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This article was first published 9 years ago

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

June 03, 2014 14:19 IST

Image: Variotram 205 at Byparken Terminal of the Bergen Light Rail.
Photographs: Alasdair McLellan/Reuters Rediff Business Desk

Cities are the world’s engines of economic growth.

And development of public transport is the key to any city's economic prosperity.

With fuel prices hitting the roof and pollution adding to the woes of urban living, environmentalists advocate using the public transport system.

For, it not only saves fuel but also cuts down on the world's carbon footprint.

However, in some countries, travelling by public transport is really costly.

The web portal therichest.com recently came up with a list of world’s 10 most expensive public transportation systems.  Read on.

1. Oslo, Norway

Single Ticket: $5.12 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

With six-line Oslo Metro, the six-line Oslo Tramway, and the eight-line Oslo Commuter Rail, Norway's capital has the ultimate transit network.

Oslo's public transport system caters to 84 million passengers per year.

But buying individual tickets is sure to burn a whole in one's pocket.

. . .

All figures are in dollars to make comparison easy

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: Kopenhagen DSB S-Bahn.
Photographs: Kurt Rasmussen/Wikimedia Commons

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

Single Ticket: $4.88 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

Denmark's transport system consists of a main-line rail, S-train, metro, bus and boat.

Approximately 750,000 passengers make use of Copenhagen’s public transportation per year.

The city broke a record in 2013 by increasing its passengers to 2.2 million, which is 50 per cent more than the European average.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: Tram car Ce2/2 2 on display within the Burgweis tram depot.
Photographs: Chris J Wood/Wikimedia Commons

3. Zurich, Switzerland

Single Ticket: $4.66 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

Consisting of the S-Bahn, trams and buses (both diesel and electric), the Zurich public transit network has some of the highest traffic densities in the world.

The system also includes the boats on the lake and river and even a cable car between the Swiss cities of Adliswil and Felsenegg.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: Stockholm commuter rail.
Photographs: Udo Schroter/Wikimedia Commons

4. Stockholm, Sweden

Single Ticket: $4.52 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

The city’s extensive public transportation system consists of the Stockholm Metro, two urban rail systems -- Roslagsbanan and Saltsjobanan, a suburban rail system -- the Stockholm Commuter Rail, three light rail systems -- Nockebybanan, Lidinogobanan, and Tvarbanan, a tram way -- Sparvag City, an inner city boat line called Djurgardsfarjan, and several bus lines.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: People prepare to board buses during the rush hour in central London.
Photographs: Toby Melville TM/ASA/Reuters

5. London, England

Single Ticket: $3.70 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

London’s public transportation network is one of the largest and busiest in the world.

The London Underground aka The Underground or The Tube is the main metro system and serves the Greater London area and the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.

With 270 stations, the network carried 1.23 billion passengers in 2012 and 2013.

Additionally, the famous double-decker London buses hold a weekday ridership of six million.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: Employees of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) perform maintenance operations in front of the new regional two-floor train connecting Geneva and Lausanne.
Photographs: Valentin Flauraud/Reuters

6. Geneva, Switzerland

Single Ticket: $3.67 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

Geneva boasts os one of the most sophisticated and rapidly developing public transportation systems in Western Europe.

The Geneva Public Transport network operates trams, trolleybuses, and buses throughout the gorgeous Switzerland city, including some regions neighbouring France.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: The Queen Mary 2 sets sail past the Sydney Opera House, February 19, 2014. Entering service in 2004, the flagship of the Cunard Line is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a three-week cruise that will circumnavigate Australia.
Photographs: Jason Reed/Reuters

7. Sydney, Australia

Single ticket: $3.43 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

The city's extensive transport system consists of bus, train and water modes, with the buses accounting for half of the journeys throughout the city on weekdays.

Sydney has the largest number of users among Australia’s major cities with a yearly ridership of 522 million.

Despite its high usage, it has been commonly dubbed by several blogs and websites as the worst public transit system in the world.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: These articulated cars are the mainstay of the Helsinki tram fleet.
Photographs: LHOON from Mechelen, Belgium/Wikimedia Commons

8. Helsinki, Finland

Single Ticket: $3.28 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

Helsinki, with a population of over 610,000, has the most diverse public transportation systems in Finland, consisting of trams, commuter rail, the subway, buses and two ferry lines.

After discontinuing the trams in Turku and Viipuri, Helsinki is currently the only city in Finland with trams and metro trains.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: An ICE high speed train of German railway Deutsche Bahn AG approaches the first station of an anti-icing unit at their depot in Frankfurt.
Photographs: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

9. Frankfurt, Germany

Single Ticket: $3.24 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

Frankfurt’s public transportation system is made up of the S-Bahn, the U-Bahn and nine tram lines.

At a maximum length of 200 m (600 ft) and speed of approximately 140 km/hour (90 miles per hour), the trains are a popular choice for transportation.

. . .

World's 10 most expensive public transportation systems

Image: Trains are parked outside of the central station in Munich during heavy snowfalls in whole Bavaria.
Photographs: Michaela Rehle/Reuters

10. Munich, Germany

Single Ticket: $3.24 for single zone (a minimum distance of 12 km)

Half of Munich’s population of 2.6 million relies on the public transportation system.

The system consists of the suburban train, S-Bahn, the underground train, U-Bahn, and several trams.