Track facts – Modern light-rail track

The recently built tramtrain line in Heilbron Germany There has been much debate about the cost of track laying and the cost for new tracks for light rail or streetcars. The following will hopefully shed some light on how modern LRT (streetcar) tracks are laid on-street. With the interurban, of course, the majority of the […]

Trams in tight places

Under the department, a picture is worth a thousand words, trams, streetcars and their kin can operate in very tight places, this funicular in Portugal should dispel any notion that ‘rail’ transit can’t operate in tight locations! Ai??Ai??

In today’s Tyee – Hats off to Prof. Condon and UBC, they are now planning for the 21st Century!

In today’s Tyee is a very interesting item about LRT, Gateway and how monies invested (some say squandered) in the Gateway – Port Mann Bridge expansion could provide over 200 km. of LRT for Surrey, Whiterock, Langley, Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and New Westminster! Now add in the 90 km. Vancouver to Chilliwack Interurban […]

World transit system list as of 2006 – from the LRTA

The following is the number or various type of transit systems around the world including those under construction, excluding airport shuttles, commuter/mainline rail, entertainment parks and funiculars. Classification always brings areas of doubt, particularly in countries such as Japan and Switzerland where clear dividing lines just do not exist. Metro (including SkyTrain) – 146 Light […]

Trams in the countryside – where’s all the density that’s supposed to be needed for light-rail?

The following video is ofAi??Ai??the famous Stubaitalbahn Innsbruck-Fulpmes Tram, which starts in downtown Innsbruck and terminates in the mountains, servicing the small town of Fulpmes. Standard trams are used through out the journey, providing a seamless or no-transfer journey for the customer. The Stubaitalbahn Innsbruck-Fulpmes Tram is just further proof that light-rail can successfully operate […]

Streetcars – light-rail, what’s the difference?

With the ongoing transit debate, there is some confusion between streetcars and LRT, so what’s the difference? Streetcars are just that, a rail guided transit mode that has the legal right to operate on the public highway. Streetcars in Europe are known collectively as trams, a term dating back over two hundred years, where ‘trams’ […]