The Amsterdam Metro first opened in 1977 after seven years of construction. New lines and extensions were opened in 1990 and 1997. Today, the Amsterdam Metro has four lines serving 52 stations with an additional line under construction. Due to Amsterdam's high water table, construction has been difficult, and this is proving to be the case with the line currently under construction.

The system is a mix of heavy rail and light rail operations. Line 51 from Centraal Station to Westwijk shares tracks with tram line 5 on the southern part of its run. It is referred to as a "sneltram" meaning fast tram, and has rolling stock that is able to change from third rail to overhead catenary as its power source (similar to the MBTA Blue Line in Boston). The power change occurs at the Zuid station. Platforms along the shared track are both high level and low level to accommodate the different types of trains running on that line.

There are several types of rolling stock. The Series M1, M2, and M3 are heavy rail units manufactured by LHB that are in married pairs and operate on lines 50, 53 and 54. As of 2015, these cars are being phased out. The Series M4 is heavy rail stock manufactured by CAF that operates on Line 50. The Series M5, built by Alstom, was built to replace the M1, M2, and M3 classes and to provide rolling stock for Line 52 when it opens. Line 51 has its own rolling stock that is able to operate on both heavy rail and light rail operation. The Series S1 and S2 were built by La Brugeoise. The Series S3 was built by CAF and are essentially identical to the M4 units, except they are able to operate on the light rail sections as well.