The growth of metro systems in Madrid, Rome and Athens

Madrid, Rome and Athens are all national capitals and tourist centers with populations greater than three million, yet they have widely divergent rail transit systems. The Madrid system (1919) began as a privately owned system and was eventually turned over to public financing; it is comprehensive in coverage. The Rome system (1937) has always been publicly owned; it does not yet extend to suburban areas and has not significantly reduced urban dependence on cars and buses. The Athens system (1925) is also publicly owned and is the least comprehensive.