An interurban streetcar line or interurban, also called a radial railway in Canada, is a streetcar line running between urban areas. The lines were mainly electric in an era when steam railroads had not yet adopted electricity to any large degree. Most were short-lived, coming about around 1900 and dying by the 1930s with the growth of the private automobile and the Great Depression. 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. ... Look up urban in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Overhead wire in Coventry, England A railway electrification system is a way of supplying electric power to electric locomotives or multiple units. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... // Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

An interurban typically ran along its own private right-of-way, either cross-country or next to a public highway, between cities, and along the tracks of existing streetcar lines in cities. Occasionally interurbans were operated along mainline steam railroads. Fares were cheaper than steam railroads and service was more frequent but typically slower. Due to the characteristics of the electric motor, interurbans could operate on steeper grades, going where steam engines could not. Right-of-way is a legal term which may have any of several meanings: priority at a crossing, or in traffic. ... Electric motors of various sizes. ... In topography, the slope of a hill, mountain, road or anything else inclined, is more often referred to as its grade (or, sometimes in the US and usually in the UK, gradient). ... A steam engine is a heat engine that makes use of the thermal energy that exists in steam, converting it to mechanical work. ...

With the demise of the interurban, many routes were taken over by intercity bus services. Most local intercity services have since been discontinued; buses now typically run express between cities. A few interurbans, built to rather high standards, have survived, as have several that still operate only freight service, but the vast majority are long abandoned. The Bus, established by Mayor Frank Fasi, is Honolulus only public transit system. ...

United States

In the late 1890s, electric traction systems called streetcars, which had been developed by Frank Sprague, expanded rapidly. By 1900 just over 2,100 miles of track had been laid, and by 1916, at their peak, over 15,500 miles were in service. Most of the interurban track that had been laid was located in Ohio and Indiana; both states had 3,000 miles of track. In Michigan and Illinois there was another 2,000 miles of track which was interconnected. In Texas and in California thousands of miles of additional track was also laid down by different companies. The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... Frank Julian Sprague (1857-1934) American inventor, Father of Electric Traction Frank Julian Sprague (1857–1934) was an American naval officer and inventor who contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels (R) Senators Richard Lugar (R) Evan Bayh (D) Official languages English Area 94,321 km² (38th)  - Land 92,897 km²  - Water 1,424 km² (1. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) Official languages English de-facto Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Senators Richard Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D) Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles [[List of Governors of California|Governor]] Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ...

In the early 1900s interurban transportation was very popular in both rural areas and cities. Although slower in speed than than steam driven passenger trains, the interurban system made up for speed by increased frequency of service. After 1910 the popularity of the Ford Model T automobile began to diminish the interurban passenger load and during the 1920s many interurban systems were declared bankrupt. As a result of this shift in transportation methods the small and non-profitable lines were discontinued. By the 1930s the interurbans began to disappear, although some of their rail lines were taken over for the use of freight drawn by steam engines. By the 1960s, very few lines remained; the Pacific Electric Railway in California was abandoned in 1961 and the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad near Chicago in 1963. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Ford Model T The Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie and the Flivver) was an automobile produced by Henry Fords Ford Motor Company from 1908 through 1928. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America as the Roaring Twenties. // Events and trends Technology John T. Thompson invents Thompson submachine gun, also known as Tommy gun John Logie Baird invents the first working mechanical television system (1925) Charles Lindbergh becomes the first person to... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... // Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... The Pacific Electric Railway (AAR reporting mark PE), also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail and buses. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles [[List of Governors of California|Governor]] Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, often called the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad that operated commuter and passenger trains between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... Chicago, colloquially known as the Second City and the Windy City, is the third-largest city in population in the United States and the largest inland city in the country. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Remaining lines

Only two "pure" interurban lines are still operated in their original form. The Philadelphia and Western Railroad is now SEPTA's Norristown High Speed Line, and has many characteristics of a rapid transit system, including full grade separation and high platforms. The Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad is now NICTD's South Shore Line, and still includes a street running section in Michigan City, Indiana, but has many characteristics of a commuter rail operation, including sharing the trackage of the Metra Electric Line (formerly the Illinois Central Railroad) into downtown Chicago. The Philadelphia and Western Railroad was an interurban streetcar company west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... For the abbreviation SEPTA, see SEPTA. A septum, in general, is a wall separating two cavities or two spaces containing a less dense material. ... 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 rapid transit operating between Norristown Transportation Center and 69th Street Terminal, running entirely on its own right of way, inherited from the... Metro and Subway redirect here. ... The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB, reporting mark CSS) (more commonly known as the South Shore Line) was an electric-powered interurban passenger railroad which operated between downtown Chicago, Illinois and suburban areas along the south shore of Lake Michigan in Illinois and northern Indiana. ... The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban streetcar line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Randolph Street Terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana. ... The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban streetcar line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Randolph Street Terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana. ... Michigan City is a city located in LaPorte County, Indiana. ... 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. ... The Metra Electric (ME) is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois and southern suburbs. ... The Illinois Central (AAR reporting mark IC) was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes from Chicago to New Orleans and Sioux Falls. ... Chicago, colloquially known as the Second City and the Windy City, is the third-largest city in population in the United States and the largest inland city in the country. ...

Other lines that have some characteristics of an interurban include:

• The Green Line "D" Branch in Boston, a streetcar line on a grade-separated right-of-way formerly belonging to the Boston and Albany Railroad, a steam railroad
• The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line in Boston, a streetcar line on a right-of-way formerly belonging to the Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad, a steam railroad
• The IRT Dyre Avenue Line in New York City, a rapid transit line on a section of the former New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, an interurban

The Iowa Traction Railroad (former Mason City and Clear Lake Railway) still operates electric freight service, and the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway now operates diesel freight. The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad operates freight service along the passenger South Shore Line. The D Branch, also called the Highland Branch or Riverside Branch, is a branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line in the Boston, Massachusetts area, along which light rail vehicles run. ... Nickname: Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe), Athens of America Location in Massachusetts Founded  -Incorporated  September 17, 1630  1820, as a city County  Suffolk County Mayor  Thomas Menino (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water  232. ... The Boston and Albany Railroad ( AAR reporting mark BA) was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York. ... The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line (or Mattapan-Ashmont Line, or just the M Line) is considered part of the MBTAs Red Line, even though it uses different equipment (trolleys) and passengers have to change at Ashmont. ... Nickname: Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe), Athens of America Location in Massachusetts Founded  -Incorporated  September 17, 1630  1820, as a city County  Suffolk County Mayor  Thomas Menino (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water  232. ... The Dyre Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway, as part of the IRT division. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... Metro and Subway redirect here. ... The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (AAR reporting mark CIC), also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa. ... Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel, and perfected by Charles F. Kettering. ... The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad is a short-line freight railroad operating in northern Indiana and Illinois. ... The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban streetcar line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Randolph Street Terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana. ...

See also

• Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway - Speed in excess of 65 miles per hour on a regular schedule.
• Ohio Electric Railway
• Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
• Union Traction Company of Indiana
• Indiana Railroad
• Northern Indiana Railway
• Northern Texas Traction Company - linked Dallas and Fort Worth in 1902
• Public Service Railroad (New Jersey)

The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad (C&LE) was a short-lived electric interurban railroad that operated between Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio. ... In 1902 the Northern Texas Traction Company linked the city of Dallas to the east and the city of Fort Worth to the west with its own interurban electric street car line. ... Dallas redirects here. ... Fort Worth is the sixth-largest city in the state of Texas, located about 30 miles west of Dallas on the West Fork Trinity River and forming part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Newark-Trenton Fast Line was an interurban streetcar line from Newark, New Jersey to Trenton, New Jersey via Elizabeth and New Brunswick. ...

Canada

In Southern Ontario, intercity streetcar lines were called radial railways, because their routes generally radiated from a central city. The longest routes from Toronto included one running to Lake Simcoe and another to Guelph. A portion of one of these lines is preserved and plays host to a working museum of streetcars and other transit vehicles at the Halton County Radial Railway in Rockwood. A notable feature of Toronto's radial railways was that because the city streetcar tracks of the Toronto Railway Company (later taken over by the Toronto Transportation Commission) were built to a wider gauge (which is still used to this day), radial cars from the outlying areas could not pass the city limits, requiring passengers to change trains. Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th) Land 917,741 km² Water 158,654 km² (14. ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth largest lake in the province. ... Guelph (pronounced gwělf) (2004 population 125,872, metropolitan population 155,635) is a city located in southwestern Ontario, Canada, roughly 100 kilometres west of downtown Toronto along Ontario provincial highway 401. ... The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric street cars and busses. ... Rockwood is a small community in the Township of Guelph/Eramosa, Ontario and Wellington County, Ontario. ... The Toronto Railway Company was the first operator of horseless streetcars in Toronto. ... The Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, is a public transport authority that operates buses, streetcars, and rapid transit lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

Some of the closer sections of Toronto's radial railways were assimilated into the city's streetcar network, and with the city's expansion, some communities once linked by radial railway now have relatively central stations on the Toronto subway. On a regional level, GO Transit's commuter railway network is designed on a similar radial principle, though it uses much heavier-capacity mainline trains. A CLRV streetcar, used on most of the TTCs streetcar routes, is seen here in downtown Toronto. ... A subway train pulls into St. ... GO Transit, officially known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA), is Canadas first, and Ontarios only, interregional public transit system, established to link Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). ...

There were also significant radial systems operating from Hamilton, St. Catharines, Windsor, and throughout the Grand River Valley, the last of which may see a revival should Grand River Transit obtain funding to build a light railway between Waterloo, Kitchener, and eventually Cambridge, running partially on the tracks of the former Grand River Railway. Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Area: 1,117. ... Location of St. ... }|135px|City of Windsor, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Windsor, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Windsor, Ontario, Canada location. ... The Grand River is the name of several rivers in different countries: The Grand River in Ontario in Canada The Grand River in Michigan in the United States. ... Wheelchair-accessible low-floor buses such as this Nova LFS now form the majority of the GRT fleet. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Map of Waterloo Regional Municipality, Ontario with Waterloo in red. ... Kitchener skyline Map of Kitchener The City of Kitchener, in southwestern Ontario, Canada, has a population of 190,399 (2001 census). ... Map of the Region of Waterloo with Cambridge in red. ... The Grand River Railway was an electric railway which served what is now the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, including the cities of Berlin (later Kitchener), Waterloo, and Galt, and the towns of Preston and Hespeler (the last three of which are now the city of Cambridge). ...

See also

• Toronto Suburban Railway
• Toronto and York Radial Railway

Like the Toronto and York Radial Railway, the Toronto Suburban Railways was an interurban operator with routes outside of Toronto to: Guelph Weston Davenport High Park Woodbridge Began in 1894 as Toronto Suburban Street Railway (merger of City and Suburban Electric Railway Company 1892 and Davenport Street Railway 1892) and... Toronto and York Radial Railways operator interurban transit services outside of Toronto. ...

Europe

See tram-train for information about modern European systems. A tram-train is a simple idea where trams are able to run on train tracks for greater flexibility and convenience. ...

See also

• Vicinal
• Silesian Interurbans

The Vicinal or Buurtspoor were a system of narrow gauge tramways or local railways in Belgium, which covered the whole country and had a greater route length than the mainline railway system. ... Silesian Interurbans (pl:Tramwaje ÅšlÄ…skie) - one of the largest tramway (streetcar) systems in the World, in existence since 1894. ...

External links

• Interurbans: The technology of economical local transport in the United States
• Dave's Electric Railroads, a collection of electric railroad, interurban, and streetcar photography from many eras
• Principle (sic) Interurban Car builders of the U.S
• Roster of Preserved North American Electric Railway Cars
• The Last Interurbans