Montreal Metro's bright blue trains, musical send-offs and multicoloured 1960s-style artwork make it one of the 10 coolest subway systems in the world. (ÉTIENNE LABERGE/QMI Agency)

10 places to find great subway art World's top subway systems

MONTREAL — The Montreal Metro's bright blue trains, musical send-offs and multicoloured 1960s-style artwork make it one of the 10 coolest subway systems in the world, according to TheCoolist web magazine.

TheCoolist places the Metro alongside subway systems in Paris, Stockholm and Moscow.

"Like the stations of the Moscow Metro and the Taipei Metro, this subway system is host to a collection of art galleries throughout its network," TheCoolist's editors say.

"Public art ranging from fine to performance is welcomed here, far below the city it services. And with 1,100,000 riders a day, that makes it one of the most popular art galleries in the world."

Every station in the Metro system has a different architectural design, and the network features an array of murals, sculptures, mobiles and paintings.

Some trains play a three-note song when they pull out of the station, and musicians and other artists can buy permits to perform in stations throughout the day.

The Metro opened in 1966, just in time for the Expo 67 World's Fair.

It's the busiest subway network in Canada, just ahead of Toronto's subway system.

Washington; Taipei, Taiwan; Frankfurt, Germany; Pyongyang, North Korea; and Almaty, Kazakhstan round out the list.

The top 10 subway stations aren't ranked in order.