Various terms are used for passenger rail lines and equipment. Unfortunately the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas.

Rapid transit

Originally, the term rapid transit was used beginning in the 1800s to describe new forms of quick urban public transportation that separated the right-of-way from street traffic. This set rapid transit apart from horsecars, trams, streetcars, omnibuses, and other forms of public transport. Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ... Right-of-way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: priority at a crossing, or in traffic. ... A horsecar was an animal-powered streetcar (or tram). ... A modern tram in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 For modern innovations to make these systems higher-capacity and higher-speed, see light... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... The Bus, established by Mayor Frank Fasi, is Honolulus only public transit system. ...

Though the term was almost always used to describe rail transportation, other forms of transit were sometimes described by their proponents as rapid transit, even including local ferries in some cases. This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... The Pride of Burgundy, a P&O Ferries car ferry on the Dover-Calais route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and possibly their vehicles, on a relatively short-distance, regularly-scheduled service. ...

The term bus rapid transit has recently come into use to describe bus lines with features to speed their operation. These usually have more characteristics of light rail than rapid transit. Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a relatively new umbrella term for urban mass transportation services utilizing buses to perform premium services on existing roadways or dedicated rights-of-way. ... The Bus, established by Mayor Frank Fasi, is Honolulus only public transit system. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ...

Subway

Subway, where it is used in a transit sense, always refers to either a rapid transit system or rarely a light rail/streetcar system that goes underground. The term may refer only to the underground parts of the system, or to the full system. The word Subway has a number of uses: A pedestrian tunnel going under a road is known as a subway in the UK In American and Canadian English, subway refers to a tunnel or other underground structure built to carry mass transit vehicles. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ...

Subway is most commonly used in the United States and some parts of Canada, though the term is also used elsewhere, such as to describe the subway line in Glasgow, Scotland and in translation of system names or descriptions in some Asian cities into English. A train arrives at West Street station The Glasgow Subway is a metro system which has a circular two-track layout. ... Glasgows location in Scotland Glasgow is Scotlands largest city, located on the River Clyde in West Central Scotland. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country or nation and former independent kingdom of northwest Europe, and one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Some lines described as subway use light rail equipment. Notably, the Newark City Subway and Boston's Green Line, each about half underground, originated from fully surface streetcar lines. Sometimes the term is qualified, such as in Philadelphia, where trolleys operate in an actual subway for part of their route and on city streets for the remainder. This is locally styled subway-surface. This article is about light rail systems in general. ... PCC car at Newark Penn Station in 2001 The Newark City Subway (NCS) in Newark, New Jersey is operated by New Jersey Transit. ... The Green Line is one of the four MBTA subway lines in the Boston, Massachusetts metro area. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... This article refers to the largest city of Pennsylvania. ... A city is an urban area, differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ... Mike Skinner aka The Streets (born 27 November 1978) is a chav, a rapper and musician from Birmingham, England. ...

In some cities where subway is used, it refers to the entire system; in others, only to the portions that actually are underground. Naming practices often select one type of placement in a system where several are used; there are many subways with above-ground components, and on the other hand, the Vancouver SkyTrain and Chicago El include underground sections. The platform at Metrotown Station in Burnaby is one of the busiest in the SkyTrain system. ... A westbound Chicago L train crosses the south fork of the Chicago River The Chicago L (short for Chicago Elevated) is an urban rapid transit metro serving Chicago and eight of its adjacent suburbs. ...

Interestingly, when the Boston subway was originally built, the subway label was only used for sections into which streetcars operated, and the rapid transit sections were called tunnels. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is a quasi-governmental organization formed in 1964 that controls the subway, bus, commuter rail, and ferry systems in the Boston, Massachusetts area. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ...

Bus subways are uncommon but do exist, though in these cases the non-underground portions of route are not called subways. Seattle, Washington has a bus subway downtown, in which dual-fuel buses can operate on overhead wires when in the subway and via internal combustion when outdoors. Bus subways are sometimes built to provide an exclusive right-of-way for bus rapid transit lines, such as the MBTA Silver Line in Boston. These are usually called by the term bus rapid transit. The Bus, established by Mayor Frank Fasi, is Honolulus only public transit system. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... Pioneer Square Station The Metro Bus Tunnel, also referred to as the (Downtown) Seattle Transit Tunnel is a 1. ... An internal combustion engine is an engine that is powered by the expansion of hot combustion products of fuel directly acting within an engine. ... Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a relatively new umbrella term for urban mass transportation services utilizing buses to perform premium services on existing roadways or dedicated rights-of-way. ... The Silver Line is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authoritys (MBTAs) sole Bus Rapid Transit Line, running from Dudley Square in Roxbury, Massachusetts to downtown Boston, Massachusetts, with planned extensions to South Boston and Logan Airport in East Boston. ... Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a relatively new umbrella term for urban mass transportation services utilizing buses to perform premium services on existing roadways or dedicated rights-of-way. ...

Underground and metro

The usage of underground is very similar to that of subway, describing an underground system. Similarly, metro usually refers to rapid transit. Metro is: a general term, synonymous with subway or underground, for an urban underground rail public transit system (see metro and list of metro systems); any of several specific public transport systems, including the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Washington Metro in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ...

Many Germanic languages use names meaning underground railway, while many others use metro. In London, the word metro most commonly refers not to the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway, but to frequent suburban National Rail train services. Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Germanic languages form one of the branches of the Indo-European (IE) language family, spoken by the Germanic peoples who settled in northern Europe along the borders of the Roman Empire. ... Greater London and the Regions of England. ... Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ... The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport system for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London. ... National Rail uses the BR double arrow logo National Rail is a brand name describing the passenger rail service previously provided by British Rail, the now defunct UK state-owned rail operator. ...

The Brussels Metro has three traditional rapid transit lines and two premetro lines which run trolleys but have enough width to be eventually converted to the bigger metro standards if the traffic warrants it. Categories: Metro | Belgium-related stubs ...

Elevated

Elevated is a shortened form of elevated railway, a railway built on supports over other rights of way, generally city streets. They are also called els. In the United States, only the Chicago 'L' is known by that name ('L' is short for elevated). A westbound Chicago L train crosses the South Branch of the Chicago River The Chicago L (short for Chicago Elevated) is an urban rapid transit metro serving Chicago and eight of its adjacent suburbs. ...

At-grade urban rail transit

Streetcar

The term streetcar is generic to most forms of common carrier rail transit that runs or has run on streets, providing a local service and picking up and discharging passengers at any street corner, unless otherwise marked. A common carrier is an organization that transports a product or service using its facilities, or those of other carriers. ... Railroad or railway tracks are used on railways, which, together with railroad switches (points), guide trains without the need for steering. ... In the United States of America, transit describes local area common carrier passenger transportation configured to provide scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis. ...

More specific terms for some streetcar rechnologies include horsecar, trolley and cable car. A horsecar was an animal-powered streetcar (or tram). ... This article refers to the mass transit vehicle. ... Cable car can mean: a street railway system using a cable in the road to pull the cars along; see cable car (railway). ...

In the Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire, the term streetcar is used allegorically to refer to Blanche duBois' promiscuousness and inability to form permanent relationships, as in the sarcastic phrase: "Men (or women) are like streetcars. There'll be another one along any minute." There was actually a streetcar line in New Orleans named Desire Street and simply signed Desire. It is mentioned in the book and an actual New Orleans streetcar with that signage is seen at the beginning of the Marlon Brando-Vivien Leigh film. Thomas Lanier Williams (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), better known by the pen name Tennessee Williams, was a noted playwright. ... A Streetcar Named Desire is a play by Tennessee Williams describing a culture clash between Blanche DuBois—a pretentious, fading relic of the Old South—and Stanley Kowalski, a rising member of the industrial, inner-city immigrant class. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ... Promiscuity is the practice of making relatively unselective, casual and indiscriminate choices. ... Sarcasm is the making of remarks intended to mock the person referred to (who is normally the person addressed), a situation or thing. ... Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1948 Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) Vivien Leigh (November 5, 1913–July 7, 1967) was an English actress who was born Vivian Mary Hartley in Darjeeling, India. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of the entertainment industry. ...

Tram

The name tram is from Low German traam, meaning the "beam (of a wheelbarrow)", although some sources claim that it is derived from the name of engineer Benjamin Outram. It is typically used in Europe to describe any [whatever we decide to call stuff below rapid transit] system. Subdivisions East Low German Low Franconian Low Saxon Low German (in Low German, Platt(düütsch) or Nedderdüütsch) is any of a variety of West Germanic languages spoken in northern Germany and the Netherlands. ... A common wheelbarrow A wheelbarrow is a small one or two-wheeled cart designed to be pushed by a single person using two handles to the rear. ... Benjamin Outram (1764 - 1805) was a British engineer. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

In the U.S. a tram is a tourist bus in the appearance of a heritage streetcar, a suspended cable car (aerial tramway), or a rubber-tired people-mover used for parking lot shuttles at theme parks and major events. The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... Omnibus is a Latin word meaning for all (people) and has 3 main meanings in standard English: A vehicle for transporting large numbers of people. ... A scene on a heritage railway. ... Cable car can mean: a street railway system using a cable in the road to pull the cars along; see cable car (railway). ... Cable car at Zell am See in the Austrian Alps. ...

Interurban

In the U.S., interurban refers to a higher-speed rural streetcar line. Interurbans are all but gone, with the few remaining (Norristown High Speed Line, IRT Dyre Avenue Line) having been upgraded to rapid transit specifications. For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority as Route 100 of the Suburban Transit Division, is an interurban operating between Norristown Transportation Center and 69th Street Terminal, running entirely on its own right of way, inherited from the Philadelphia and Western Railroad, an interurban... The Dyre Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway, as part of the IRT division. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ...

Interurbans sometimes used freight railways rather than building their own track.

In Australia, interurban refers to long distance commuter trains such as the routes between Newcastle and Sydney, or between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. These do not have the features of "intercity trains" in other parts of the world, such as booked seats and meal services, but are bare commuter trains. They are properly called interurban rather than intercity, although CityRail refers to its interurban services as "intercity" trains. The Gold Coast (Robina) railway line is an inter-urban railway line in Queensland, Australia connecting Brisbane with the Gold Coast. ... CityRail is the name of the extensive system of urban, suburban and interurban passenger railways based on metropolitan Sydney, the capital city of the State of New South Wales, Australia. ...

Light rail

Light rail is a term coined in the 1970s during the reemergence of streetcars/trams. In general, it refers to a streetcar/tram system with certain rapid transit-style features. It is named to distinugish it from heavy rail, which refers to rapid transit systems as well as heavier regional rail/intercity rail. This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... A modern tram in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland A tram (or tramway, trolley, streetcar, tramcar, Straßenbahn) is a railborne vehicle (lighter than a train) for transport of passengers (or, occasionally, freight). ... The term heavy rail is often used for regular railways, to distinguish from systems such as trams/light rail and metro. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... Inter-city rail services are train services which cover larger distances than commuter trains. ...

A few systems such as people movers and personal rapid transit could be considered as even "lighter", at least in terms of how many passengers are moved per vehicle and the speed at which they travel. Monorails are also considered to be a separate technology. A people mover is a fully-automated light rail or tram system. ... Older children can use personal rapid transit without adult help. ... The Walt Disney World Monorail A monorail is a metro or railroad with a track consisting of a single rail (actually a beam), as opposed to the traditional track with two parallel rails. ...

Light rail systems can typically handle steeper inclines than heavy rail, and curves sharp enough to fit within street intersections (though this is hardly true for all light-rail lines). They are typically built in urban areas, providing frequent service with small, light multiple-unit trains or single cars. Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with full length parallel tracks A funicular, also called funicular railway or inclined railway, inclined plane, or in England a cliff railway, consists of a system of transportation in which cables attach to a tram-like vehicle on rails to move it up and down a... In mathematics, the concept of a curve tries to capture the intuitive idea of a geometrical one-dimensional and continuous object. ... The term intersection can mean: a road junction, where two roads intersect each other, such as a roundabout intersection; in mathematics, the set in which two or more other sets intersect each other; see intersection (set theory); a movie; see Intersection (movie). ... Urban is in or having to do with cities, as distinct from rural areas. ...

The most difficult distinction to draw is that between light rail and streetcar/tram systems. There is a significant amount of overlap between the technologies, and it is common to classify streetcars/trams as a subtype of light rail rather than as a distinct type of transportation. The two general versions are: a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... A modern tram in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 For modern innovations to make these systems higher-capacity and higher-speed, see light...

1. The traditional type, where the tracks and trains run along the streets and share space with road traffic. Stops tend to be very frequent, but little effort is made to set up special stations. Because space is shared, the tracks are usually visually unobtrusive.
2. A more modern variation, where the trains tend to run along their own right-of-way and are often separated from road traffic. Stops are generally less frequent, and the vehicles are often boarded from a platform. Tracks are highly visible, and in some cases significant effort is expended to keep traffic away through the use of special signaling and even grade crossings with gate arms.

At the highest degree of separation, it can be difficult or impossible to draw the line between light rail and rapid transit, as in the case of London's Docklands Light Railway, which would likely not be called light rail were it not for the contrast between it and the London Underground.

Many light rail systems — even fairly old ones — have a combination of the two, with both on-road and off-road sections. In some countries, only the latter is described as light rail. In those places, trams running on mixed right of way are not regarded as light rail, but considered distinctly as streetcars or trams. However, the requirement for saying that a rail line is "separated" can be quite minimal — sometimes just with concrete "buttons" to discourage automobile drivers from getting onto the tracks. Right-of-way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: priority at a crossing, or in traffic. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... Greater London and the Regions of England. ... The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport system for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London. ... Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ... A modern tram in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 For modern innovations to make these systems higher-capacity and higher-speed, see light... The orange markers seperate opposing traffic lanes. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ...

There is a significant difference in cost between these different classes of light rail transit. The traditional style is often less expensive by a factor of two or more. Despite the increased cost, the more modern variation (which can be considered as "heavier" than old streetcar systems, even though it's called light rail) is the dominant form of new urban rail transit in the United States. The Federal Transit Administration helps to fund many projects, but as of 2004, the rules to determine which projects will be funded are biased against the simpler streetcar systems (partly because the vehicles tend to be somewhat slower). Some places in the country have set about building the less expensive streetcar lines themselves or with only minimal federal support. Most of these lines have been "heritage" railways, using refurbished or replica streetcars harkening back to the first half of the 20th century. However, a few, such as the Portland Streetcar, use modern vehicles. There is a growing desire to push the Federal Transit Administartion to help fund these startup lines as well. Urban rail transit is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems serving urban or older suburban areas. ... The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation provides financial and technical assistance to the local transit systems. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A scene on a heritage railway. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Streetcar at the corner of 11th and Alder The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, and part of a light rail system that includes the larger MAX network serving the overall region. ...

Light rail is generally powered by electricity, usually by means of overhead wires, but sometimes by a live rail, also called third rail (a high voltage bar alongside the track), requiring safety measures and warnings to the public not to touch it. In some cases, particularly when initial funds are limited, diesel-powered versions have been used, but it is not a preferred option. Some systems, such as the JFK Airtrain in New York City, are automatic, dispensing with the need for a driver; however, such systems are not what is generally thought of as light rail, crossing over into rapid transit. Automatic operation is more common in smaller people mover systems than in light rail systems, where the possibility of grade crossings and street running make driverless operation of the latter inappropriate. An electric multiple unit pulling into Tile Hill station; Coventry, England. ... Third rail at Bostons South Station A third rail is a method of providing electricity to power a railroad, typically a mass transit system. ... Diesel is a product used as a fuel in a diesel engine invented by Rudolf Diesel, and perfected by Charles F. Kettering. ... Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... A people mover is a fully-automated light rail or tram system. ...

Heavy rail

Heavy rail sometimes refers to rapid transit, but sometimes refers to regional rail (also known as "commuter rail") and intercity rail. The term heavy rail is often used for regular railways, to distinguish from systems such as trams/light rail and metro. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... Inter-city rail services are train services which cover larger distances than commuter trains. ...

Regional rail and Commuter rail

See Regional rail. A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ...

Suburban rail

Intercity rail