What Do You Think of Underground Railway Systems? Underground railways are railway systems that run beneath the ground in order to save space; they are therefore found in many of the world’s largest and most crowded cities. The first-built and most extensive underground railway is in London, where the system covers almost 400 km (248 miles) with 273 stations. The second-largest system, in Paris, is only about half the size of the London underground, with 199 kilometres of route. However, it serves more people per year. On the other hand, Los Angeles is the latest, as it opened in 2001 and covers the second-shortest railway route of 28 km.
Trains run fast and unobstructed in an underground railway system, as there are no road crossings or other similar problems. As the trains move at incredible speeds, underground railways can deal with a very high concentration of human traffic. There is no wastage of land, and a large area of the city, which would have otherwise been used for surface railways, remains available for other utilities.
What Would You Say about the Underground Railway? In such a system, the railway line is constructed below ground level. The requisite construction work is done mostly by the ‘cut and cover method’. The area is excavated in the shape of trenches, and once the formation is ready, the track is laid, the necessary overhead structures are provided, and finally the trenches are covered and the ground is restored to its original state.
Although steam engines pulled the very first underground trains, all such railways currently employ electric power because it emits no pollutants and enables the tunnels to be built narrower. Proper arrangements are also made for the drainage of underground railways, as the low-lying areas in which they are constructed are likely to get flooded during the rains. Such underground railways have been constructed in Kolkata, Delhi, and other countries around the world.
Content for this question contributed by Nicolle Gatto, resident of Guilderland, Albany County, New York, USA