The Glasgow Subway opened in 1896, making it one of the world’s oldest underground railways.
Construction began in 1891 for the Glasgow District Subway Company. When the circular line opened on 14 December 1896, it used a distinctive cable-hauled system rather than electric trains. A steam-powered plant moved cables that trains gripped beneath the carriages.
Glasgow’s Subway is often described as the world’s third-oldest underground metro, after London’s Metropolitan Railway, opened in 1863, and the Budapest Metro, opened in 1896. Budapest’s line opened earlier that year, so Glasgow is generally ranked third despite sharing the same year.
The original railway was eventually converted to electric traction in 1935. Its compact circular layout and narrow gauge remain unusual features: the system has two routes running around the same circle, with trains serving 15 stations. A common mix-up is confusing the Subway’s opening date with its electrification date or its major modernisation closure in the 1970s.