Global Subway Spectrum

Colors were sampled from official rapid transit diagrams* of every system in the world and charted in several ways to explore how each city has used them to color code each line or service. Rapid transit systems include subways, metros, undergrounds, railways, etc. operating frequently in urban areas. (Commuter and passenger rail systems are not included.)

• All
• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• South America

• Most colors
• A–Z

*Official diagrams for a handful of rapid transit systems weren't available online or easily found due to the city's remote location or small system size. In their place, colors were sampled from unofficial diagrams drawn by illustrators or photos taken of official diagrams in train cars.

A project from Nick Rougeux