Mini Underground
October 22, 2010 7:57 AM Subscribe
I am trying to make a list of short subway lines in the world. For instance, Leipzig is apparently planning a subway line with only three (!) stops. Do you know any examples for me to follow up? Thank you!
The Waterloo and City line on the London Underground ferries tired commuters between the Bank and Waterloo stations - with no stops inbetween.
And might I add that, along with every other tube line, it does a fucking shit job of it most of the time, as any London commuter this week will attest.
It's by far the shortest line (as a comparison, the Jubilee line has 27 stations and the Central line has 49).
posted by Ted Maul at 8:03 AM on October 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
And might I add that, along with every other tube line, it does a fucking shit job of it most of the time, as any London commuter this week will attest.
It's by far the shortest line (as a comparison, the Jubilee line has 27 stations and the Central line has 49).
posted by Ted Maul at 8:03 AM on October 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
42nd Street Shuttle, New York, NY (2 stops)
Franklin Avenue Shuttle, Brooklyn, NY (4 stops)
Tandy Center Subway (4 stops)
posted by the jam at 8:03 AM on October 22, 2010
Franklin Avenue Shuttle, Brooklyn, NY (4 stops)
Tandy Center Subway (4 stops)
posted by the jam at 8:03 AM on October 22, 2010
Probably the shortest line you'll find outside a theme park.
posted by theodolite at 8:05 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by theodolite at 8:05 AM on October 22, 2010
jinx!
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:06 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:06 AM on October 22, 2010
United States Capitol subway system Washington DC (2 stations, 5 stations)
posted by the jam at 8:08 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by the jam at 8:08 AM on October 22, 2010
The Shanghai Maglev Train only has two stops. But! It goes around 250 mph.
posted by phunniemee at 8:10 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by phunniemee at 8:10 AM on October 22, 2010
Until recently, Duke Hospital had a tiny little subway (note that the part in the picture was above ground, but most of it was below ground). It's being replaced by little electric golf carts, which are not nearly as 20th Century Futuristic.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:14 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by hydropsyche at 8:14 AM on October 22, 2010
The Portland (Ore.) Red and Blue light rail lines run underground for three miles. There's just one subterranean stop on the route. If that qualifies it as a subway, I'd think it a short one.
posted by mumkin at 8:16 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by mumkin at 8:16 AM on October 22, 2010
Also, if you'll accept elevated rail: Toronto Aiport LINK train, 3 stops. I would imagine that there are a lot of airports with similar systems.
posted by ssg at 8:16 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by ssg at 8:16 AM on October 22, 2010
Toronto's Sheppard line: five stations, 5.5 km, goes to nowhere in particular.
posted by scruss at 8:25 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by scruss at 8:25 AM on October 22, 2010
The Istanbul Tünel and Kabatas lines each have only two stops (they are underground funicular trains, and part of the Istanbul Metro system).
posted by aught at 8:26 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by aught at 8:26 AM on October 22, 2010
It's not the shortest, but it's certainly the most useless: the Detroit People Mover.
posted by kcm at 8:33 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by kcm at 8:33 AM on October 22, 2010
The Morgantown (WV) Personal Rapid Transit system has five stops, but the cars themselves are tiny; only 15.5 feet long with eight seats. It's an elevated track system, so it may not meet your criteria.
posted by carmicha at 8:42 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by carmicha at 8:42 AM on October 22, 2010
I'm also unclear if you're accepting elevated rail, but the Seattle Center Monorail has two stations and is 1.2 mi long.
posted by grouse at 8:44 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by grouse at 8:44 AM on October 22, 2010
The metro in the city of Los Teques, Venezuela has only one line, and that one line has only 2 stops.
posted by ellenaim at 8:56 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by ellenaim at 8:56 AM on October 22, 2010
Response by poster: Hey, thanks for the many suggestions! I am primarily looking for underground trains, yeah.
posted by Omnomnom at 8:56 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by Omnomnom at 8:56 AM on October 22, 2010
The Glasgow Subway, affectionately known by the locals as the Clockwork Orange on account of it being a single loop and having dinky trains, is pretty damn small. It has 15 stations, but covers a pretty small area and only has one line.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:16 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by Happy Dave at 9:16 AM on October 22, 2010
Pittsburgh's light rail "the T"
posted by boatsforshoes at 9:44 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by boatsforshoes at 9:44 AM on October 22, 2010
Have you seen Transit Maps of the World? You might find a few there.
posted by The Biggest Dreamer at 9:56 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by The Biggest Dreamer at 9:56 AM on October 22, 2010
When you're done with your list, submit it to the Infrastructurist. They'd groove on it.
posted by workerant at 10:14 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by workerant at 10:14 AM on October 22, 2010
Seattle's Central Link is mostly at-grade or elevated, but has a short underground section through downtown in the Seattle Transit Tunnel with three stops.
Similarly, Vancouver's SkyTrain (Millennium/Expo Line) has a short underground section through downtown and the rest is elevated. However, the relatively new Canada Line is mostly underground through Vancouver and goes elevated just before crossing the river to Richmond.
posted by Emanuel at 10:26 AM on October 22, 2010
Similarly, Vancouver's SkyTrain (Millennium/Expo Line) has a short underground section through downtown and the rest is elevated. However, the relatively new Canada Line is mostly underground through Vancouver and goes elevated just before crossing the river to Richmond.
posted by Emanuel at 10:26 AM on October 22, 2010
The Atlanta airport has a subway that runs beneath 6 terminal buildings.
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:37 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:37 AM on October 22, 2010
Neuchâtel, Switzerland, has a short 2 car funicular that travels entirely underground. (shown in teal on the system map)
You know you're in Switzerland when the "next train" sign counts down in 5 second intervals, and the train arrives at exactly 0:00.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:43 AM on October 22, 2010
You know you're in Switzerland when the "next train" sign counts down in 5 second intervals, and the train arrives at exactly 0:00.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:43 AM on October 22, 2010
The Denver Airport has a 4 terminal undergound train.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 10:56 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by Confess, Fletch at 10:56 AM on October 22, 2010
The Kolkata Metro is decent sized now, but a halt on construction means it took 23 years to complete the 17 km underground railway.
posted by Gori Girl at 11:06 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by Gori Girl at 11:06 AM on October 22, 2010
The city of Buffalo, NY has a rail system. It is a straight line, 6.4 miles long. 5.2 miles of that is underground high speed rail. I think there are 8 stops along the underground portion. Buffalo Metro Rail Wikipedia
posted by LightMayo at 11:15 AM on October 22, 2010
posted by LightMayo at 11:15 AM on October 22, 2010
Like The Biggest Dreamer suggested, get Transit Maps of the World – it's features a neat list of exactly what you are looking for (and don't be misled by the broad implication of the word "transit", it focuses heavily on subways). I think they have undergrounds pretty well covered, including the new-ish metro system in Sofia, Bulgaria, which at the time of printing had just two stops. The book's appendix includes future subway plans as well as those currently under construction.
posted by halogen at 12:19 PM on October 22, 2010
posted by halogen at 12:19 PM on October 22, 2010
The APM at Pittsburgh International Airport has two stops -- landside and airside.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:33 PM on October 22, 2010
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:33 PM on October 22, 2010
Bit of a left-field recommendation: the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel in Shanghai. Saw it here first on the Big Picture blog - more on it here and here. Definitely sounds like more of a tourist trap than a real means of transportation, but it fits your short subway criteria.
posted by sigmagalator at 1:31 PM on October 22, 2010
posted by sigmagalator at 1:31 PM on October 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 8:02 AM on October 22, 2010