Gallery: The World's Most Terrifying Public Transit Rides
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The scariest parts of most commutes may be missing a bus or finding an unidentifiable substance spilled on the seat of a train. But some passengers have it worse. A lot worse. Five-minute escalator descents, passing through abandoned stations, and dangling two miles in the air in a cable car are just part of getting to work for some folks. The poor kids in Kyoto even have to deal with adults dressed as actual monsters. In honor of Halloween, we present the most terrifying public transit rides you can take. And you'll never complain about your commute again. Merida Cable Car (above) ------------------------ Afraid of heights? Better not take the cable car in Mérida, Venezuela. The 7.5-mile ascent to the top of Pico Espejo in the Andes will leave you hanging nearly three miles above sea level, and almost two miles above the city. In fact, until it temporarily closed for repairs in 2008, it was the world's highest cable car. The upgraded cable car is currently undergoing testing, and officials in Venezuela say that it'll be [reopening in July of 2014.](http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/actualidad/regiones/fase-de-prueba-del-teleferico-de-merida-arrancara-.aspx) Those who brave the journey will be treated to spectacular views of the Andes below. *Photo: [Flickr/Erik Cleves Kristensen](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikkristensen/4552828923/sizes/l/in/photolist-7Wjrqp/)*
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Wuppertaler Schwebebahn ----------------------- Though it's not nearly as tall as the cable car in Merida, the [public transit system in Wuppertal, Germany](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/03/0331wuppertal-monorail-opens/) may not be ideal for those with vertigo. That's because it's a hanging monorail. Unable to build a railway due to Wuppertal's hilly terrain, officials started building the suspended railway in 1898. Since its 1901 completion, the line has only had one fatal accident, in which construction workers left equipment hanging from the rail, causing a train to derail into the river below. *Photo: [Flickr/Nir Nussbaum](http://www.flickr.com/photos/tierecke/)*
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Saint-Martin Ghost Station -------------------------- Unused subway stations -- called "ghost stations" -- exist all over the world. Most famously, Berlin's U-Bahn featured stations in East German territory that West German-bound trains would pass through without stopping. Paris has one of the more interesting ghost stations. Trains still pass through Saint-Martin, closed during World War II and only briefly reopened in the 1940s, but none stop there. At one point, the Salvation Army created a shelter on part of the platform. During its brief reopening, the station was [used to showcase advertising to potential buyers.](http://pridian.net/blog/archives/137) Some of those ads survived until the 20th century. Today, it's still used for marketing purposes. Since trains pass through, carmakers and [filmmakers alike](http://www.psfk.com/2012/05/abandoned-paris-metro-station-prometheus.html) have used the station as a static display. *Photo: [Flickr/Phil Beard](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8592508@N04/4893529313/in/photolist-8sqBM4-pGwQM-ebP2Gk-ebUFPh-ebP2RV-68JmdY-oZSCS-7ciTXg-djyQAs-9dxDzh-9m4kZi-85uh4g-85xqp7-5vCYtg-dDa26L-9m7pVd-9wANdB)*
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Pyongyang Metro --------------- A must-see for the few visitors to North Korea's capital, there are a lot of scary things about the Pyongyang Metro. It's supposedly 360 feet below ground level, and may contain secret passages and tunnels for high party officials or the North Korean military. The tunnels were almost certainly constructed to double as bomb shelters, as giant blast doors can seal off all stations. While few outsiders have seen more than two of the most elaborate stations, an increasing number of videos and photos show that two lines are indeed in operation. Their schedule depends on when electricity is available, and whether the old German-built trains are in need of repair. *Photo: [Flickr/Stephan](http://www.flickr.com/photos/fljckr/1027358741/sizes/l/in/photolist-2yMtXK-2yLVtE-2yM3S1-2yGAoz-2yM6im-2yLYSm-2yM4Yu-2yLXwd-2yM1YW-2yGwKp-2yLYaj-bSFjQM-4Y7fpy-4Y7feJ-4Y7fko-4Y2ZDt-4Y2Zxk-4Y86WH-8wiHQQ-8wfHgv-8wfHNB-8wfHq6-7F6Znp-7FaQFN-7F72Ax-7FaQaQ-aoL1im-dqR1cu-2i9r9V-aHGhTT-deipYL-7DTBd4-dtWP6v-du3nzy-eayPV1-eatbHX-dATVY4-83YdE4-84c1yP-bV4VNN-bV4UHG-dGDJu-dGDFw-fnNxz-dGDEa-fnNzj-fnNCc-fnNu5-bQLCLK-bQLCPZ-fnNBA/)*
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Arsenalna --------- If you've got claustrophobia or fear being buried alive, don't get off at Arsenalna station on the Kiev Metro in Ukraine. The small station is 346 feet below city streets, and almost exclusively services workers at a nearby Kiev Arsenal factory. The escalator ride alone [takes nearly five minutes.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwfYhM07Io) *Photo: [Flickr/Jorge Lascar](http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlascar/8601894844/sizes/c/in/photolist-e77XDN-dcYZPu-9D9R3a-esfcsU-e72cRX-e72hw4/)*
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Silverpilen ----------- When Stockholm ordered new rolling stock for its metro system in the 1960s, they held onto one test unit to use as a backup. They left it unpainted and only used it during rush hour or when other trains were out of service. Its unique appearance and infrequent sightings led to an urban legend. *Silverpilen* -- or "Silver Arrow" -- wasn't a backup train. It was a ghost train that, depending on whom you asked, screamed through stations after midnight without stopping, or that led riders to their untimely deaths, or dropped them off months after they boarded. *Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C5-Silverpilen.jpg)*
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Kymlinge Metro Station ---------------------- And where does the Silverpilen stop? At a ghost station, of course. Kymlinge Metro Station was built in the 1970s when businesses were considering moving nearby. But the local government decided to preserve the natural surroundings as part of Järvafältet Nature Preserve instead. Stockholm's Blue Line opened, and trains pass through without stopping, but the Kymlinge station was never officially completed and remains creepy to this day. *Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kymlinge_station_2012.jpg)*
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Cincinnati Subway ----------------- Thanks to two wars, a Great Depression, and slowed population growth, the city of Cincinnati never had the functioning subway that city leaders envisioned in the early part of the 20th century. But two miles of underground tunnels exist. According to [Forgotten Ohio](http://www.forgottenoh.com/subway.html), some Cincinnatians think the tunnels are haunted by the ghosts of workers who perished there. Even if you don't believe in the paranormal, a deserted two-mile tunnel is scary enough. *Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati_Subway_Entrance_01_2005_10_22.JPG)*
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Yokai Trains ------------ If you're in Kyoto in August and see people dressed as monsters boarding the subway, don't be concerned. It's just a Yokai train. Yokai are the monsters, goblins and spirits of Japanese folklore, and every August they come to life, portrayed by actors on special blue-lit train cars in order to entertain children. Well, at least that's the point. As [these photos show,](http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/summer-nigh-horror-japans-creepy-yokai-monster-train.html) tears and screams are more common than laughter. *Photo: [Flickr/tkosaka](http://www.flickr.com/photos/tkosaka/1232782496/in/photolist-2SWkhC-2SRXha-8mERWw-2TBnCa-54UoYs-54JRU9-54UoYC-54UoZd-54UxoG-54UxoL-54UoYW-54UoZ5-54UoYG-ri2p3-aN9dRt-caE2bC-55eB7F-55eCy2-8mBKh4-2BM2k8-bmbdHd-bz66GD-bmbdPN-54JXrU-54ESek-54Ka3J/lightbox/)*
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Shinjuku Station ---------------- Terrified by crowds? You should avoid Tokyo's Shinjuku Station. It's the nexus of multiple rail and metro lines, and services more than 3.64 million riders per day. That makes it the busiest station in the world. With [multiple entrances and exits](http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/img/map_e/e866.pdf) (PDF), plus shops and rushing commuters, it's easy to get overwhelmed. *Photo: [Flickr/Dick Johnson](http://www.flickr.com/photos/31029865@N06/7520232192/in/photolist-csxa2J-aNQ9m6-aNQ9Qv-aNQ96D-aNQ7CV-9UxnLj-2yQEAH-dsHhsV-aNQabi-c6WCY-5hogTR-9ehc1C-7hMRFL-nj8Ki-7hHUWZ-7hMTk3-7hHV9H-7hHVBH-7hHVPg-7hHUKF-5yiFz7-2bCfzi-2ya915-6bZ128-8K3hK8-aNQaVD-aNQavn-drT5h2-drT6ag-dsHhwV-dsHts7-drT61g-dsHhTg-eosA4-eosrW-c6WCy-drT5mp-drT5Ak-7rWcEy-dsHhAk-dsHhEB-drT64P-drT5yD-dsHruC-dsHhnX-dsHhLn-drTeqA-drT5uv-6KGH4C-aNQ8sV-dN8hVs)*
