124 years in six cities: when our first lines opened
London 1863, Paris 1900, New York 1904, Tokyo 1927, Seoul 1974, Singapore 1987. The gaps between them are 37, 4, 23, 47 and 13 years.
October 5, 2026 · 2 min read
Our earlier story, Six first subways, covers London, New York, Tokyo and Seoul along with Budapest and Boston. Here is the same question for the six cities that are in HelloSubway, with Paris and Singapore added. Every date comes from the line pages in the game.
London, 1863
The Metropolitan Railway opened between Paddington and Farringdon on January 10, 1863. It is the oldest underground railway in the world.
Paris, 1900
The first Paris Métro line opened on July 19, 1900, during the World's Fair, between Porte Maillot and Porte de Vincennes. That route is today's Line 1, and it was extended to Château de Vincennes in 1934 and La Défense in 1992. The second line, today's Line 2, followed on December 13, 1900. Paris was 37 years behind London.
New York, 1904
New York followed only four years later. The first line opened on October 27, 1904, from City Hall north to 145th Street at Broadway, with 28 stations. See the 1 train for the line that serves much of that route.
Tokyo, 1927
Tokyo's first subway opened on December 30, 1927, between Ueno and Asakusa, 23 years after New York. It was the first subway in East Asia and is now part of the Ginza Line.
Seoul, 1974
Seoul's Line 1 opened on August 15, 1974, between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni, 47 years after Tokyo. It was the first electrified rapid transit line in South Korea, and through service onto commuter tracks soon carried it far beyond the city.
Singapore, 1987
The first section of the Singapore MRT, from Yio Chu Kang to Toa Payoh, opened on November 7, 1987, 13 years after Seoul. It reached Raffles Place on December 12, 1987, Yishun on December 20, 1988, and Marina Bay on November 4, 1989, which gave the North South Line its present shape. See the Singapore line guide for the other five lines.
What the dates tell you
From the first line in London to the first line in Singapore is 124 years. Four of the six cities opened their first line before 1930, and the other two after 1970. If you want to compare how big each network has become since, the line guides list every line with its opening history.
More stories
HistorySix first subways, and the cities that built themFrom a gas-lit steam line in 1863 to Seoul's Line 1 in 1974, how six cities opened their first underground railway.
HistoryWhy the New York subway has numbers, letters and three historiesThe map looks like one system because it has been one system since 1940. Before that it was three companies that did not much want to cooperate.
HistoryThe Tube map is a diagram, and that is why it worksHarry Beck drew it in 1931 after losing his job. It throws away distance on purpose, and that is the whole trick.