Why is the metro called the metro?

From “Metropolitan” to “Metro”: How London Gave the World its Underground Name

We glide beneath the streets, whisked from station to station in a symphony of rumbling engines and fleeting glimpses of tiled walls. Whether you call it the subway, the underground, or the metro, you’re participating in a global phenomenon of urban transit. But have you ever stopped to wonder why so many cities, across languages and continents, adopted the term “metro” to describe their subterranean railway systems?

The answer lies, quite literally, under the bustling streets of London. In the mid-19th century, London was grappling with a population explosion and crippling traffic congestion. The need for an efficient and innovative solution was undeniable. Enter the Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first underground passenger railway, which opened its doors (or rather, its tunnels) in 1863.

The Metropolitan Railway was a groundbreaking achievement of Victorian engineering. It offered a quick and reliable way to travel across the city, revolutionizing urban commuting. It’s no surprise, then, that this pioneering railway left a lasting legacy, not just on London’s transport network, but on the very language we use to describe these systems worldwide.

The company’s name, “Metropolitan Railway,” quickly became associated with the underground railway system itself. As other major cities, facing similar transportation challenges, looked to London’s success as a blueprint, they adopted the idea of an underground, rapid transit network. Crucially, they also adopted, in a simplified and shortened form, the descriptor that was already synonymous with the concept: “Metro.”

Think of it as a brand association taken to a global scale. Just as “Kleenex” became a shorthand for facial tissue, or “Hoover” for vacuum cleaner, “Metro” became the convenient and universally understood abbreviation for any underground, urban rapid transit network. It was catchy, easily pronounced, and directly linked to the system that started it all.

So, the next time you’re rushing through a metro station in Paris, Moscow, or Montreal, remember London’s Metropolitan Railway. It’s more than just the birthplace of the underground; it’s the source of the name we all use to navigate the hidden veins of our modern cities. It’s a testament to the power of innovation and the enduring influence of the city that dared to dig its way into the future of urban transport.