Test: Which is the Deepest Operational Metro in the World

June 23, 2026 · 5 min read

Question: What is the deepest operational metro system in the world?

Perplexity

The deepest operational subway station in the world is the “Arsenalna” station in Kyiv, Ukraine, with a depth of 105.5 meters[1][5]. This station was opened on November 6, 1960, and still holds its record to this day, despite the existence of stations with an assumed depth of 100–120 meters in closed countries (for example, North Korea), which lack official confirmation[1][2]. The descent to the platform of “Arsenalna” takes about 5 minutes and is carried out via two escalators through an intermediate hall, which visually compares to the height of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow[1][5].

It is important to clarify that the question of the “deepest metro” is often confused with the question of the “deepest station”: if the discussion is specifically about a station, then “Arsenalna” is the undisputed leader among operating systems with verified data[1][3]. The “Puhŭng” (or “Pekhung”) station in Pyongyang, North Korea, is said to reach 120 meters, but due to the inaccuracy of information and lack of official confirmation, it is not considered a world record holder in official sources[1][2]. In Russia, the deepest station is “Admiralteyskaya” in Saint Petersburg (86 m), and in Moscow it is “Park Pobedy” (73 m)[2][3].

Sources:

Gemini

For a long time, the deepest metro station in the world was considered to be Kyiv's "Arsenalna," with a depth of 105.5 meters. This station, opened in 1960, is located on the hilly right bank of the Dnieper, which required such a deep placement to maintain permissible track gradients. The descent to the platform is made via two escalators with an intermediate vestibule.

However, according to recent data, the deepest metro station in the world is Hongyancun station in the Chinese city of Chongqing. Its depth reaches 116 meters, which is comparable to the height of a 40-story building. It is worth noting that the Pyongyang metro is also known for its great depth, with tracks located more than 110 meters below the surface, due to the use of stations as bomb shelters.

Sources:

Anadolu Agency
My Planet
Cozy Travel Blog VeniVidi.ru
Yandex Travel
Novini.LIVE
Reddit

ChatGPT

The deepest operating metro in the world is considered to be the Kyiv Metro in Ukraine, specifically the "Arsenalna" station. It is located at a depth of approximately 105 meters underground. This depth is due to the geological features of the city's terrain — proximity to the Dnipro River and the necessity to lay metro lines through hills and steep slopes. That is why the "Arsenalna" station is much deeper than most other underground stations in the world.

For comparison, second place is held by the Pyeongchang Metro (South Korea), where the "Samnyeon-dong" station is located at a depth of 95 meters, while the Moscow Metro has stations such as "Park Pobedy," situated at approximately 84 meters deep. Such a great depth at the Kyiv Metro station also influences its design — long escalators are installed here to make it convenient for passengers to go down and up.

Thus, it is precisely the "Arsenalna" station of the Kyiv Metro that, according to various engineering and transport sources, holds the record for depth among all operating metro stations in the world.

Sources:

UrbanRail.net
Kyiv Metro — official data
Wikipedia (Kyiv Metro)

Grok

The deepest operational metro system in the world is the Chongqing Rail Transit in China. The record belongs to Hongyancun station on Line 9: its depth reaches 116 meters from the surface to the lowest point (and 106 meters to the rail level). The station opened in 2022 in the Yuzhong district, surpassing the previous record holder — Arsenalna station of the Kyiv Metro (105.5 meters). The deep location is due to the hilly terrain of the city: builders had to go under rock strata and skyscraper foundations.

Before the opening of Hongyancun, Arsenalna in Kyiv was considered the leader for many decades (opened in 1960), where passengers have to descend on two long escalators for about five minutes. Chongqing also has other deep stations, such as Huntudi, but it is Hongyancun that holds the world record. Systems in Pyongyang are sometimes claimed to be even deeper according to unconfirmed data, but official sources and engineering measurements confirm the primacy of the Chongqing station.

Sources:

WorldAtlas.com (article about the deepest metro stations, February 2025).
Wikipedia (Hongyancun station page).
Russian-language reviews (RBC Realty, Moya Planeta, etc., 2024–2026).

Claude

The question of the deepest metro system in the world needs clarification because it depends on the measurement criterion. The deepest station in the world as of January 25, 2022, is "Hongyancun" of the Chongqing Metro — 116 m. However, there is a historical record holder: the "Arsenalna" station of the Kyiv Metro with a depth of 105.5 m was considered the deepest for a long time, but the depth of "Arsenalna" is due not to the station’s construction depth, but to the elevation of the terrain.

If we talk about the average depth of all stations in the system, the leader is the Saint Petersburg Metro. Saint Petersburg leads in the average depth of stations. The average depth of stations in St. Petersburg is 57 m; out of 67 stations, 60 are deep-level stations, and the deepest is "Admiralteyskaya" (86 m underground). The reason for such depth is complex geological conditions: unstable soil with high moisture and the characteristics of St. Petersburg’s urban layout explain why almost all metro stations here are deep underground.

Sources:

Wikipedia — Metro
Vokrug Sveta — Records of metro systems of different countries in the world
homsk.com — Underground record holders: top 10 deepest metro stations in the world

Sources:

Blog