Trains we support, but don't actively promote:
Streetcars & Light Rail
Streetcars are typically powered by an overhead electric wire and provide local circulation within cities.
A streetcar becomes light rail when it leaves the street and uses its own right-of-way. Typically, light-rail's primary purpose is to take people to work. Streetcars and light rail use dedicated tracks, though there are cases in the US where freight trains use the tracks at night. Several German cities have built tram/trains, where the streetcar uses in-street trackage downtown and the commuter rail tracks to reach the suburbs.
In the Midwest, Kenosha, WI has a small streetcar system. Cleveland, Minneapolis and St. Louis have light rail systems. Pittsburgh has light rail with substantial street running. In the US, light rail is funded through the Federal Transit Administration. Go to www.lightrailnow.org for more information.
Rapid Transit (US) or Metros (Europe)
The difference between light rail on dedicated right-of-way and rapid transit is simply a matter of scale. Rapid transit vehicles carry a lot more people. Therefore they are much heavier. As a result, rapid transit is often referred to as heavy rail in the US. In Europe, heavy rail refers to the shared freight and passenger network. Rapid transit systems typically operate on dedicated tracks without highway grade crossings, though four segments of Chicago's EL are at grade level with frequent highway crossings. Rapid transit sees its heaviest usage during rush hour, but it also serves an important circulator function.
In the Midwest, Chicago and Cleveland have heavy rail systems. In Cleveland, the light rail trains and heavy rail trains share tracks for 2.6 miles. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro for more information.
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