subway-surface UK /ˌsʌb.weɪ̯ ˈsɝːfɨs/US [ˌsəb.wej ˈsɚ.fɪs] noun1 •(US) Streetcar lines whose sections in the city center operate in tunnels like subway lines; typically built to speed up streetcar service by bypassing congested streets, as provision for future conversion to rapid transit, or both. formssubway-surfaces