{{Merge from|Semi-metro|discuss=Talk:Light rail#Merge Proposal: Semi-metro into Light rail|date=July 2024}}
{{Short description|Form of passenger urban rail transit}}
{{Short description|Form of passenger urban rail transit}}
{{Redirect|LRT}}
{{Redirect|LRT}}
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[[File:Gold Line train on East 1st Street, July 2017.JPG|thumb|In Los Angeles, [[Transportation in Los Angeles|expansion of mass transit]] has been driven in large part by light [[Los Angeles Metro Rail|rail]].]]
[[File:Gold Line train on East 1st Street, July 2017.JPG|thumb|In Los Angeles, [[Transportation in Los Angeles|expansion of mass transit]] has been driven in large part by light [[Los Angeles Metro Rail|rail]].]]
[[File:El Mourouj line By Ma7mix - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tunis Light Metro|light rail in Tunis, Tunisia]], was the first light rail system in Africa.]]
[[File:El Mourouj line By Ma7mix - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tunis Light Metro|light rail in Tunis, Tunisia]], was the first light rail system in Africa.]]
'''Light rail transit''' ('''LRT''') is a form of passenger [[urban rail transit|urban rail transport]] using [[rolling stock]] derived from [[tram]] technology<ref name="Phil.-1975">{{cite journal|last=Vuchic|first=V.R.|title=Place of light rail transit in the family of transit modes.|journal= TRB Special Report|issue=161|publisher=[[Transportation Research Board]] |year=1975|url=https://swov.nl/en/publicatie/place-light-rail-transit-family-transit-modes-paper-presented-national-conference|access-date=1 July 2024}} National Conference of the Transportation Research Board</ref> while also having some features from [[rapid transit]] or metro systems.
'''Light rail''' (or '''light rail transit''', abbreviated to '''LRT''') is a form of passenger [[urban rail transit]] using [[rolling stock]] derived from [[tram]] technology<ref name="Phil.-1975">{{cite journal|last=Vuchic|first=V.R.|title=Place of light rail transit in the family of transit modes.|journal= TRB Special Report|issue=161|publisher=[[Transportation Research Board]] |year=1975|url=https://swov.nl/en/publicatie/place-light-rail-transit-family-transit-modes-paper-presented-national-conference|access-date=1 July 2024}} National Conference of the Transportation Research Board</ref> while also having some features from heavy [[rapid transit]].
The terminology was coined in 1972 in the United States, to create an English term for the German word "Stadtbahn" meaning ''City railway''.<ref name="Thompson">{{cite journal|last=Thompson|first=Gregory L.|title=Defining an Alternative Future: The Birth of the Light Rail Movement in North America|journal=Transportation Research Circular|issue=E-C058|publisher=[[Transportation Research Board]] |year=2003|url=http://pubsindex.trb.org/view.aspx?id=700149|access-date=26 December 2009}} From: 9th National Light Rail Transit Conference</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbp.de/en/presse/neue-eisenbahnbruecke-ueber-den-neckar/ |title=New railway bridge over the Neckar river |access-date=2024-06-24}}</ref> Different definitions in some countries exist, but in the United States, light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled to form a train thathas a lower capacity and speed than a long [[Heavy rail|heavy-rail]] passenger train or rapid transit system.<ref name="APTA-def">{{cite web | url = http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/glossary.aspx#8 | title = Fact Book Glossary – Mode of Service Definitions | publisher = [[American Public Transportation Association]] | year = 2015 | access-date = 6 January 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180225200947/http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/glossary.aspx#8 | archive-date = 25 February 2018 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="FTA">{{cite web
The term was coined in 1972 in the United States, to create an English equivalent for the German word ''[[Stadtbahn]]'' meaning ''City railway''.<ref name="Thompson">{{cite journal|last=Thompson|first=Gregory L.|title=Defining an Alternative Future: The Birth of the Light Rail Movement in North America|journal=Transportation Research Circular|issue=E-C058|publisher=[[Transportation Research Board]] |year=2003|url=http://pubsindex.trb.org/view.aspx?id=700149|access-date=26 December 2009}} From: 9th National Light Rail Transit Conference</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbp.de/en/presse/neue-eisenbahnbruecke-ueber-den-neckar/ |title=New railway bridge over the Neckar river |access-date=2024-06-24}}</ref> Different definitions in some countries exist, but in the United States, light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or [[Multiple unit|multiple units]] coupled together, with a lower capacity and speed than a long [[Heavy rail|heavy-rail]] passenger train or rapid transit system.<ref name="APTA-def">{{cite web | url = http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/glossary.aspx#8 | title = Fact Book Glossary – Mode of Service Definitions | publisher = [[American Public Transportation Association]] | year = 2015 | access-date = 6 January 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180225200947/http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/glossary.aspx#8 | archive-date = 25 February 2018 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="FTA">{{cite web
|url = http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/Glossary.htm |title = National Transit Database Glossary |publisher = [[United States Department of Transportation|U.S. Department of Transportation]] [[Federal Transit Administration]] |date = 18 October 2013 |access-date = 6 January 2015 |url-status = dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131113002142/http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/Glossary.htm |archive-date = 13 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = What is light rail? | work = Public transport A-Z | publisher = [[International Association of Public Transport]] | year = 2008 | url = http://www.uitp.org/Public-Transport/light-rail/index.cfm | access-date=29 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013161641/http://www.uitp.org/Public-Transport/light-rail/index.cfm|archive-date=13 October 2008}}</ref><ref name="WILRT?">{{cite web | url=http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/light_rail_bro.pdf | title=This Is Light Rail Transit | publisher=Transportation Research Board | pages=7–9 | access-date=6 January 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417103723/http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/light_rail_bro.pdf | archive-date= 17 April 2018
|url = http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/Glossary.htm |title = National Transit Database Glossary |publisher = [[United States Department of Transportation|U.S. Department of Transportation]] [[Federal Transit Administration]] |date = 18 October 2013 |access-date = 6 January 2015 |url-status = dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131113002142/http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/Glossary.htm |archive-date = 13 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = What is light rail? | work = Public transport A-Z | publisher = [[International Association of Public Transport]] | year = 2008 | url = http://www.uitp.org/Public-Transport/light-rail/index.cfm | access-date=29 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013161641/http://www.uitp.org/Public-Transport/light-rail/index.cfm|archive-date=13 October 2008}}</ref><ref name="WILRT?">{{cite web | url=http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/light_rail_bro.pdf | title=This Is Light Rail Transit | publisher=Transportation Research Board | pages=7–9 | access-date=6 January 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417103723/http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/light_rail_bro.pdf | archive-date= 17 April 2018
| url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lrta.org/explain.html | title=What is Light Rail? | publisher=[[Light Rail Transit Association]] (LRTA) | access-date=6 January 2015
| url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lrta.org/explain.html | title=What is Light Rail? | publisher=[[Light Rail Transit Association]] (LRTA) | access-date=6 January 2015
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605081140/http://www.lrta.org/explain.html | archive-date=5 June 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605081140/http://www.lrta.org/explain.html | archive-date=5 June 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
Narrowly defined it has [[rolling stock]] that is similar to a traditional tram, while it operates at a higher capacity and speed and often on an exclusive right-of-way. In broader use, light rail transit includes tram-like operations mostly on streets.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Not stated--> |url=https://books.google.nl/books?id=F0EHXUInjTwC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&hl=nl&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Glossary of Transit Terms |page=9 |access-date=2024-06-24}}</ref> A few light rail networks tend to have characteristics closer to rapid transit or even commuter rail; yet only when these systems are fully grade-separated, they are referred to as [[medium-capacity rail system|light metros]].
Narrowly defined it has [[rolling stock]] that is similar to a traditional tram, while it operates at a higher capacity and speed and often on an exclusive right-of-way. In broader use, light rail transit includes tram-like operations mostly on streets.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Not stated--> |url=https://books.google.nl/books?id=F0EHXUInjTwC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&hl=nl&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Glossary of Transit Terms |page=9 |access-date=2024-06-24}}</ref> A few light rail networks tend to have characteristics closer to rapid transit or even [[commuter rail]]; yet only when these systems are fully grade-separated, they are referred to as [[medium-capacity rail system|light metros]].
==History==
==History==
{{See also|History of Trams|Light rail in North America|Horsecar|Cable car (railway)|PCC car|Interurban}}
{{See also|History of Trams|Light rail in North America|Horsecar|Cable car (railway)|PCC car|Interurban}}
[[File:StreetCarSRM.jpg|thumb|Streetcar built by [[Preston Car Company]] in Ontario<ref name="SRM">{{cite web|title=Welcome to Saskrailmuseum.org |work=[[Saskatchewan Railway Museum]] |publisher=BlackNova Internet Services |url=http://www.saskrailmuseum.org/ |date=11 September 2008 |access-date=26 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015051856/http://www.saskrailmuseum.org/ |archive-date=15 October 2008 }}</ref>]]
[[File:StreetCarSRM.jpg|thumb|Streetcar built by [[Preston Car Company]] in Ontario<ref name="SRM">{{cite web|title=Welcome to Saskrailmuseum.org |work=[[Saskatchewan Railway Museum]] |publisher=BlackNova Internet Services |url=http://www.saskrailmuseum.org/ |date=11 September 2008 |access-date=26 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015051856/http://www.saskrailmuseum.org/ |archive-date=15 October 2008 }}</ref>]]
The world's first electric tram line operated in [[Sestroretsk]] near [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]], invented and tested by [[Fyodor Pirotsky]] in 1880.<ref>C. N. Pyrgidis. Railway Transportation Systems: Design, Construction, and Operation. CRC Press, 2016. p. 156</ref><ref>Ye. N. Petrova. St. Petersburg in Focus: Photographers of the Turn of the Century; in Celebration of the Tercentenary of St. Petersburg. Palace Ed., 2003. p. 12</ref> The secondline was the [[Gross-Lichterfelde tramway]] in [[Lichterfelde (Berlin)|Lichterfelde]] near Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881. It was built by [[Werner von Siemens]] who contacted Pirotsky. This was the world's first commercially successful electric tram. It initially drew current from the rails, with [[Overhead line|overhead wire]] being installed in 1883. The first [[interurban]] to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in Ohio, which opened in 1889.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
The world's first electric tram operated in [[Sestroretsk]] near [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]], invented and operated on an experimental basis by [[Fyodor Pirotsky]] in 1880.<ref>C. N. Pyrgidis. Railway Transportation Systems: Design, Construction, and Operation. CRC Press, 2016. p. 156</ref><ref>Ye. N. Petrova. St. Petersburg in Focus: Photographers of the Turn of the Century; in Celebration of the Tercentenary of St. Petersburg. Palace Ed., 2003. p. 12</ref> The first tramway was the [[Gross-Lichterfelde tramway]] in [[Lichterfelde (Berlin)|Lichterfelde]] near Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Gross Lichterfelde Tramway was the worlds first electric tramway |url=https://www.mediastorehouse.com/fine-art-finder/artists/unknown-artist/gross-lichterfelde-tramway-worlds-first-electric-27992980.html |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=Media Storehouse Photo Prints |language=en-US}}</ref> It was built by [[Werner von Siemens]] who contacted Pirotsky. It initially drew current from the rails, with [[Overhead line|overhead wire]] being installed in 1883. The first [[interurban]] to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in Ohio, which opened in 1889.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
===Postwar===
===Postwar===
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Although some traditional trolley or tram systems continued to exist in [[San Francisco cable car system|San Francisco]] and elsewhere, the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system as modern light rail technology has primarily post-WWII West German origins. An attempt by [[Boeing Vertol]] to introduce a [[US Standard Light Rail Vehicle|new American light rail vehicle]] in the 1970s was proven to have been a technical failure by the following decade. After World War II, the Germans retained many of their streetcar networks and evolved them into model light rail systems (''[[Stadtbahn]]en''). With the exception of [[Hamburg, Germany|Hamburg]], all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail networks.<ref name="Bottoms">{{cite conference|first=Glen|last=Bottoms|title=Continuing Developments in Light Rail Transit in Western Europe|publisher=[[Light Rail Transit Association]]|year=2000|conference=9th National Light Rail Transit Conference|location=Portland, Oregon|url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec058/15_01_Bottoms.pdf|access-date=26 December 2009}}</ref>
Although some traditional trolley or tram systems continued to exist in [[San Francisco cable car system|San Francisco]] and elsewhere, the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system as modern light rail technology has primarily post-WWII West German origins. An attempt by [[Boeing Vertol]] to introduce a [[US Standard Light Rail Vehicle|new American light rail vehicle]] in the 1970s was proven to have been a technical failure by the following decade. After World War II, the Germans retained many of their streetcar networks and evolved them into model light rail systems (''[[Stadtbahn]]en''). With the exception of [[Hamburg, Germany|Hamburg]], all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail networks.<ref name="Bottoms">{{cite conference|first=Glen|last=Bottoms|title=Continuing Developments in Light Rail Transit in Western Europe|publisher=[[Light Rail Transit Association]]|year=2000|conference=9th National Light Rail Transit Conference|location=Portland, Oregon|url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec058/15_01_Bottoms.pdf|access-date=26 December 2009}}</ref>
Acontemporary definition of lightrail was proposed by American transport planner H. Dean Quinby in 1962. Quinby distinguished this new concept in rail transportation from historic streetcar or tram systems as:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Quinby |first=Henry D. |date=January 1962 |title=Major Urban Corridor Facilities: A New Concept |journal=Traffic Quarterly |publisher=Eno Foundation for Highway Traffic Control |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=242–259 |via= |hdl-access=free |hdl=2027/uc1.$b3477}}</ref>
The concept of a "limited tramway" was proposed by American transport planner H. Dean Quinby in 1962. Quinby distinguished this new concept in rail transportation from historic streetcar or tram systems as:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Quinby |first=Henry D. |date=January 1962 |title=Major Urban Corridor Facilities: A New Concept |journal=Traffic Quarterly |publisher=Eno Foundation for Highway Traffic Control |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=242–259 |via= |hdl-access=free |hdl=2027/uc1.$b3477}}</ref>
* having the capacity to carry more passengers
* having the capacity to carry more passengers
* operating with "three-section, articulated" transit vehicles
* appearing like a train, with more than one car connected
* having more doors to facilitate full utilization of the space
* having more doors to facilitate full utilization of the space
* faster and quieter in operation
* faster and quieter in operation
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The [[American Public Transportation Association]] (APTA), in its Glossary of Transit Terminology, defines light rail as:
The [[American Public Transportation Association]] (APTA), in its Glossary of Transit Terminology, defines light rail as:
<blockquote>...a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in the right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a [[trolley pole|trolley [pole]]] or a [[Pantograph (rail)|pantograph]]; driven by an operator onboard the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low-level boarding using steps."<ref name="APTA-def" /></blockquote>
<blockquote>...a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger [[Railcar|rail cars]] singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in the right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a [[trolley pole|trolley [pole]]] or a [[Pantograph (rail)|pantograph]]; driven by an operator onboard the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low-level boarding using steps."<ref name="APTA-def" /></blockquote>
However, some diesel-powered transit is designated light rail, such as the [[O-Train]] [[Trillium Line]] in [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, the [[River Line (NJ Transit)|River Line]] in [[New Jersey]], United States, and the [[Sprinter (rail service)|Sprinter]] in [[California]], United States, which use [[diesel multiple unit|diesel multiple unit (DMU)]] cars.
However, some diesel-powered transit is designated light rail, such as the [[O-Train]] [[Trillium Line]] in [[Ottawa|Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, the [[River Line (NJ Transit)|River Line]] in [[New Jersey]], United States, and the [[Sprinter (rail service)|Sprinter]] in [[California]], United States, which use [[diesel multiple unit|diesel multiple unit (DMU)]] cars.
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[[File:DLR unit 135 entering Canary Wharf station bound for Bank.jpg|thumb|The [[Docklands Light Railway]], a [[light metro]] system.]]
[[File:DLR unit 135 entering Canary Wharf station bound for Bank.jpg|thumb|The [[Docklands Light Railway]], a [[light metro]] system.]]
Many systems have mixed characteristics. Indeed, with proper engineering, a rail line could run along a street, then go underground, and then run along an elevated viaduct. For example, the [[Los Angeles Metro Rail]]'s [[A Line (Los Angeles Metro)|A Line]] "light rail" has sections that could alternatively be described as a tramway, a light metro, and, in a narrow sense, rapid transit. This is especially common in the United States, where there is not a popularly perceived distinction between these different types of urban rail systems. The development of technology for low-floor and catenary-free trams facilitates the construction of such mixed systems with only short and shallow underground sections below critical intersections as the required clearance height can be reduced significantly compared to conventional light rail vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.treehugger.com/public-transportation/low-clearance-rapid-transit-cheaper-subways-faster-trolleys.html|title=Low-clearance Rapid Transit: Cheaper than subways, faster than trolleys|website=TreeHugger|language=en|access-date=15 November 2019}}</ref>
Many systems have mixed characteristics. Indeed, with proper engineering, a rail line could run along a street, then go underground, and then run along an elevated viaduct. For example, the [[Los Angeles Metro Rail]]'s [[A Line (Los Angeles Metro)|A Line]] "light rail" has sections that could alternatively be described as a tramway, a light metro, and, in a narrow sense, rapid transit. This is especially common in the United States, where there is not a popularly perceived distinction between these different types of urban rail systems. The development of technology for low-floor and catenary-free trams facilitates the construction of such mixed systems with only short and shallow underground sections below critical intersections as the required clearance height can be reduced significantly compared to conventional light rail vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.treehugger.com/public-transportation/low-clearance-rapid-transit-cheaper-subways-faster-trolleys.html|title=Low-clearance Rapid Transit: Cheaper than subways, faster than trolleys|website=TreeHugger|language=en|access-date=15 November 2019}}</ref>
It is even possible to have high-floor rapid transit cars run along a street, like a tram; this is known as ''[[street running]]''.
===Speed and stop frequency===
===Speed and stop frequency===
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==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Transport|Trains}}
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{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Capa vehicle]]
* [[Capa vehicle]]
Revision as of 13:41, 18 July 2024
It has been suggested that Semi-metro be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2024.
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit using rolling stock derived from tram technology[1] while also having some features from heavy rapid transit.
The term was coined in 1972 in the United States, to create an English equivalent for the German word Stadtbahn meaning City railway.[2][3] Different definitions in some countries exist, but in the United States, light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled together, with a lower capacity and speed than a long heavy-rail passenger train or rapid transit system.[4][5][6][7][8]
Narrowly defined it has rolling stock that is similar to a traditional tram, while it operates at a higher capacity and speed and often on an exclusive right-of-way. In broader use, light rail transit includes tram-like operations mostly on streets.[9] A few light rail networks tend to have characteristics closer to rapid transit or even commuter rail; yet only when these systems are fully grade-separated, they are referred to as light metros.
Although some traditional trolley or tram systems continued to exist in San Francisco and elsewhere, the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system as modern light rail technology has primarily post-WWII West German origins. An attempt by Boeing Vertol to introduce a new American light rail vehicle in the 1970s was proven to have been a technical failure by the following decade. After World War II, the Germans retained many of their streetcar networks and evolved them into model light rail systems (Stadtbahnen). With the exception of Hamburg, all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail networks.[15]
The concept of a "limited tramway" was proposed by American transport planner H. Dean Quinby in 1962. Quinby distinguished this new concept in rail transportation from historic streetcar or tram systems as:[16]
having the capacity to carry more passengers
operating with "three-section, articulated" transit vehicles
having more doors to facilitate full utilization of the space
faster and quieter in operation
The term light rail transit was introduced in North America in 1972 to describe this new concept of rail transportation.[2] Prior to that time the abbreviation "LRT" was used for "Light Rapid Transit" and "Light Rail Rapid Transit".[17]
Britain began replacing its run-down local railways with light rail in the 1980s, starting with the Tyne and Wear Metro and followed by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London. The historic term light railway was used because it dated from the British Light Railways Act 1896, although the technology used in the DLR system was at the high end of what Americans considered to be light rail. The trend to light rail in the United Kingdom was firmly established with the success of the Manchester Metrolink system, which opened in 1992.
The term light rail was coined in 1972 by the U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA; the precursor to the Federal Transit Administration) to describe new streetcar transformations that were taking place in Europe and the United States. In Germany, the term Stadtbahn (to be distinguished from S-Bahn, which stands for Stadtschnellbahn) was used to describe the concept, and many in UMTA wanted to adopt the direct translation, which is city rail (the Norwegian term, by bane, means the same). However, UMTA finally adopted the term light rail instead.[18]Light in this context is used in the sense of "intended for light loads and fast movement", rather than referring to physical weight. The infrastructure investment is also usually lighter than would be found for a heavy rail system.
The Transportation Research Board (Transportation Systems Center) defined "light rail" in 1977 as "a mode of urban transportation utilizing predominantly reserved but not necessarily grade-separated rights-of-way. Electrically propelled rail vehicles operate singly or in trains. LRT provides a wide range of passenger capabilities and performance characteristics at moderate costs."[citation needed]
...a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in the right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley [pole] or a pantograph; driven by an operator onboard the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low-level boarding using steps."[4]
Light rail is similar to the British English term light railway, long-used to distinguish railway operations carried out under a less rigorous set of regulations using lighter equipment at lower speeds from mainline railways. Light rail is a generic international English phrase for types of rail systems using modern streetcars/trams, which means more or less the same thing throughout the English-speaking world.
People movers and personal rapid transit are even "lighter", at least in terms of capacity. Monorail is a separate technology that has been more successful in specialized services than in a commuter transit role.
British English versus American English
The use of the generic term light rail avoids some serious incompatibilities between British and American English. The word tram, for instance, is generally used in the UK and many former British colonies to refer to what is known in North America as a streetcar, but in North America tram can instead refer to an aerial tramway,[19] or, in the case of the Disney amusement parks, even a land train.[20] (The usual British term for an aerial tramway is cable car, which in the US usually refers to a ground-level car pulled along by subterranean cables.) The word trolley is often used as a synonym for streetcar in the United States but is usually taken to mean a cart, particularly a shopping cart, in the UK and elsewhere.[21] Many North American transportation planners reserve streetcar for traditional vehicles that operate exclusively in mixed traffic on city streets, while they use light rail to refer to more modern vehicles operating mostly in exclusive rights of way, since they may operate both side-by-side targeted at different passenger groups.[22]
The difference between British English and American English terminology arose in the late 19th century when Americans adopted the term "street railway", rather than "tramway", with the vehicles being called "streetcars" rather than "trams". Some have suggested that the Americans' preference for the term "street railway" at that time was influenced by German emigrants to the United States[23] (who were more numerous than British immigrants in the industrialized Northeast), as it is the same as the German term for the mode, Straßenbahn (meaning "street railway"). A further difference arose because, while Britain abandoned all of its trams after World War II except in Blackpool, eight major North American cities (Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Newark, Cleveland, and New Orleans) continued to operate large streetcar systems.[24] When these cities upgraded to new technology, they called it light rail to differentiate it from their existing streetcars since some continued to operate both the old and new systems. Since the 1980s, Portland, Oregon, has built all three types of system: a high-capacity light rail system in dedicated lanes and rights-of-way, a low-capacity streetcar system integrated with street traffic, and an aerial tram system.
The opposite phrase heavy rail, used for higher-capacity, higher-speed systems, also avoids some incompatibilities in terminology between British and American English, for instance in comparing the London Underground and the New York City Subway. Conventional rail technologies including high-speed, freight, commuter, and rapid transit urban transit systems are considered "heavy rail". The main difference between light rail and heavy rail rapid transit is the ability for a light rail vehicle to operate in mixed traffic if the routing requires it.[25]
Due to varying definitions, it is hard to distinguish between what is called light rail, and other forms of urban and commuter rail. A system described as a light rail in one city may be considered to be a streetcar or tram system in another. Conversely, some lines that are called "light rail" are very similar to rapid transit; in recent years, new terms such as light metro have been used to describe these medium-capacity systems. Some "light rail" systems, such as Sprinter, bear little similarity to urban rail, and could alternatively be classified as commuter rail or even inter-city rail. In the United States, "light rail" has become a catch-all term to describe a wide variety of passenger rail systems.
There is a significant difference in cost between these different classes of light rail transit. Tram-like systems are often less expensive than metro-like systems by a factor of two or more.
Lower capacity
The most difficult distinction to draw is that between light rail and streetcar or tram systems. There is a significant amount of overlap between the technologies, many of the same vehicles can be used for either, and it is common to classify streetcars or trams as a subcategory of light rail rather than as a distinct type of transportation. The two general versions are:
The traditional type, where tracks and trains run along the streets and share space with road traffic. Stops tend to be very frequent, but little effort is made to set up special stations. Because space is shared, the tracks are usually visually unobtrusive.
Sydney's Inner West Light Rail runs on dedicated tracks, mostly along a former heavy rail corridor.A more modern variation, where the trains tend to run along with their own right-of-way, separated from road traffic. Stops are generally less frequent, and the vehicles are often boarded from a platform. Tracks are highly visible, and in some cases, significant effort is expended to keep traffic away through the use of special signaling, level crossings with gate arms, or even a complete separation (semi-metro) with non-level crossings.
Higher capacity
At the highest degree of separation, it can be difficult to draw the line between light rail and metros. The London Docklands Light Railway would likely not be considered as "light rail" were it not for the contrast between it and the rapid transitLondon Underground. In Europe and Asia, the term light rail is increasingly used to describe any rapid transit system with a fairly low frequency or short trains compared to heavier mass rapid systems such as the London Underground or Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit. However, upon closer inspection, these systems are better classified as light metro or people movers. For instance, Line 1 and Line 3 in Manila are often referred to as "light rail", despite being fully segregated, mostly elevated railways. This phenomenon is quite common in East Asian cities, where elevated metro lines in Shanghai, Wuhan, and Dalian in China; and Jakarta, Greater Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia are called light rail lines. In North America, such systems are not usually considered light rail.
Many systems have mixed characteristics. Indeed, with proper engineering, a rail line could run along a street, then go underground, and then run along an elevated viaduct. For example, the Los Angeles Metro Rail's A Line "light rail" has sections that could alternatively be described as a tramway, a light metro, and, in a narrow sense, rapid transit. This is especially common in the United States, where there is not a popularly perceived distinction between these different types of urban rail systems. The development of technology for low-floor and catenary-free trams facilitates the construction of such mixed systems with only short and shallow underground sections below critical intersections as the required clearance height can be reduced significantly compared to conventional light rail vehicles.[26]
Speed and stop frequency
Belgium's Coast Tram operates over almost 70 km (43 mi) and connects multiple town centres.
In some areas, "light rail" may also refer to any rail line with frequent low speeds or many stops in a short distance. This inherits the old definition of light railway in the UK. Hong Kong's Light Rail is an example of this,[citation needed] although it is also called "light rail" because it is a lower-scale system than the rest of the MTR. Sprinter in the San Diego area uses DMUs and is targeted towards a commuter rail audience; however, because of the large number of stops along the line, it is called the light rail.
Reference speed from major light rail systems, including station stop time, is shown below.[27]
System
Average speed (mph)
Average speed (kph)
Baltimore
24
39
Dallas (Red Line)
21
34
Dallas (Blue Line)
19
31
Denver (Alameda-Littleton)
38
61
Denver (Downtown-Littleton)
26
42
Los Angeles (Blue Line)
24
39
Los Angeles (Green Line)
38
61
Salt Lake City
24
39
However, low top speed is not always a differentiating characteristic between light rail and other systems. For example, the Siemens S70 LRVs used in the HoustonMETRORail and other North American LRT systems have a top speed of 55–71.5 miles per hour (88.51–115.1 km/h) depending on the system, while the trains on the all-underground Montreal Metro can only reach a top speed of 72 kilometres per hour (44.74 mph). LACMTA light rail vehicles have higher top and average speeds than Montreal Metro or New York City Subway trains.[28] The main difference is that Montreal Metro and New York City Subway trains carry far more passengers than any North American LRT system, and the trains have faster acceleration, making station-to-station times relatively short in their densely populated urban areas. Most light rail systems serve less densely populated cities and suburbs where passenger traffic is not high, but low cost combined with high top speed may be important to compete with automobiles.
System-wide considerations
The Gold Coast's G:Link light rail runs on a mix of a dedicated right of way, tunnels, and at grade intersections.
Many light rail systems—even fairly old ones—have a combination of both on- and off-road sections. In some countries (especially in Europe), only the latter is described as light rail. In those places, trams running on mixed rights-of-way are not regarded as a light rail but considered distinctly as streetcars or trams. However, the requirement for saying that a rail line is "separated" can be quite low—sometimes just with concrete "buttons" to discourage automobile drivers from getting onto the tracks. Some systems such as Seattle's Link had on-road mixed sections but were closed to regular road traffic, with light rail vehicles and traditional buses both operating along a common right-of-way (however, Link converted to full separation in 2019).
Some systems, such as the AirTrain JFK in New York City, the DLR in London, and Kelana Jaya Line in Kuala Lumpur, have dispensed with the need for an operator. The VancouverSkyTrain was an early adopter of driverless vehicles, while the TorontoScarborough rapid transit operated the same trains as Vancouver, but used drivers. In most discussions and comparisons, these specialized systems are generally not considered light rail but as light metro systems.
Track gauge
Historically, the track gauge has had considerable variations, with narrow gauge common in many early systems. However, most light rail systems are now standard gauge.[15] Older standard-gauge vehicles could not negotiate sharp turns as easily as narrow-gauge ones, but modern light rail systems achieve tighter turning radii by using articulated cars. An important advantage of the standard gauge is that standard railway maintenance equipment can be used on it, rather than custom-built machinery. Using standard gauges also allows light rail vehicles to be conveniently moved around using the same tracks as freight railways. Additionally, wider gauges (e.g. standard gauge) provide more floor clearance on low-floor trams that have constricted pedestrian areas at the wheels, which is especially important for wheelchair access, as narrower gauges (e.g. metre gauge) can make it challenging or impossible to pass the tram's wheels. Furthermore, standard-gauge rolling stock can be switched between networks either temporarily or permanently, and both newly built and used standard-gauge rolling stock tends to be cheaper to buy, as more companies offer such vehicles.
Energy efficiency for light rail may be 120 passenger miles per gallon of fuel (or equivalent), but variation is great, depending on circumstances.[29]
Comparison with high capacity roads
One line of light rail (requires 7.6 m, 25' right of way) has a theoretical capacity of up to 8 times more than one 3.7 m (12 foot) lane on a freeway, excluding busses, during peak times. Roads have ultimate capacity limits that can be determined by traffic engineering, and usually experience a chaotic breakdown inflow and a dramatic drop in speed (a traffic jam) if they exceed about 2,000 vehicles per hour per lane (each car roughly two seconds behind another).[30] Since most people who drive to work or on business trips do so alone, studies show that the average car occupancy on many roads carrying commuters is only about 1.5 people per car during the high-demand rush hour periods of the day.[31]
This combination of factors limits roads carrying only automobile commuters to a maximum observed capacity of about 3,000 passengers per hour per lane. The problem can be mitigated by introducing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and ride-sharing programs, but in most cases, policymakers have chosen to add more lanes to the roads, despite a small risk that in unfavorable situations an extension of the road network might lead to increased travel times (Downs–Thomson paradox, Braess paradox).[32][33][34]
By contrast, light rail vehicles can travel in multi-car trains carrying a theoretical ridership up to 20,000 passengers per hour in much narrower rights-of-way, not much more than two car lanes wide for a double track system.[35] They can often be run through existing city streets and parks, or placed in the medians of roads. If run in streets, trains are usually limited by city block lengths to about four 180-passenger vehicles (720 passengers). Operating on two-minute headways using traffic signal progression, a well-designed two-track system can handle up to 30 trains per hour per track, achieving peak rates of over 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction. More advanced systems with separate rights-of-way using moving block signaling can exceed 25,000 passengers per hour per track.[36]
Practical considerations
Most light rail systems in the United States are limited by demand rather than capacity (by and large, most American LRT systems carry fewer than 4,000 persons per hour per direction), but Boston's and San Francisco's light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour per track during rush hour.[37] Elsewhere in North America, the CalgaryC-Train and Monterrey Metro have higher light rail ridership than Boston or San Francisco. Systems outside North America often have much higher passenger volumes. The Manila Light Rail Transit System is one of the highest capacity ones, having been upgraded in a series of expansions to handle 40,000 passengers per hour per direction, and having carried as many as 582,989 passengers in a single day on its Line 1.[38] It achieves this volume by running four-car trains with a capacity of up to 1,350 passengers each at a frequency of up to 30 trains per hour. However, the Manila light rail system has full grade separation and as a result, has many of the operating characteristics of a metro system rather than a light rail system. A capacity of 1,350 passengers per train is more similar to the heavy rail than light rail.
Bus rapid transit (BRT) is an alternative to LRT and many planning studies undertake a comparison of each mode when considering appropriate investments in transit corridor development. BRT systems can exhibit a more diverse range of design characteristics than LRT, depending on the demand and constraints that exist, and BRT using dedicated lanes can have a theoretical capacity of over 30,000 passengers per hour per direction (for example, the Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit system operates up to 350 buses per hour per direction). For the effective operation of a bus or BRT system, buses must have priority at traffic lights and have their dedicated lanes, especially as bus frequencies exceed 30 buses per hour per direction. The higher theoretical of BRT relates to the ability of buses to travel closer to each other than rail vehicles and their ability to overtake each other at designated locations allowing express services to bypass those that have stopped at stations. However, to achieve capacities this high, BRT station footprints need to be significantly larger than a typical LRT station. In terms of cost of operation, each bus vehicle requires a single driver, whereas a light rail train may have three to four cars of much larger capacity in one train under the control of one driver, or no driver at all in fully automated systems, increasing the labor costs of BRT systems compared to LRT systems. BRT systems are also usually less fuel-efficient as they use non-electrified vehicles.
The peak passenger capacity per lane per hour depends on which types of vehicles are allowed on the roads. Typically roadways have 1,900 passenger cars per lane per hour (pcplph).[39] If only cars are allowed, the capacity will be less and will not increase when the traffic volume increases.
When there is a bus driving on this route, the capacity of the lane will be higher and will increase when the traffic level increases. And because the capacity of a light rail system is higher than that of a bus, there will be even more capacity when there is a combination of cars and light rail. Table 3 shows an example of peak passenger capacity.
An analysis of data from the 505-page National Transportation Statistics report[40] published by the US Department of Transportation shows that light rail fatalities are higher than all other forms of transportation except motorcycle travel (31.5 fatalities per 100 million miles).[41]
However, the National Transportation Statistics report published by the US Department of Transportation states that:[40]
Caution must be exercised in comparing fatalities across modes because significantly different definitions are used. In particular, Rail and Transit fatalities include incident-related (as distinct from accident-related) fatalities, such as fatalities from falls in transit stations or railroad employee fatalities from a fire in a workshed. Equivalent fatalities for the Air and Highway modes (fatalities at airports not caused by moving aircraft or fatalities from accidents in automobile repair shops) are not counted toward the totals for these modes. Thus, fatalities not necessarily directly related to in-service transportation are counted for the transit and rail modes, potentially overstating the risk for these modes.
Construction and operation costs
The new Ion system in Ontario's Waterloo Region spurred massive development along its route before opening.
The cost of light rail construction varies widely, largely depending on the amount of tunneling and elevated structures required. A survey of North American light rail projects[42] shows that costs of most LRT systems range from $15 million to over $100 million per mile. Seattle's new light rail system is by far the most expensive in the US, at $179 million per mile, since it includes extensive tunneling in poor soil conditions, elevated sections, and stations as deep as 180 feet (55 m) below ground level.[43] This results in costs more typical of subways or rapid transit systems than light rail. At the other end of the scale, four systems (Baltimore, Maryland; Camden, New Jersey; Sacramento, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah) incurred construction costs of less than $20 million per mile. Over the US as a whole, excluding Seattle, new light rail construction costs average about $35 million per mile.[42]
By comparison, a freeway lane expansion typically costs $1.0 million to $8.5 million per lane mile for two directions, with an average of $2.3 million.[44] However, freeways are frequently built in suburbs or rural areas, whereas light rail tends to be concentrated in urban areas, where right of way and property acquisition is expensive. Similarly, the most expensive US highway expansion project was the "Big Dig" in Boston, Massachusetts, which cost $200 million per lane mile for a total cost of $14.6 billion. A light rail track can carry up to 20,000 people per hour as compared with 2,000–2,200 vehicles per hour for one freeway lane.[45] For example, in Boston and San Francisco, light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour, respectively, in the peak direction during rush hour.[37]
Combining highway expansion with LRT construction can save costs by doing both highway improvements and rail construction at the same time. As an example, Denver's Transportation Expansion Project rebuilt interstate highways 25 and 225 and added a light rail expansion for a total cost of $1.67 billion over five years.[46] The cost of 17 miles (27 km) of highway improvements and 19 miles (31 km) of double-track light rail worked out to $19.3 million per highway lane-mile and $27.6 million per LRT track-mile. The project came in under budget and 22 months ahead of schedule.[47]
LRT cost efficiency improves dramatically as ridership increases, as can be seen from the numbers above: the same rail line, with similar capital and operating costs, is far more efficient if it is carrying 20,000 people per hour than if it is carrying 2,400. The Calgary, Alberta, C-Train used many common light rail techniques to keep costs low, including minimizing underground and elevated trackage, sharing transit malls with buses, leasing rights-of-way from freight railroads, and combining LRT construction with freeway expansion. As a result, Calgary ranks toward the less expensive end of the scale with capital costs of around $24 million per mile.[48]
However, Calgary's LRT ridership is much higher than any comparable US light rail system, at 300,000 passengers per weekday, and as a result, its capital efficiency is also much higher. Its capital costs were one-third those of the San Diego Trolley, a comparably sized US system built at the same time, while by 2009 its ridership was approximately three times as high. Thus, Calgary's capital cost per passenger was much lower than that of San Diego. Its operating cost per passenger was also much lower because of its higher ridership. A typical C-Train vehicle costs only CA$163 (equivalent to $235 in 2023) per hour to operate, and since it averages 600 passengers per operating hour,[49] Calgary Transit estimates that its LRT operating costs are only 27 cents per ride, versus $1.50 per ride on its buses.[48]
Compared to buses, costs can be lower due to lower labor costs per passenger mile, higher ridership (observations show that light rail attracts more ridership than a comparable bus service)[50] and faster average speed (reducing the number of vehicles needed for the same service frequency). While light rail vehicles are more expensive to buy, they have a longer useful life than buses, sometimes making for lower life-cycle costs. Compared to heavy rail investment costs are lower, however operating costs are higher than heavy rail.[51]
Light rail lines have various policies on bicycles.[52] Some fleets restrict bicycles on trains during peak hours. Some light rail systems, such as the St. Louis MetroLink, allow bicycles on the trains, but only in the rear sections of cars. Some light rail lines, like San Francisco's, allow only folding bicycles on board.[53] Some light rail systems, such as the MAX in Portland, have dedicated bike storage, either with dedicated hooks or spaces within train cars.[54] some systems, dedicated bike parking is available at select stations and others are integrated with local bike share systems.
On the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, trams sometimes share mainline tracks with heavy rail trains.The Trillium Line in Ottawa was built along a freight railway and is still occasionally used by freight traffic overnight.
Around Karlsruhe, Kassel, and Saarbrücken in Germany, dual-voltage light rail trains partly use mainline railroad tracks, sharing these tracks with heavy rail trains. In the Netherlands, this concept was first applied on the RijnGouweLijn. This allows commuters to ride directly into the city center, rather than taking a mainline train only as far as a central station and then having to change to a tram. In France, similar tram-trains are planned for Paris, Mulhouse, and Strasbourg; further projects exist. In some cases, tram trains use previously abandoned or lightly used heavy rail lines in addition to or instead of still in use mainline tracks. In 2022, Spain opened the Cádiz TramBahia, where trams share track with commuter and long-distance trains from the main terminus in the city and curve off to serve cities without a railway connection.
Some of the issues involved in such schemes are:
compatibility of the safety systems
power supply of the track to the power used by the vehicles (frequently different voltages, rarely third rail vs overhead wires)
width of the vehicles to the position of the platforms
height of the platforms
There is a history of what would now be considered light rail vehicles operating on heavy rail rapid transit tracks in the US, especially in the case of interurban streetcars. Notable examples are Lehigh Valley Transit trains running on the Philadelphia and Western Railroad high-speed third rail line (now the Norristown High-Speed Line). Such arrangements are almost impossible now, due to the Federal Railroad Administration refusing (for crash safety reasons) to allow non-FRA compliant railcars (i.e., subway and light rail vehicles) to run on the same tracks at the same times as compliant railcars, which includes locomotives and standard railroad passenger and freight equipment. Notable exceptions in the US are the NJ TransitRiver Line from Camden to Trenton and Austin's Capital MetroRail, which have received exemptions to the provision that light rail operations occur only during daytime hours and Conrail freight service only at night, with several hours separating one operation from the other. The O-TrainTrillium Line in Ottawa also has freight service at certain hours.
When electric streetcars were introduced in the late 19th century, conduit current collection was one of the first ways of supplying power, but it proved to be much more expensive, complicated, and trouble-prone than overhead wires. When electric street railways became ubiquitous, conduit power was used in those cities that did not permit overhead wires. In Europe, it was used in London, Paris, Berlin, Marseille, Budapest, and Prague. In the United States, it was used in parts of New York City and Washington, D.C.[55]Third rail technology was investigated for use on the Gold Coast of Australia for the G:link light rail,[56] though power from overhead lines was ultimately utilized for that system.
In the French city of Bordeaux, the tramway network is powered by a third rail in the city center, where the tracks are not always segregated from pedestrians and cars.[57] The third rail (actually two closely spaced rails) is placed in the middle of the track and divided into eight-metre sections, each of which is powered only while it is completely covered by a tram. This minimizes the risk of a person or animal coming into contact with a live rail. In outer areas, the trams switch to conventional overhead wires. The Bordeaux power system costs about three times as much as a conventional overhead wire system and took 24 months to achieve acceptable levels of reliability, requiring the replacement of all the main cables and power supplies.[58] Operating and maintenance costs of the innovative power system still remain high. However, despite numerous service outages, the system was a success with the public, gaining up to 190,000 passengers per day.
Comparison to other rail transit modes
With its mix of right-of-way types and train control technologies, LRT offers the widest range of latitude of any rail system in the design, engineering, and operating practices. The challenge in designing light rail systems is to realize the potential of LRT to provide fast, comfortable service while avoiding the tendency to overdesign that results in excessive capital costs beyond what is necessary to meet the public's needs.[59]
Light rail vehicles (LRVs) are distinguished from rapid rail transit (RRT) vehicles by their capability for operation in mixed traffic, generally resulting in a narrower car body and articulation to operate in a street traffic environment. With their large size, large turning radius, and often an electrified third rail, RRT vehicles cannot operate in the street. Since LRT systems can operate in existing streets, they can often avoid the cost of expensive grade-separated subway and elevated segments that would be required with RRT.
Conversely, LRVs generally outperform traditional streetcars in terms of capacity and top-end speed, and almost all modern LRVs are capable of multiple-unit operation. The latest generation of LRVs is considerably larger and faster, typically 29 metres (95 ft 1+3⁄4 in) long with a maximum speed of around 105 kilometres per hour (65.2 mph).[60]
A variation considered by many cities is to use historic or replica cars on their streetcar systems instead of modern LRVs. A heritage streetcar may not have the capacity and speed of an LRV, but it will add to the ambiance and historic character of its location.
A derivative of LRT is light rail rapid transit (LRRT), also referred to as light metro. Such railways are characterized by exclusive rights of way, advanced train control systems, short headway capability, and floor-level boarding. These systems approach the passenger capacity of full metro systems but can be cheaper to construct due to LRVs generally being smaller in size, turning tighter curves and climbing steeper grades than standard RRT vehicles, and having a smaller station size.
The term interurban mainly refers to rail cars that run through streets like ordinary streetcars (trams), but also between cities or towns, often through rural environments. In the period 1900–1930, interurbans were very common in the US, especially in the Midwest. Some of them, like the Red Devils, the J. G. Brill Bullets, and the Electroliners, were the high-speed railcars of their time, with an in-service speed of up to about 145 km/h (90 mph). In Europe, interurbans are making a comeback as "tram-trains" (locally known under different names) that operate on both the railway and light rail tracks, often with different voltages. The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is one well-known example.
Typical rolling stock
The BART railcar in the following chart is not generally considered to be a "light rail" vehicle (it is a heavy rail vehicle), and is only included for comparison purposes.
An important factor crucial to LRT is the train operator. Unlike rail rapid transit, which can travel unattended under automatic train operation (ATO), safe, high-quality LRT operation relies on a human operator as a key element. The reason that the operator is so important is that the train tracks often share the streets with automobiles, other vehicles, and pedestrians. If trains were fully automated on roads, nobody would be there to stop the train if a car pulled in front of it. Light rail trains are very sturdily built for passenger safety, and to reduce damage from impacts with cars.[citation needed]
The latest generation of LRVs has the advantage of partially or fully low-floor design, with the floor of the vehicles only 300 to 360 mm (11.8 to 14.2 in) above the top of the rail, a feature not found in either rapid rail transit vehicles or streetcars. This allows them to load passengers, including those in wheelchairs or strollers, directly from low-rise platforms that are little more than raised sidewalks. This satisfies requirements to provide access to disabled passengers without using expensive and delay-inducing wheelchair lifts, while also making boarding faster and easier for other passengers.[citation needed]
Power sources
Overhead lines supply electricity to the vast majority of light rail systems. This avoids the danger of passengers stepping on an electrified third rail. The Docklands Light Railway uses an inverted third rail for its electrical power, which allows the electrified rail to be covered and the power drawn from the underside. Trams in Bordeaux, France, use a special third-rail configuration where the power is only switched on beneath the trams, making it safe on city streets. Several systems in Europe and a few recently opened systems in North America use diesel-powered trains.[citation needed]
Tram and other light rail transit systems worldwide
Around the world, there are many extant tram and streetcar systems. Some date from the beginning of the 20th century or earlier such as Toronto streetcar system, but many of the original tram and streetcar systems were closed down in the mid-20th century, except for many Eastern European countries. Even though many systems closed down over the years, there are still several tram systems that have been operating much as they did when they were first built over a century ago. Some cities (such as Los Angeles and Jersey City) that once closed down their streetcar networks are now restoring, or have already rebuilt, at least some of their former streetcar/tram systems. Most light rail services are currently committed to articulated vehicles like modern LRVs, i.e. trams, except for large underground metro or rapid transit systems.
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