Definition: Light rail

Category: Transport

A railway for the transport of passengers that often uses electrically powered rail-borne cars operating singly or in short trains on fixed duo-rail lines. Stations/stops generally have a distance between them of less than 1 200 m.

In comparison to metros, light rail is more lightly constructed, is designed for lower traffic volumes and usually travels at lower speeds.

It is sometimes difficult to make a precise distinction between light rail and trams; trams are generally not separated from road traffic, whereas light rail may be separated from other systems. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/KS-BI-03-002-__-N-EN.pdf Commission Regulation (EC) No 1192/2003 on rail transport statistics