城市轨道交通创始于美国。1832年11月,在美国纽约的街道上出现了第一辆轨道马车。 1879年5月31日,德国的西门子和哈尔斯克公司建造了世界第一条电气化铁路和第一台电力机车。两年之后,在柏林附近的利希特菲尔德(Lichterfelde)延生了一条1.5mile(英里)长的有轨电车线,由地面轨道供电。这是世界上最早的一条电气化的城市轨道线路,也是迄今电气化铁路的雏型。目前已有34个国家的281个城市和地区发展了有轨电车线路,其中苏联有98个城市,占35％;世界上已建成约15×10~4km的电气化 Urban Rail Transit was founded in the United States. In November 1832, the first rail carriage appeared on the streets of New York, United States. On May 31, 1879, Germany’s Siemens and Halske built the world’s first electrified railway and the first electric locomotive. Two years later, a 1.5mile tram line was extended in Lichterfelde near Berlin, powered by ground orbits. This is the earliest electrified urban rail line in the world and the prototype of the electrified railway to date. At present, tramways have been developed in 281 cities and areas in 34 countries, of which 98 cities are occupied by the Soviet Union, accounting for 35%; electrification of about 15 × 10 ~ 4km has been completed in the world