Fr : version française / En: english version

New York

New York

Pyongyang

Pyongyang

London

London

Abidjan

Abidjan

Lisbon

Lisbon

Moscow

Moscow

Kolkata

Kolkata

Montgomery

Montgomery

Paris

Paris

Tokyo

Tokyo

Bécon-les-bruyères

Bécon-les-bruyères

Montgomery

Some
more equal
than others

The first urban transit services were expensive. In Barcelona in the early 19th century, up to 10% of a worker's salary went on travel. It was only when season tickets and lower fares were introduced that they gradually became accessible to everyone.

Yet sharing did not necessarily mean mixing and strict observance of the social hierarchy was de rigueur for a long time. The London Underground originally had three classes, with wooden benches at one end of the spectrum and padded seats at the other. In Paris, an attempt to do away with 1st class in 1948 failed miserably and it was not finally phased out until the 1990s.

  • "Next station" indicator, illustration
  • Unknown
© TfL from the London Transport Museum collection