NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Elevated railroad

A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated, or metro system is a 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. ...railway system, usually in an Urban is in or having to do with cities, as distinct from rural areas. ...urban area, that usually has high capacity and frequency, with large trains and total or near total grade separation from other traffic.

Definitions and Nomenclature

There is no single term in The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...English that all speakers would use for all rapid transit or metro systems. This fact reflects variations in what characteristics are considered essential, as well as national and regional variations.

But those who prefer the American term "subway" or the British "underground" would additionally specify that the tracks and stations must be

so that pedestrians and road users see the street exactly as it would be without the subway; or at least that this must be true for the most important, central parts of the system. Conversely, those who prefer the American "rapid transit" or the newer term "metro" tend to view this as a less important characteristic and are pleased to include systems that are entirely elevated or at ground level ("at grade") as long as the other criteria are met. A rapid transit system that is generally above street level may be called an "elevated" system (often shortened to el or, in Chicago, 'L'). In some cities the word "subway" applies to the entire system, in others only to those parts that actually are underground; and analogously for "el".

For a more comprehensive listing of other names of this kind of system in cities around the world, see the list of rapid transit systems. Germanic languages generally use names meaning "underground railway", while many others use "metro".

Extent

Farringdon Tube station, London - view of the platforms Image by ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Farringdon station in London is shared by Underground trains (foreground) and Thameslink suburban rail services (behind partition).

In larger metropolitan areas the metro system may extend only to the limits of the central city, or to its inner ring of Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ...suburbs, with trains making relatively frequent station stops. The outer suburbs may then be reached by a separate commuter, suburban, or 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. ...regional rail network, where more widely spaced stations allow a higher speed. These trains are often more expensive and less frequent, sometimes operating only in Other meanings: Movie starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, expansion pack to SimCity 4, shuffling puzzle by ThinkFun, album. ...rush hours, and sometimes for political reasons they are operated by a separate authority that tends not to cooperate with the city's transit authority.

Many of these regional railways were first built to operate in one direction from a city_center terminus, but some have been extended across the city center, sometimes running in tunnels. By making multiple stops in the city, they can offer suburban passengers a choice of stations, and also provide useful transportation within the city. A notable example is the The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...Paris This page is about the Paris commuter rail. ...RER system, where (in cooperation with the city's transit authority) several pairs of existing suburban lines running in opposite directions from the city have been extended in tunnel to join up and form new through routes across the city. They are provided with frequent service and, within the city, the same fares as the Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ...Métro are charged, providing an integrated network. In German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...German_speaking countries, such a system is called an This article has been translated, and needs attention from someone approaching dual fluency. ...S_Bahn.

In some cases, such as the This article is about the city in California. ...San Francisco BART (in full, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District) is a rapid transit electric train service that serves parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, and Walnut Creek. ...Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...Washington Bethesda Metro station. ...Metrorail systems, the rapid transit system itself runs to the suburbs and effectively functions as a regional rail service as well. Where there are separate systems, the rapid transit system is typically a self_contained service with its own dedicated tracks and stations and technologically incompatible with other railway. Suburban rail services, on the other hand, often share tracks and stations with long_distance trains (historically they were usually operated by the same company, which also owned the rails and ran freight, although this has become less common) and are subject to the same standards and regulations. There are exceptions; some Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground lines share track with suburban rail services. In some cases, metro lines have been extended by taking over existing regional rail lines, notably the Central and Northern Lines in London.

Elevated railways were a popular way to build 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. ...mass transit systems in cities around the turn of the (19th century _ 20th century _ 21st century _ more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ...twentieth century, but they have fallen out of favour and many elevated lines were later demolished, being replaced by subways or The Bus, established by Mayor Frank Fasi, is Honolulus only public transit system. ...buses. Elevated rail saw something of a resurgence in the late (19th century _ 20th century _ 21st century _ more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ...twentieth century, with the construction of a number of new lines such as the The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport system for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London. ...Docklands Light Railway in London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London and the The platform at Metrotown Station in Burnaby is one of the busiest in the SkyTrain system. ...Vancouver SkyTrain; in the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, 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). ...United States a few such lines have been built, including the Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ...AirTrain JFK and the Las Vegas Monorail, but these are typically seen as more For the meaning in finance, see futures contract. ...futuristic, and are not representative of the overall trends in U.S. transit development.

Importance, functions, and station design

This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Stations of the The Athens Metro is the underground public transport system of Athens, Greece, constructed by the Attiko Metro (Αττικό Μετρό) company (literally Attican metro). History Construction began in 1996 to decrease traffic congestion and clean up the enviromnent by reducing Athens smog level. ...metro in The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ...Athens, Greece, formally called the Hellenic Republic ( Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. ...Greece double as A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment. ...museums. Antiquities found in excavations of its tunnels are on display there.

Download high resolution version (1000x750, 132 KB)The Greenbelt station on the Washington DC metro Taken by Raul654 on June 23, 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Greenbelt station, end of the Green line on the Bethesda Metro station. ...Washington Metro is a typical example of the entrance concourse of a metro station.

The volume of passengers a metro train can carry is often quite high, and a metro system is often viewed as the In general usage, the backbone is a synonym for the spine of an animal. ...backbone of a large city's public transportation system.

In some cities, the urban rail system is so comprehensive and efficient that the majority of city residents go without an A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ...automobile. The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...Paris and London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London arguably have the best metro systems in the world, while This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City is the only American city on the same level. Chicagos skyline at day Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 US Census. ...Chicago and Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th_century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...Boston follow New York distantly, while the rest of the cities in the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, 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). ...United States only have partial or poorly used systems, such as The name Saint Louis has several referents: Catholic Saints King Saint Louis IX of France; Saint Louis, bishop of Toulouse in France Locations Saint Louis, Missouri St. ...Saint Louis or This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. ...Detroit. In the The Western Hemisphere contains The Americas and nearby islands. ...Western Hemisphere, Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the federal capital of and largest city in Mexico. ...Mexico City also has a large system. In Canada, only Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ...Toronto and City motto: Concordia Salus (Salvation through harmony) Location in the province of Quebec Area 500. ...Montréal have extensive metro networks serving their urban centres (see The Toronto Transit Commission operates the subway and RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...Toronto Subway and RT and Montréal Métro); This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ...Vancouver's The platform at Metrotown Station in Burnaby is one of the busiest in the SkyTrain system. ...SkyTrain also provides high_grade service, but at present acts primarily as a connection between Vancouver and the surrounding area.

Most underground systems are for public transportation, but a few cities have built freight or Mail (disambiguation). ...postal lines. One example was the The Post Office Railway, also known as Mail Rail, is a narrow gauge driverless private underground railway in London built by the Post Office to move mail between sorting offices. ...Post Office Railway, which transported mail underground between sorting offices in London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London from Events January 7 _ First transatlantic telephone call _ New York City to London January 9 _ Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 _ Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 _ Britain sends troops to China February 12 _ First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 _ Earthquake in Yugoslavia _ 700 dead February...1927 until it was abandoned in 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 _ Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...2003. Similarly, in its early days the Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground's Metropolitan Line (then the Metropolitan Railway) transported goods as well as running passenger trains. Another example was the Pre-1910 photograph of the Chicago Freight Subway The Chicago Freight Subway was a unique freight tunnel network under the downtown of the city of Chicago. ...Chicago Freight Subway, which had a dense grid of tunnels under downtown Chicagos skyline at day Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 US Census. ...Chicago.

During the The Cold War ( 1947_ 1991) was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of nations practicing different ideologies and political systems. ...Cold War an important secondary function of some underground systems was to provide shelter in case of a nuclear attack.

Urban rail systems have often been used to showcase economical, social, and technological achievements of a nation, especially in the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик (СССР) listen?; tr. ...Soviet Union and other The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ...socialist countries. With their marble walls, polished granite floors and splendid mosaics, the metro systems of Plan of the Moscow Metro The Moscow Metro in Moscow, Russia is the worlds most heavily used metro system (see List of metro systems). ...Moscow and St. Petersburg are widely regarded as some of the most beautiful in the world. Modern metro stations in The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ...Russia are usually still built with the same emphasis on appearance. Similarly, the The Independent Subway System (IND, formerly ISS), and even earlier the Independent City_Owned Subway System (ICOS) or Independent City_Owned Rapid Transit Railroad was one of the three systems that is now part of the New York City Subway. ...Independent Subway System in This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City was built to compete with the private The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the operator of the original New York Subway line that opened in 1904 and additional rapid transit lines in the City of New York. ...IRT and A 1914 map showing what was at the time the proposed expansion for the BRT. The only major differences from what was built is that a new 60th Street Tunnel was used rather than the Queensboro Bridge, the Manhattan_side Brooklyn Bridge connection was never built, and several lines ended...BMT systems, and succeeded in running them out of business (in conjunction with other factors, such as fare limits).

Metro stations, more so than railway and bus stations, often have a characteristic artistic design that can identify each stop. Some have sculptures or frescos. For example, London's For the musical of the same name, see Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the City of Westminster, London. ...Baker Street station is adorned with tiles depicting Sherlock Holmes (right) and Dr. Watson, by Sidney Paget Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th century, created by British author and physician Arthur Conan Doyle. ...Sherlock Holmes. Every metro station in Pavement of a Valencia street, with arbour. ...Valencia, The Kingdom of Spain or Spain ( Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino da España) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ...Spain has a different sculpture on the ticket_hall level. Alameda station is decorated with fragments of while tile, like the dominant style of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències.

Technology

This station of the Paris Métro has automatic platform doors to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks.

Trains

Some urban rail lines are built to the full size of main-line railways; others use smaller tunnels, restricting the size and sometimes the shape of the trains (in the Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground the informal term tube train is commonly used). Some lines use light rail A railroad car (or, more briefly, car), also known as an item of rolling stock in British parlance, is a vehicle on a railroad or railway that is not a locomotive _ one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ...rolling stock, perhaps surface cars simply routed into a tunnel for all or part of their route. In many cities, such as London and Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th_century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...Boston's 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. ...MBTA, lines using different types of vehicles are organised into a single unified system (though often not connected by track).

Although the initial lines of what became the Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground used steam engines, most metro trains, both now and historically, are Electric motors of various sizes. ...electric A multiple unit is a passenger train whose carriages have their own motors, either diesel (DMUs) or electric (EMUs), and do not need to be hauled by a locomotive. ...multiple units, with Steel framework Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ...steel A wheel is a circular object that together with an axle allows low friction motion, e. ...wheels running on two steel rails. Power is commonly supplied by means of a single live Third rail at Bostons South Station A third rail is a method of providing electricity to power a railroad, typically a mass transit system. ...third rail (as in South Ferry station 125th Street station The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system in New York City, New York, United States. ...New York) at 600 to 750 The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential and voltage (derived from the ampere and watt). ...volts, but some systems use two live rails (notably Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London) and thus eliminate the return current from the running rails. Overhead wires, allowing higher voltages, are more likely to be used on metro systems without much length in tunnel, as in Amsterdam; but they also occur on some that are underground, as in The Madrid Metro is the large metro system serving Madrid, the capital of Spain. ...Madrid.

Older systems generally use Direct current (DC or continuous current) is the continuous flow of electricity through a conductor such as a wire from high to low potential. ...DC power rather than An alternating current (AC) is an electrical current, where the magnitude and direction of the current varies cyclically, as opposed to direct current, where the direction of the current stays constant. ...AC, even though this requires large A rectifier is one or more diodes arranged for converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). ...rectifiers for the power supply. DC Electric motors of various sizes. ...motors were formerly more efficient for railway applications, and once a DC system is in place, converting it to AC is generally considered too large a project to contemplate.

[[Montreal metro], Place-Saint-Henri station. ...

The rubber-tyred Montréal Métro is known for its quiet trains and elegant stations.

An alternative technology using rubber tyres on narrow This article is about the construction material. ...concrete or steel rollways was pioneered on the Paris Métro, and the first complete system to use it was in Montréal. Additional horizontal wheels are required for guidance, and a conventional track is often provided in case of flat tires and for Double switch A railroad switch (known in British and Australian English as (a set of) points or, in technical usage, a turnout) is a mechanical installation provided at a point where rail track A divides into two tracks B and C. It can be set in either of two positions...switching. Advocates of this system note that it is much quieter than conventional steel_wheeled trains, and allows for greater inclines given the increased traction allowed by the rubber tyres.

Some cities with steep hills incorporate A mountain railway is a railway which ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. ...mountain railway technologies into their metros. The Lyon Metro includes a section of railway is a mountain railway with a special centre rack rail mounted in the middle of the sleepers between the regular rails. ...rack (cog) railway, while the The Carmelit is a subway (underground metro) in Israel. ...Carmelit in Haifa (Hebrew חיפה; Arabic حيفا Ḥayfā) is the third-largest city in Israel, with a population close to 300,000. ...Haifa is an underground 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...funicular.

For elevated lines, still another alternative is the 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. ...monorail. Supported or "straddle" monorails, with a single rail below the train, include the Tokyo Monorail (東京モノレール) is a monorail system connecting Tokyo International Airport to Hamamatsucho Station in downtown Tokyo, Japan. ...Tokyo Monorail; the The Schwebebahn Wuppertal crossing an intersection The Schwebebahn Wuppertal is a suspension railway in Wuppertal, Germany. ...Schwebebahn in Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ...Wuppertal is a suspended monorail, where the train body hangs below the wheels and rail. Monorails have never gained wide acceptance outside Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area - Total - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ...Japan, though 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. ...Seattle has a short one, which it hopes to replace with a new, larger system, and one has recently been built in This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ...Las Vegas.

Drivers and automation

Download high resolution version (1280x960, 321 KB)Interior of the NEL train. ...

National motto: Majulah Singapura (English: Onward, Singapore) Official languages English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, Tamil Capital Singapore Largest city Singapore Government President Prime minister Westminster (de jure) Dominant-party (de facto) Sellapan Rama Nathan Lee Hsien Loong Area - Total - Water (%) 697. ...Singapore's Interior of the NEL Train. ...North-East Line trains, manufactured by Categories: Corporation stubs | Companies of France ...Alstom of France - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...France, are fully automated and are not manned by any driver.

Early underground trains often carried an attendant on each car to operate the doors or gates, as well as a driver. The introduction of powered doors around 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...1920 permitted crew sizes to be reduced, and trains in many cities are now operated by a single person. Where the operator would not be able to see the whole side of the train to tell whether the doors can be safely closed, A mirror is a reflective surface that is smooth enough to form an image. ...mirrors or television cameras for surveillance. ...closed-circuit TV monitors are often provided for that purpose.

An alternative to human drivers became available in the Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...1960s, as automated systems were developed that could start a train, accelerate to the correct speed, and stop automatically at the next station, also taking into account the information that a human driver would obtain from lineside or cab A Signal is a mechanical or electrical device that indicates to train drivers information about the state of the line ahead, and therefore whether they must stop or may start, or instructions on what speed they may drive their train. ...signals. The first complete line to use this technology was London's The Victoria Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured light blue on the Tube map. ...Victoria Line, in 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...1968. In normal operation the one crew member sits in the driver's position at the front, but just closes the doors at each station; the train then starts automatically. This style of system has become widespread. A variant is seen on London's The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport system for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London. ...Docklands Light Railway, opened in 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...1987, where the "passenger service agent" (formerly "train captain") rides with the passengers rather than sitting at the front as a driver would.

The same technology would have allowed trains to operate completely automatically with no crew, just as most This article is about the transportation device. ...elevators do; and as the cost of automation has decreased, this has become financially attractive. But a countervailing argument is that of possible An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate threat to human life or serious damage to property. ...emergency situations. A crew member on board the train may be able to prevent the emergency in the first place, drive a partially failed train to the next station, assist with an evacuation if needed, or call for the correct emergency services (police, fire, or ambulance) and help direct them. In some cities the same reasons are considered to justify a crew of two rather than one; one person drives from the front of the train, while the other operates the doors from a position farther back, and is more conveniently able to assist passengers in the rear cars. The crew members may exchange roles on the reverse trip (as in Toronto) or not (as in New York).

Completely unmanned trains are more accepted on newer systems where there are no existing crews to be removed, and especially on This article is about light rail systems in general. ...light rail lines. Thus the first such system was the This article is about VAL, the metro system. ...VAL (véhicule automatique léger or "automated light vehicle") of The following article is about the city in France. ...Lille, France - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...France, inaugurated in 1983 is an integer and composite number that represents a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...1983. Additional VAL lines have been built in other cities. In Canada is an independent sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. ...Canada, the This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ...Vancouver The platform at Metrotown Station in Burnaby is one of the busiest in the SkyTrain system. ...SkyTrain carries no crew members, while Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ...Toronto's The Scarborough RT or SRT is an ICTS (Intermediate Capacity Transit System) light rail public transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that uses linear induction technology. ...Scarborough RT, opening the same year ( 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...1985) with otherwise identical trains, uses human operators.

As to larger trains, the Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ...Paris Metro has human drivers on most lines, but runs crewless trains on its newest line, Line 14 of the Paris Metro crosses the center of Paris and currently runs between Saint Lazare and Bibliotheque François Mitterrand. ...Line 14, which opened in 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...1998. National motto: Majulah Singapura (English: Onward, Singapore) Official languages English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, Tamil Capital Singapore Largest city Singapore Government President Prime minister Westminster (de jure) Dominant-party (de facto) Sellapan Rama Nathan Lee Hsien Loong Area - Total - Water (%) 697. ...Singapore's Interior of the NEL Train. ...North East MRT Line ( 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...2003) claims to be the world's first fully automated underground urban heavy rail line.

Tunnel construction

The construction of an underground metro is an expensive A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. ...project, often carried out over a number of years. There are several different methods of building underground lines.

In one common method, known as An underground pedestrian tunnel between buildings at MIT. Note the utility pipes running along the ceiling. ...cut-and-cover, the city “Street” may also refer to Street, Somerset, a town in England. ...streets are excavated and a tunnel structure strong enough to support the road above is built at the trench, which is then filled in and the roadway rebuilt. This method (used for most of the underground parts of the Sao Paulo and São Paulo (city) redirect here. ...São Paulo metro, for example) often involves extensive relocation of the A public utility is a company that maintains the infrastructure for a public service. ...utilities commonly buried not far below city streets – particularly Transmission lines in Lund, Sweden Electric power, often known as power or electricity, involves the production and delivery of electrical energy in sufficient quantities to operate domestic appliances, office equipment, industrial machinery and provide sufficient energy for both domestic and commercial lighting, heating, cooking and industrial processes. ...power and A telephone handset A touch-tone telephone dial Telephone The telephone or phone (Greek: tele = far away and phone = voice) is a telecommunications device that transmits speech by means of electric signals. ...telephone wiring, Water resources are sources of water that are useful to human beings for drinking, recreation, irrigation, livestock production, industry, etc. ...water and Natural gas rig Natural gas is a gas produced by the anaerobic decay of organic material. ...gas mains, and Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ...sewers. The structures are typically made of This article is about the construction material. ...concrete, perhaps with structural columns of Steel framework Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ...steel; in the oldest systems, See also Wikimedia Commons has multimedia related to: Bricks Masonry Brickwork Ceramics Fire brick In role-playing games, a brick is a character whose main useful skill is being able to take a great deal of damage (usually physical damage) and act as a shield for weaker allies. ...brick and Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron_based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ...cast iron were used. Cut-and-cover construction can take so long that it is often necessary to build a temporary roadbed while construction is going on underneath in order to avoid closing main streets for long periods of time; in Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ...Toronto, a temporary surface on Yonge Street in Toronto before a marathon Yonge Street (pronounced young), located in Ontario, Canada, is a major arterial street in Toronto and a provincial highway. ...Yonge Street supported cars and 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. ...streetcar tracks for several years while the The Yonge-University-Spadina Line is the oldest subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. ...Yonge subway was built.

Some American cities, like Cincinnati Ohio had the beginnings of an underground subway system, which was closed in 1925. ...Cincinnati and The city of Rochester New York once had an underground rapid transit system, called the Rochester Subway. ...Rochester, were initially built around Categories: Water-transport stubs | Canals | Water transport ...canals. When the railways replaced canals, they were able to bury a subway in the disused canal's trench, without rerouting other utilities, or acquiring a right of way piecemeal.

Another usual way is to start with a vertical shaft and then dig the tunnels horizontally from there, often with a A tunnelling shield is a protective structure used in the excavation of tunnels through soil that is too soft or fluid to remain stable during the time it takes to line the tunnel with a support structure of concrete or steel. ...tunnelling shield, thus avoiding almost any disturbance to existing streets, buildings, and utilities. But problems with Groundwater is any water found below the land surface. ...ground water are more likely, and tunnelling through native This article is about the type of rock. ...bedrock may require blasting. (The first city to extensively use deep tunneling was London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London, where a thick Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...sedimentary layer of For the town in the United States, see Clay, New York. ...clay largely avoids both problems.) The confined space in the tunnel also limits the machinery that can be used, but specialised A tunnel boring machine that was used at Yucca Mountain. ...tunnel-boring machines are now available to overcome this challenge. One disadvantage with this, however, is that the cost of tunnelling is much higher than building systems cut-and-cover, at-grade or elevated. Early tunnelling machines could not make tunnels large enough for conventional railway equipment, necessitating special low, round trains, such as are still used by most of the Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground, which cannot install Note: in the broadest sense, air conditioning can refer to any form of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. ...air conditioning on most of its lines because the amount of empty space between the trains and tunnel walls is so small.

Sportivnaya metro station, St. ...

The Sportivnaya station of the Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland...Saint Petersburg, The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ...Russia metro depicts Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking world in ancient times. ...Ancient Greece; the word "sportivnaya" means "sporty" or "athletic".

The deepest metro system in the world was built in Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland...St. Petersburg, The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ...Russia. In this city, built in the This article is about marsh, a type of wetland. ...marshland, stable soil starts more than 50 metres deep. Above that level the soil mostly consists of water-bearing finely dispersed sand. Because of this, only three stations out of nearly 60 are built near the ground level and three more above the ground. Some stations and tunnels lie as deep as 100-120 meters below the surface. However, the location of the world's deepest station is not as clear. Usually, the vertical distance between the ground level and the rail is used to represent the depth. Among the possible candidates are:

One advantage of deep tunnels is that they can dip in a basin-like profile between stations, without incurring significant extra costs due to having to dig deeper. This technique, also referred to as putting stations "on humps", allows gravity to assist the trains as they accelerate from one station and brake at the next. It was used as early as 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1890 on parts of the The Northern Line is a deep-level tube line of the London Underground, coloured black on the Tube map. ...City and South London Railway, and has been used many times since.

History

A Helsinki metro train above ground crossing the Vuosaari metro bridge. ...

The Helsinki Metro The Helsinki Metro, or Helsingin metro, is the metro system in Helsinki, Finland. ...Helsinki metro, the northernmost metro system in the world, began operating in 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January_February January 6 _ William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 _ AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty_two subdivisions January 11 _ Mark Thatcher, son of the British...1982.

The earliest claimant to the title of "world's oldest subway tunnel" is on the The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a railroad that serves the length of Long Island, New York. ...Long Island Rail Road, which in Events January 4 _ The first American ice_skating club is formed (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). ...1850 bricked over an open cut to form the The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel (or Cobble Hill Tunnel of the Long Island Rail Road) is an abandoned railroad tunnel beneath Atlantic Avenue in downtown Brooklyn, New York. ...Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, carrying its line for about 2750 feet (850 m) under the streets of For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ...Brooklyn (now part of This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City). This tunnel was not a true subway, as it had no stations and was used for long_distance as well as suburban trains. Today the line would be categorized as 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. ...regional rail.

The first real underground line in the sense discussed here was the The Metropolitan Line is a line of the London Underground. ...Metropolitan Railway in London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London, which opened in 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...1863, using the era's most advanced propulsive technology: Great Western Railway No. ...steam locomotives, specially designed to condense their exhaust steam when in the tunnels. It was an immediate success and many extensions followed; the Metropolitan eventually became an important part of the eventual Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground system. Steam working underground lasted until 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...1905.

The first elevated railway in the world was the Ninth Avenue Elevated in This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City, opened in 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1868 as a (for cable car systems where the vehicles are suspended and not on rails, see aerial lift) A San Francisco cable car A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail track mounted cars that are propelled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. ...cable car and later converted for steam and then electric operation. Elevated railways were seen as a cheaper alternative to subways, but were often seen as dirty, ugly, and dangerous.

In 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...1870 short single_track lines opened in both This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York and London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London using alternative technologies, neither of which was a success. In New York, Alfred Ely Beach (September 1, 1826-January 1, 1896) was an inventor, publisher and patent lawyer. ...Alfred Beach built a 95 m tunnel (with a single station and a dead end at the other end) to demonstrate Pneumatic tubes are systems of air_driven containers in a network of tubes used for transporting physical objects. ...pneumatic train operation; this operated until 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1873, after which the tunnel became a rifle range and was then abandoned. The Beach subway was demolished in 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...1912 to build the BMT City Hall station. In London, the The Tower Subway is a tunnel beneath the River Thames in central London, close _ as the name suggests _ to the Tower of London. ...Tower Subway provided a crossing under the Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ...River Thames using a tiny (for cable car systems where the vehicles are suspended and not on rails, see aerial lift) A San Francisco cable car A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail track mounted cars that are propelled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. ...cable car for the 410 m journey; the line closed in a matter of months and the tunnel was given over to pedestrians, later becoming a utility conduit.

The first deep_level underground line (other than the Tower Subway) was the The Northern Line is a deep_level tube line of the London Underground, coloured black on the Tube map. ...City and South London Railway, which opened in 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1890. Steam operation being considered ridiculous in view of the limited ventilation so far underground, cable traction was chosen; but during construction the management decided to try electric locomotives instead, and so the C&SLR became the first underground electric railway. It too is now part of the Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London Underground.

The first line of the 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. ...Chicago 'L' opened in 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...1892; most of Chicagos skyline at day Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 US Census. ...Chicago's system is still elevated, but a few subways have been built, the first opening in 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...1943.

The first underground railway in continental Europe was completed in See Budapest (band) for the British melancholic post_grunge band. ...Budapest in 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1896, after only two years of construction, from Vörösmarty tér (the city centre) to Városliget (City Park) is a middle-large park (302 acres or 1. ...Városliget and the local zoo. This line, now part of the The Budapest Metro is the fastest means of public transport in Budapest. ...Budapest Metro, stretched 3.7 km (2.3 mi). The 10.4 km (6.5 mi) A train arrives at West Street station The Glasgow Subway is a metro system which has a circular two_track layout. ...Glasgow Subway in Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country or nation and former independent kingdom of northwest Europe, and one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ...Scotland opened the same year and used (for cable car systems where the vehicles are suspended and not on rails, see aerial lift) A San Francisco cable car A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail track mounted cars that are propelled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. ...cable haulage, until it was electrified in 1935 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...1935.

The first line of the Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ...Paris Metro opened in 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ...1900. Its full name was the Chemin de Fer Métropolitain, a direct translation into French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ...French of London's Metropolitan Railway. The name was shortened to métro, and many other languages have since borrowed this word.

Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th_century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...Boston has the oldest subway tunnel in the United States, part of the The Green Line is one of the four MBTA subway lines in the Boston, Massachusetts metro area. ...Green Line downtown, dating from Events January 1 _ Brooklyn, New York merges with New York City. ...1897. The original construction was a short four_track tunnel downtown, with only two stations, built to take This article is about light rail systems in general. ...light rail cars from outlying areas off the streets. Later subways in Boston carried full_size trains; the Green Line still operates with This article is about light rail systems in general. ...light rail equipment. In 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...1901, heavy rail trains began to use the tunnel as part of the original configuration of the The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the MBTA. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. ...Main Line Elevated, the first elevated railway in Boston.

The South Ferry station 125th Street station The New York City Subway is a large rapid transit system in New York City, New York, United States. ...New York City Subway, which has become the world's largest (by some measures), did not open its first section until 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...1904, but this was a fully separate four_track line, stretching 9 miles (14.5 km) [1] (http://nycsubway.org/perl/caption.pl?/maps/historical/railways1906_54.gif) from City Hall to 145th Street. Extensions were soon built, reaching The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. ...the Bronx and For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ...Brooklyn; this is now part of the The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the operator of the original New York Subway line that opened in 1904 and additional rapid transit lines in the City of New York. ...IRT system. Subway trains now run on right_of_way first used in 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...1863, and converted R44 cars run on the 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...1860 Staten Island Railway (SIR) or Staten Island Rapid Transit (SIRT) is a rapid transit line operating in the Borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA. Officially the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), the SIR is a direct subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) (MTA). ...Staten Island Railway.

In 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...1907, the first line in This article refers to the largest city of Pennsylvania. ...Philadelphia, now part of the Market-Frankford Line, began running on both elevated and underground structures.

The oldest subway in the The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earths surface that is south of the equator. ...Southern Hemisphere opened in 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...1913 in Buenos Aires (Good Winds in Spanish, but more akin to Fair Winds, as in navigation) is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as one of the largest cities in South America. ...Buenos Aires, Argentina is a country in southern South America, situated between the Andes in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east. ...Argentina, which is also the oldest one in Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...Latin America and the whole Spanish-speaking world. [2] (http://www.urbanrail.net/am/buen/buenos-aires.htm) The system is now known as The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as el subte, from subterr neo) is a mass-transit network that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...el subte.

A subway train departs Asakusa Station, bound for Shibuya Station, on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line

On 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...1923 the Mancomunitat de Catalunya opened the The Barcelona Metro, part of the mass transit public transport system of Barcelona, Spain, is an extensive network of electrified railways that run underground in central Barcelona and above ground into the citys suburbs. ...Barcelona Metro. Asia's oldest subway line is Tokyo (東京; Tōkyō, lit. ...Tokyo's Ginza Line (Click on image to enlarge. ...Ginza Line, opened in Events January 7 _ First transatlantic telephone call _ New York City to London January 9 _ Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 _ Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 _ Britain sends troops to China February 12 _ First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 _ Earthquake in Yugoslavia _ 700 dead February...1927. Now there are 12 subway lines running on about 150 miles of track. Other major Japanese cities also have subway systems, including For the town of Yokohama in Aomori Prefecture, see Yokohama, Aomori. ...Yokohama, Osaka Castle, Ōsaka_jō Umeda district of Osaka Location in Japan Osaka City listen? (大阪市; Ōsaka_shi) is the third_largest city in Japan, with a population of 2. ...Osaka, Nagoya Castle in June of 2004. ...Nagoya, Sapporo scene Sapporo White Illumination Sapporo (札幌市; _shi) is the fifth_largest city in Japan and it is the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. ...Sapporo, Port Tower at night Kōbe (Japanese: 神戸市; _shi) is a city in Japan, located on the island of Honshu. ...Kobe, Location of Kyoto, on the main island of Japan Kyoto (Japanese: 京都市; Kyōto_shi) is a city in Japan that has a population of 1. ...Kyoto, Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One Straw Revolution, is the pioneer of No Till grain growing (see also permaculture) Fukuoka is also the name of two towns in Japan, Fukuoka, Toyama (in Toyama Prefecture) and Fukuoka, Gifu (in Gifu Prefecture) Central Fukuoka View of Momochi, Fukuoka. ...Fukuoka, and See Sendai (disambiguation) for other places whose name is Sendai Sendai (仙台市; _shi) is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan and the largest city in the Tohoku region. ...Sendai.

The The Toronto Transit Commission operates the subway and RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...Toronto Subway ( 1954 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...1954) used the first aluminum subway car (which was at the time also the longest car in the world), which reduced weight and therefore operating costs.

In The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America, and fifth largest in the world. ...Brazil, the first underground opened in 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...1974 in Sao Paulo and São Paulo (city) redirect here. ...São Paulo, and now carries some four million passengers on an average weekday as part of the São Paulo Metro. Part of it consists of converted older railways; some of its stations actually date from the Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ...1880s. Underground lines have been built also in Ipanema beach A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese) is the name of both a state and a city in southeastern Brazil. ...Rio de Janeiro, History of Belo Horizonte The metropolis was once a small village, founded by a prospector from Portuguese for Corral of the King). The farms wealth and success encouraged more people into the region, and Curral del Rey became a village surrounded by farms. ...Belo Horizonte, Recife (population 1. ...Recife, This article is about Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. ...Porto Alegre and Brasília from space, November 1990 Niemeyers Cathedral Brasília is the capital city of Brazil and is located in the center of the country in a federal district created out of the state of Goiás. ...Brasília.

The Bethesda Metro station. ...Washington Metro in Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...Washington, DC opened in 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...1976, as part of changing attitudes towards transportation in the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, 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). ...United States, leading to subway systems in many systems that had done without.

In 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ...1979, Hong Kong (香港; Cantonese IPA: ; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2; Yale: heūng góng; pinyin: Xiānggǎng; Wade_Giles: Hsiang_kang) is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the Peoples Republic of China. ...Hong Kong's subway line, now called For MTR as a metro system, see MTR. This article is about the operator of the system. ...MTR, began operations. It currently has six lines, including four that run underneath Victoria Harbour is the harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. ...Victoria Harbor.

Recent developments include new, elevated lines such as Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ...AirTrain JFK in This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City and Vehicle at 2nd Street station Map of the Hudson_Bergen Light Rail system (click to enlarge) The Hudson_Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system, owned by New Jersey Transit, that connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Weehawken, New Jersey. ...Hudson_Bergen Light Rail across the Image of the Hudson River taken by NASA. View of the Hudson River in 1880s showing Jersey City View of the Hudson River from Battery Park, New York The Goldman Sachs Tower looms above the skyline of downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, overlooking the Hudson River. ...Hudson River in State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey Official languages None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th) _ Land 19,231 km² _ Water 3,378 km² (14. ...New Jersey. These are often seen as For the meaning in finance, see futures contract. ...futuristic, and are compared favorably to old_style elevated railways.

Finance

Many early urban railways were originally constructed by The private sector of a nations economy consists of those entities which are not controlled by the state _ i. ...private enterprise, either independently as in Slight modifications to the famous London Underground roundel indicate the name of each station on platform and outdoor signs. ...London, or under a government Meanings of franchise: Full rights of citizenship given by a country or a town, especially suffrage (political franchise) In a wider sense: any right or privilege granted by constitution or statute. ...franchise as in Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ...Paris. Later, direct The public sector is that part of economic and administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods and services by and for the government, whether national, regional or local/municipal. ...government control and ownership became the norm as corporations found it difficult to maintain profitability, although in recent years, this trend has been reversed to some extent with moves towards Public_private partnership (PPP) is a variation of privatization in which elements of a service previously run solely by the public sector are provided through a partnership between the government and one or more private sector companies. ...public_private partnership.

Whatever its original financing, any metro system requires ongoing expenditure to maintain and replace its trains, tracks, tunnels, and other infrastructure. An under_financed system will become unreliable and unpleasant to use, and eventually unsafe, and thus will lose public support.

In the United States, the lack of metro, subway, or other rapid transit systems except in a few of the larger cities has been attributed to the influence of the automotive industry and oil refining companies, which essentially used automobiles, buses, and advocacy of public road_funding to compete effectively against existing streetcar and trolley systems. These went into decline early in the twentieth century as the public chose personal over public transportation. (The decline of rapid transit outside of major metropolitan centers gave rise to the The General Motors streetcar conspiracy refers to a contention that General Motors (GM), acting in conjunction with several other companies and through the National City Lines (NCL) holding company, illegally acquired many streetcar systems in various cities around the United States and replaced them with buses for the express purpose...General Motors Streetcar Conspiracy, a This proposed logo for a US government agency was dropped due to fears that its masonic symbolism would provoke conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is a theory that claims an event or series of events is the result of secret manipulations by two or more individuals or an organization, rather...conspiracy theory that auto and oil interests directly engineered the dismantling of rapid transit.)

Similarities to light rail

A Boston The Green Line is one of the four MBTA subway lines in the Boston, Massachusetts metro area. ...Green Line car at Boston University is a non_sectarian private university located in Boston, Massachusetts. ...Boston University

There has always been some crossover between rapid transit and "lighter" 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. ...streetcar/ For specific light rail systems, many of which use the words light rail as part of their name, see list of light rail transit systems. ...tram systems. For example, some lines of the The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was a transportation holding company formed in 1896 to acquire and consolidate transit facilities in Kings County, now Brooklyn, New York. ...Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company in This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City were elevated in built_up areas and ran at street level, often along streets, in less crowded areas.

In the other direction, An interurban is a streetcar line or system that runs long distances between urban areas. ...interurban 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. ...streetcars provided rapid transit_style transit from cities to suburbs and other cities, running mainly on separate Right_of_way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: priority at a crossing, or in traffic. ...rights_of_way (sometimes sharing tracks with intercity rail) but using 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. ...streetcar equipment. Most interurbans have been abandoned, but some (like the The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority as Route 100 of the Suburban Transit Division, is a hybrid between light rail and heavy rail operating between Norristown Transportation Center and 69th Street Terminal, running entirely on its own right of way, inherited from the...Norristown High Speed Line near This article refers to the largest city of Pennsylvania. ...Philadelphia) have been reconstructed to rapid transit specifications.

Additionally, many 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. ...streetcar/ For specific light rail systems, many of which use the words light rail as part of their name, see list of light rail transit systems. ...tram systems include underground and (less commonly) elevated sections, in which everything about the system except the right-of-way is built to streetcar standards. Notably, the first subway in the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, 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). ...United States, Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...Boston's The Green Line is one of the four MBTA subway lines in the Boston, Massachusetts metro area. ...Green Line, opened in Events January 1 - Brooklyn, New York merges with New York City. ...1897 to take streetcars off downtown streets, though it did carry elevated trains from 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...1901 until the The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the MBTA. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. ...Washington Street Subway opened.

The coming of modern This article is about light rail systems in general. ...light rail in the 1970s - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...1970s brought new crossovers. New systems were built and old streetcar/tram systems were upgraded with higher capacity and speeds, but retaining some aspects of streetcars and trams. Some systems known as light rail, such as the The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport system for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London. ...Docklands Light Railway in London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...London and This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City's Airtrain at JFK. Note aluminum strip between rails. ...AirTrain JFK, are rapid transit with some light-rail technologies (though the light rail in these cases may be a mislabeling of AirTrain at JFK. Note aluminum induction strip between rails. ...advanced light rapid transit). Other light-rail systems may use high platforms but otherwise run as streetcars. A few systems similar to An interurban is a streetcar line or system that runs long distances between urban areas. ...interurbans have even come back, such as State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey Official languages None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th) - Land 19,231 km² - Water 3,378 km² (14. ...New Jersey's This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...River LINE, which operates over freight rails for most of its trip, and along streets on one end.

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