taking photos and videos in subway stations and trains [nppa.org], [mta.info].
Avoid using flash. It will bother train drivers and is useless anyways because it makes dull photos.
Light may be dim in some underground stations. If using a tripod seems inappropriate, shoot with the camera in hand the same picture some five or ten times in the camera's 'burst' mode. One or two will probably be sharp enough for most purposes. Some stations also have furniture or ledges where a camera can rest on, either on its own or on a pocket-sized tripod.
Though a metro's purpose is that many people use it, flocks of passengers can spoil the best architectural photos. On early Sunday mornings there may be fewer of them (so I've been told ...)

Can I have a larger version of this photo?

Please take a look at the metro wallpapers section or send me an email.

How safe are metros?

Basically, safer than road traffic. However, as in every place where a lot of people gather, pickpockets or robbers are likely to be operating (look here for some stories). Metros in some cities are safer than in others. Generally, metros are safe, so the following suggestions are actually for the paranoid tourist only:

Store your valuables in a safe place. The back pocket of your pants is not safe enough to store a wallet.
Don't look like a tourist. Hide camera, maps, dictionary etc. from view, don't puzzle over the subway maps in the trains or stations too obviously.
In areas of a city which are known to be unsafe (like The Bronx in New York), the metro, especially the stations, should also be avoided.
The safest place to ride a metro is in the first carriage because there is the driver (if it's not driverless).
Driverless metros are even safer. They are securely monitored and none of them ever had a serious accident.

Unfortunately, subway systems are vulnerable potential targets for terrorist attacks, as are airports, shopping malls or other places with lots of people. The most serious attacks on metros have been:

Mumbai (Bombay), 11 July 2006: seven bombs detonated in first-class compartments of the local suburban railway and resulted in 207 dead and 714 injured. An eighth bomb could be defused. Lashkar-e-Qahhar, an Islamic group linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility [wikipedia.org].
London, 7 July 2005: Islamic suicide bombers set off explosions on three underground trains and one bus almost simultaneously, resulting in 52 dead and 700 injured [wikipedia.org]. This was followed by four attempted bomb attacks two weeks later with only one person injured.
Madrid, 11 March 2004: ten explosions in four Cercanias suburban metro trains killed 191 people and wounded 1460. Islamic extremists were found to be responsible [wikipedia.org].
Moscow, 6 February 2004: a suicide bomber from Karachay-Cherkessia (a republic in the Russian Federation) killed 42 and wounded 250 on a line 2 metro train [wikipedia.org].
Tokyo, 20 March 1995: the Aum cult sect released sarin, a chemical warfare gas, on several Tokyo subway trains, causing 12 fatal casualties and 5000 injured [cfrterrorism.org], [wikipedia.org].

The danger of terrorist attacks on metro systems persists, but probility theory alone indicates that chances are extremely low to get involved, considering the annual ridership (1 billion in London for instance). Compared to driving an automobile, using the metro is much safer.

Last update: 6 April 2008.

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