Tram is an extensive tram network. A
tram,
streetcar, or
trolley system is a rail-based transit system that runs mainly or completely along streets (with
street running), with a relatively-low capacity and frequent stops; however, modern trams have a greater passenger capacity than traditional trams. Passengers usually board at the street or curb level, but
low-floor trams may allow level boarding. Longer-distance lines are called
interurbans or
radial railways. Modern trams also operate as self-propelled trains coupled through a
multiple unit instead of individual trams and are often included within the broader term
light rail; however, they differ in that trams frequently share the platform with
vehicular traffic and do not have signal priority. The term "tram" is used in most parts of the world. In North America, such systems are referred to as "streetcar" or "trolley" systems. In Germany, such systems are called , which literally translates as "street train" or "street railway".
Cable car or Cable Tram on the Powell & Hyde line. A cable car, in the context of mass transit, is a system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable that runs at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping the cable as required. Cable cars are distinct from funiculars (whose cars are permanently attached to the cable) and cable railways (which are similar to funiculars but have rail vehicles that are attached and detached manually).
Light rail is a light rail system operated by
Calgary Transit. A light rail system is a rail-based transit system that has higher capacity and speed than a tram, usually by operating in an exclusive
right-of-way separated from road traffic, but it is not, unlike rapid transit, fully grade-separated from it. Light rail also regularly operates with
multiple-unit trains, rather than single tramcars. It emerged as an evolution of
trams. Light rail systems vary significantly in terms of speed and capacity and range from slightly improved tram systems to systems that are essentially rapid transit but with some level crossings. -
Hódmezővásárhely Tram-train The term "light rail" is the most common term especially in Americas, but German systems are called , which translates to "city railway". Additionally
tram-train systems are called and tram systems with underground sections are called or .
Rapid transit operates a high-capacity rapid transit network. A
rapid transit system is a
railway, usually in an
urban area, with high passenger capacities and frequency of service and (usually) full
grade separation from other traffic, including other rail traffic. It is sometimes known as "heavy rail" to distinguish it from light rail. Both heavy and light often refer to the capacity and sometimes to investment costs. Rapid transit systems (with full grade separation) with a lower passenger capacity are termed
light rapid transit or
medium capacity system. In most parts of the world, such systems are known as a "metro", short for "metropolitan", which is itself short for "
Metropolitan Railway", the first such system in the world. The term "subway" is used in many American systems, as well as in
Glasgow and in
Toronto. The
system in London is named the "Underground" and is commonly nicknamed the "tube". Systems in Germany are called "U-Bahn", which stands for ("underground rail"). Many systems in East, Southeast and South Asia like
Taipei,
Chennai and
Singapore, are called "MRT", which stands for "mass rapid transit". Systems that are predominantly elevated may be referred to as "L", as in
Chicago, or "Skytrain", as in
Bangkok and
Vancouver. Other less common names include "T-bane", which stands for "tunnelbana" (in Scandinavia, literally
tunnel track) and "MTR" (mass transit railway).
Commuter rail operates train in
Greater Chennai in India. A commuter rail,
regional rail or suburban rail system operates on mainline trackage, which may be shared with
intercity rail and
freight trains. Systems tend to operate at lower frequencies than rapid transit or light rail systems but tend to travel at higher speeds, have more widely spaced stations and cover longer overall distances. They have high passenger capacities per single train. Though many European and East Asian commuter rail systems operate with frequencies and rolling stock similar to that of rapid transit, they do not qualify as such because they share tracks with intercity/freight trains, or they have at grade crossings. For example,
S-trains are hybrid systems combining the characteristics of both rapid transit and commuter rail systems. Generally, S-trains share tracks with mainline passenger and freight trains, but the distances between stations and the service headway resemble metro systems.
Diesel light rail Hybrid rail, often referred to as "diesel light rail transit" (DLRT) use multiple unit rolling stock originally designed for
main line networks.
Automated guideway transit -208 type train in the
Lille Metro. Automated guideway transit systems tend to operate with medium passenger capacities. Larger systems span a variety of conceptual designs, from subway-like advanced rapid transit (ART) systems to smaller (typically two to six passengers) vehicles known as
personal rapid transit (PRT) which offer direct point-to-point travel along a switched network.
Monorail , is the second busiest monorail line worldwide. A monorail is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam, as opposed to the traditional track with two parallel
rails. The term possibly comes from 1897, from German engineer
Eugen Langen, who called an elevated railway system with wagons suspended the
Eugen Langen One-railed Suspension Tramway (Einschieniges Hängebahnsystem Eugen Langen).
Funicular . A funicular is a cable-driven inclined railway that uses the weight of descending cars to help pull the ascending cars up the slope. The term
funicular derives from the
Latin word , the diminutive of , meaning 'rope'.
Related types Guided bus from
Trumpington A
bus shares many characteristics with light rail and trams but does not run on rails.
Trolleybuses are buses that are powered from
overhead wires. Vehicles that can travel both on rails and on roads have been tried experimentally but are not in common use. The term
bus rapid transit is used to refer to various methods of providing faster bus services and the systems that use it have similar characteristics to
light rail.
Guided buses are buses capable of being steered by external means, usually on a
dedicated track or
roll way that excludes other traffic. Some cities experimenting with guided bus technologies, such as
Nancy, have chosen to refer to them as 'trams on tires' (
rubber-tired trams) and given them tram-like appearances. ==Naming issues==