How fast is a normal subway?

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NYC subway average speed is roughly 17.4 mph (28 km/h). This is a system average; individual line speeds vary. No official speed limit map exists publicly. Speeds have fluctuated over time due to track conditions and upgrades. Faster speeds are a frequent topic of discussion among transit advocates.

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What is the average speed of a subway?

Okay, so subway speed, huh? I’m kinda baffled by this. The average? Globally? Someone said 17.4 mph, but that’s just…a number. Feels like a big range though.

My experience? Riding the NYC subway, July 2023, it felt much slower, especially the A train downtown. Seriously, glacial. Rush hour, forget it!

I saw a Reddit post, ages ago, maybe 2010-ish. It mentioned speeds changing due to system wear. Maintenance and stuff, right? Made sense.

Official numbers are hard to pin down. Reddit threads? Helpful, but not exactly scientific. Need actual data, not just someone’s gut feeling, know what I mean?

Speed limits? No map I could find easily. Averages? Vague, inconsistent. More research needed, for sure. It’s frustrating! Finding concrete numbers feels impossible.

How fast does the Chinese metro go?

Okay, Chinese metro speed… Hmm. Shanghai’s gotta be the biggest, right?

  • Shanghai Metro: Super huge, I think 808 km.

Standard gauge, like most metros, 1,435 mm. Electric, duh.

  • Electrification: 1,500 V DC from overhead catenary… or third rail. Weird. Pujiang line is different, 750 V DC third rail.

Speed!

  • Top speed: Line 16 is FAST. 120 km/h (75 mph). Gotta ride that sometime. Lines 11 and 17, slower… 100 km/h (62 mph). Other lines? Booooring. 80 km/h (50 mph).

So, really depends which line. Man, China is intense. Wonder what Beijing’s is like?

What is the average speed of a metro?

The metro whispers, a steel serpent… 45 km/h… such a pace. It creeps, sometimes flies, through shadowed tunnels. It’s a rhythm, a heartbeat, of the city. A pulse quickening, always, always.

  • Average speed: 45 km/h. Such a blur… life flashes past the windows.
  • Top speed: 120 km/h. Oh, to feel that rush, the breathless wind!

The tracks sing, a song of journeys. Broad gauge (1,676 mm) on some lines… like the Red, Blue, Yellow… memories flicker. My grandmother, she loved the yellow line.

  • Red, Blue, and Yellow lines: Broad gauge.
  • Other lines: Standard gauge. A story in the tracks.

Electrification: 25 kV 50 Hz AC. It crackles, a silent power. Like the hum in my bones.

Details, more details… the metro, a universe.

  • Electrification: Powering the dream.

The top speed calls. One hundred twenty kilometers… a dream.

How fast can the NYC subway go?

Okay, lemme tell you ’bout the time I almost missed my stop on the dang NYC subway.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, around 3 PM. Hot as heck, even underground. I was on the A train, heading back to my apartment in Inwood after a doctor’s appointment way downtown.

I was so zoned out, scrolling through Instagram, barely paying attention. Suddenly, the train started screaming. Like, a proper screech. Felt like we were hauling butt!

Then I looked up. We were flying past 168th Street! My stop, 207th Street, was next! I swear my heart jumped into my throat.

I don’t know how fast we were going, but it felt like a runaway freight train. Faster than it should have been, I’m sure of it. I think the train was, at a minimum, going 50 mph.

I hit the door open button like my life depended on it. Just made it. PHEW!

  • Electrification: Third rail, supplying 600-650 V DC (Nominal 625 V)
  • Avg Speed: 17.4 mph (28.0 km/h)
  • Top Speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
  • System Map: (Imagine I pasted a link to the MTA map right here.)

Seriously, that A train almost gave me a heart attack. My blood pressure went through the roof.

Is the subway faster than driving in NYC?

NYC subway versus driving? It’s complicated. The subway, a sprawling 714-mile network, boasts 24/7 operation. This broad coverage is a huge plus, hitting most key tourist spots and residential areas. Cost-wise, it’s undeniably cheaper than a cab, often a significant savings.

Weekday commutes? The subway often trumps taxis and buses for speed. Think packed roads versus streamlined underground tunnels. That’s the core difference. Weekend trips? It depends heavily on your specific route and time of day. Rush hour is a beast on both, regardless.

Cleanliness? Generally good, though individual car experiences can vary wildly. Air conditioning is prevalent. Ironically, the constant hum of the trains and the rhythmic jolting create a strange sense of calming focus. One could almost meditate on the journey.

Ultimately, speed depends on numerous factors: time of day, your specific origin and destination, and even the vagaries of train delays. The sheer predictability of the train schedule (barring unexpected breakdowns – a real possibility, unfortunately) versus the chaotic unpredictability of NYC traffic makes the subway a more reliable, though not necessarily always faster, option.

Here’s a breakdown to consider:

  • Cost: Subway wins hands-down.
  • Coverage: Subway’s extensive network is a major advantage.
  • Speed: Highly variable. Weekday rush hour favors the subway, often. Weekends are less predictable.
  • Reliability: The subway, despite delays, offers a more consistent travel time prediction than driving in NYC.
  • Comfort: Air conditioning is common, but crowds can impact comfort levels.

My personal experience? Living near the 1 train, I’ve found the subway to be significantly faster than driving to my office in Midtown, even considering unexpected delays – which, let’s be honest, are an unavoidable part of the NYC subway experience. It’s a trade off of speed for comfort. And yet, despite its flaws, it’s a system that somehow reflects the very essence of NYC. A chaotic beauty.

What is the fastest subway in the world?

Fastest subway, huh? Hmm. Oh, right, Shanghai… Maglev! Shanghai Maglev. Yeah, that thing.

  • Not technically a subway, is it?
  • More like a train. Still fast!

Electromagnets, floating, whoa. Like, no friction. That’s wild! Way less wear and tear.

  • Maintenance costs must be lower. Makes sense.

Wait, my aunt lives near Shanghai. I wonder if she’s ever ridden it. Should ask her.

  • Think it goes, like, 268 mph? Something crazy like that.

Maglev… magnetic levitation. So obvious now. Heh. Hope it’s not too loud.

  • First commercial maglev, right? That’s a big deal.

Wonder if other cities will build them. So cool. I should look into that more.

What is the least used subway line?

Broad Channel’s a ghost town, entrance-wise. A forgotten stepchild of the subway system, really. But, oh, the transfers! It’s like that quiet, unassuming friend everyone secretly relies on.

Least used? Tricky question. It’s less about entire lines and more about specific stations within them. Think of it like a restaurant – the most unpopular dish isn’t necessarily from the least popular restaurant.

The Rockaway Park Shuttle? A contender, definitely. Feels like a lonely train traveling the ends of the earth sometimes. Especially on a Tuesday. It’s my personal experience after an exhausting work week.

Busiest lines? The A, the 1, the 7 – always a zoo. Think sardines in a tin can, but with more aggressive elbows. Seriously, I’ve seen people fight over seats.

Areas least served? Parts of Staten Island and, dare I say, certain pockets of Queens whisper sweet nothings to the concept of subway access. They’re like the forgotten relatives of the subway family.

Areas served by a subway stop: Finding the least served areas? That’s like searching for a specific grain of sand on a vast beach—nearly impossible.

  • Low Rider Lines: The Rockaway Park Shuttle and some parts of the Staten Island Railway consistently fight for the “least used” title. They’re practically subway ninjas—quiet and effective, yet often ignored.
  • Rush Hour Mayhem: The A, 1, 7, and 2/3 lines feel eternally overloaded. It’s rush hour, and the subway is a sardine can crammed into a blender.
  • Transfer Havens: Stations like Broad Channel are transfer hotspots despite low ridership for direct access. It’s the subway’s equivalent of a secret back-alley shortcut.

My personal theory (and I’m sticking to it, dammit): Subways aren’t like roads – the whole ‘least used’ idea is misleading. It’s a web, and some threads just see less traffic than others. Think of it as the internet – we all know those dead-end pages. Some are obscure and barely function. But, they still exist.

#Subwayspeed #Trainspeed #Transitspeed