I rode Hong Kong’s amazing subway where it’s impossible to get lost — now I’ll never look at the London Underground in the same way

The Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway.Shutterstock

Back in August, my colleague in New York Dennis Green visited London, and found using the Tube — much to the dismay of many Londoners — a generally positive experience, especially compared to the subway back in New York.

Broadly speaking, I agreed with Dennis. For one, the New York Subway is in a dire state.

I visited the Big Apple in November and experienced delays, trains randomly stopping, and solid human waste on platforms (not a joke!)

I also agreed that the London Underground is a pretty awesome piece of infrastructure, especially considering its age.

But my perspective on the Underground changed after I visited Hong Kong. A four day holiday to the city-state has completely changed what I think a good mass transit system looks like.

Hong Kong’s subway system, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), is without a doubt the smoothest, easiest, and pleasantest public transport experience I have ever used. It makes the London Underground look like a creaking, dirty, inefficient mess of a transit system.

I used the MTR frequently during my time in Hong Kong, both for short journeys in and around town and for longer trips out of the city. Here’s what distinguished it from the Tube.