Subways are symbols of mechanical engineering and the industrial revolution. This transport, used by millions of users every day, acts as arteries for their cities. Follow Just Focus which takes you into the bowels of the earth, discover 5 breathtaking metros.
1. The London Underground aka "The Tube": The oldest
It is the oldest metro system in the world. Opened in 1863 for trains and locomotives, the "underground" became the world's first metro system. It was designed to prevent London from becoming a huge train station. The construction of the underground metro has therefore made it possible to control the influx of transport and to decongest the roads on the surface. However, it was not easy to convince Londoners of the value of using this new technology. 
"Londoners were nervous, impressed and suspicious of this new system. In addition, the metro was created at a time when social classes did not mix. Unlike trains where you could find first, second and third class, there were no seats in the underground cars to make this distinction. So the government had to do intelligent advertising campaigns to convince the public that it was okay. " says Chris Nix, historian at the Museum of Transport in London. KMS Pico In 1890, the underground became the first electric transportation system. Composed of 11 lines, the network is 402km long with 270 stop stations! It is the fourth largest underground transportation system after Seoul, Shanghai and Beijing. Ironically, "UNDERGROUND" means underground, yet only 45% of London's underground network is currently underground. 
The Underground is not just a transport system. It was also a refuge for the English public during the First and Second World Wars. According to Chris Nix, the public would have used the subway more as a refuge during the First World War than the Second! Towards the end of the Great War, the Germans launched air raids aboard their zeppelins to bomb the capital. On the other hand, the naval government did not make any adjustments at the time, the public entered, sometimes bought a ticket and refused to leave the station. Baixar Ativador Window 7 During the Second World War, the powers knew that bombing would occur, so their specialists were studying how to help their citizens protect themselves. Before becoming a refuge for the public again, the Underground believed that it would be a governmental failure if the people had to take refuge in the underground… something that happened during the Blitz. The government built facilities for the public to sleep in. Towards Down Street or Brompton Road station, for example, the station was so deep that the government took refuge there and set up a bunker to work. Currently, the Transport Museum offers virtual tours that allow you to discover more about the "hidden" history of the Underground. They also set up a series of YouTube videos "Hidden London Hangouts".
2) Dubai Metro: The longest driverless automatic line
Opened on September 9, 2009 at 9 am, 9 minutes and 9 seconds in the evening, with only 10 stops open, the Dubai Metro loves to break records. In 2012, the system entered the "Guinness Book of World Records" as having the longest driverless automatic metro line. The line in question, the "red" line, is 52.2 km long and acts as an artery of Dubai. Passengers can use it to visit Dubai's most well-known places. Today, with a network measuring 74 km and containing 49 stops, Dubai is the third 100% automatic driverless metro system behind Vancouver and Singapore. In 2018, Dubai broke a new record by forming the longest human chain with people from more than 96 countries, within the metro! 
This metro has all modern comforts: air conditioning, accessibility for people with reduced mobility, wifi, as well as special first class carriages and women and children only. Attention gentlemen, if you go in the women's and children's car, an employee of the station will not hesitate to ask you to go to the next mixed car. Falling asleep in the metro incurs a fine of 100dhs (22.5 euros), the same applies if you eat and drink in the cars. 
Barely 11 years old but that does not prevent the United Arab Emirates from aiming even further with a "Route 2020" extension project. This project is intended to extend the red line by 15 km (of which 11.8 km will be above the ground and 3.2 km underground), adding 7 new stations. This route will link the city of Dubai to the site of the World Expo 2020 (postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic). The roof of the Expo station resembles airplane wings, representing the ambition and vision of the country. The road was opened to the publicon 1 January 2021 with 4 stations.
3) New York Subway: The Insomniac
Contrary to what some may think, the New York subway was not the first to be built on American territory. This honor goes to the Boston subway which was inaugurated in 1897 while New York sees its subway 'only' in 1904. On the other hand, the New York subway has become the largest subway system in the United States with its 472 stations, 36 lines and a financially exploitable network of 394 km long! It is estimated that if all the rails were aligned end to end, the distance would travel from New York to Chicago! "Go big or go home" as the Americans say! Speaking of thinking big, from 2001 to 2010, the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) dropped off 2580 old subway cars along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. The purpose of this adventure was to create artificial refuges for underwater life, which greatly benefited! Photographer Stephen Mallon followed this project for two years with his camera. His photographs can be seen on the website of the New York Transit Museum. 
This Subway is a mirror reflecting all facets of the "New York State of Mind"! True to her nickname "The City That Never Sleeps," her Subway is as insomniac as she is. Unlike Europe, the NYC Subway operates 24 hours a day. Suffice to say, New Yorkers are never worried about whether they will miss the last subway of the night. But, beware, we can find ourselves in quite unreal situations in New York. This was the case in 1993, with the A Train affair. A teenager named Keron Thomas, 16 at the time, was a real fan of trains. He pretended to be a subway driver and drove one of the trains (safely) for 3 hours. He was arrested by the police and remanded in custody. The city of New York, great patron of artists, has not skimped in using the subway as a place of promulgation of culture! It is very classic to see musicians playing in the subway and see beautiful works of art. In fact, during the 1990s, the MTA commissioned sculptor Tom Otterness to create 130 bronze sculptures for the 14th Street/Eighth Avenue station alone . Collection called "Life Underground". Even today, tourists can see the iconic sculptures dotted throughout the resort.
4) Moscow metro: The magnificent stations
The Moscow Metro is home to stations renowned for their beauty! Comprising 14 lines, covering more than 360km and serving 212 stations, the Moscow Metro is best known for its monumental stations. Moreover, 44 stations are classified as historical monuments! Adorned with elegant finery, magnificent sculptures, and rich in detail, tourists come from all over the world to see them. Many stations are odes to workers, the people and communism during the Soviet era. Tourists can see in the architecture and wall decorations, several symbols of communism such as the sickle. Moscow City Hall even suggested a list of the most beautiful resorts to visit during your stay in Moscow: Slavyansky Bulvar, Park Pobedy, Annino and Volokolamskaya. But, tastes and colors are not discussed, so it is up to you to decide which are the most beautiful resorts in your eyes. 
The Moscow Metro is the first metro system created in Russia. The first project to build the metro was advanced in 1872 by Vasily Titov under the Russian Empire. But, due to a lack of finances (due to the wars and the Russian revolution) the project did not succeed. It was only in 1931, under Stalin and the Soviet era, that construction began. The inauguration of the first line will take place 4 years later and will be considered an example of the technological progress of the Soviet Union. There is even a rumor that Moscow's "Circle Line" was drawn from Stalin's coffee stain. According to legend, Stalin put his cup of coffee on a map of the city and when lifting it, there was a stain that indicated how the line would cross the city center. Despite its popularity among tourists, historians remain skeptical about the veracity of this legend. Construction was arduous, requiring the importation of British engineers who worked on the London "Underground" to improve the pace of construction and to begin underground construction. At the end of the project, foreign engineers were intimately familiar with the network plan, something that dismayed the NKVD. The Park Pobedy stop is considered the third deepest station in the world, being 84km underground! 
The Moscow Metro is also a source of inspiration for Moscow culture. Dmitry Glukhovsky, a popular contemporary author, even based his book Metro 2033 entirely on the Moscow Metro. The metro can be considered the beating heart of the city. During the Second World War, the depth of the stations protected Muscovites who, like their English counterparts, took refuge in the stations during the bombings. According to the website of the Mayor of Moscow, 217 babies were born in metro stations and tunnels during the air raids. Throughout its history, the Moscow Metro has stopped operating only once: on October 16, 1941, following Lazar Kaganovich's order to destroy the network in preparation for the arrival of the Nazis. The idea was to flood the underground and plant bombs. But fortunately for us, the order was retracted the same evening and the metro continues to remain one of the most beautiful in the world.
5) Paris Metro: Elegance embodied
The Paris metro system was the example to follow for major French cities, despite delays in its creation. Inaugurated on July 19, 1900 with line 1 linking Porte Maillot to Porte de Vincennes (two opposite points of the city), the builders of the metro wanted it to be ready for the Universal Exhibition. But unfortunately, due to construction delays, this was not possible. However, the line was opened in time for the Olympic Games of that year! The metro was immediately a great success because in 5 months, 4 million passengers use the Paris metro. 
Even if the "Metropolitan Railway" did not see the light of day until 1900, the project to build the network dates back to at least 1845! It is this urban transport system that will bring the France truly into the era of industry, while it struggles behind America and England. The city of Paris will be a spectator for several years of disputes between the French State and the City of Paris around the design of this revolutionary project where the latter will emerge victorious! Finally, it was in 1896 that the project of Fulgence Bienvenüe was accepted and that the work could begin in October 1898. The first line is built in record time: 17 months! but during this period, Parisians see their city "gutted" by the works, and they did not appreciate it. In 1911, the metro system had 10 lines. In 2020, the network is 214km long and now has 16 lines serving 303 stations. Paris, known for its appreciation of art and elegance, wonders how to decorate the entrances to the metro. The CMP will therefore organize a competition of projects to answer the problem! And this is how the architect Héctor Gimard, a great master of Art Nouveau, was chosen. He draws the night owls, edicules and entrances of the metro entrances so emblematic of the Paris metro. At the time, he found himself much criticized for his too "German" style and his use of hated green. Nevertheless, he created 141 metro entrances, 86 of which still exist today. Next time you visit Paris, try to find the remaining 86! 
Now you have new things to visit! Pay attention to every nook and cranny of these metros and you will discover priceless historical treasures.
