What is light rail?

Many people are confused about what the light rail is. Some people even think that the light rail is the subway. However, in fact, the light rail and the subway are different. So let’s talk about what the light rail is in detail.

Brief answer

Light rail refers to trams or trains running on all streets or viaducts. It is one of the urban rail transits and the most rapidly developing form of rail transit in the world today. The weight and passenger capacity of light rail locomotives are smaller than those of ordinary trains. The rails used are lightweight, only 50kg per meter, so they are called light rail.

Details

Light rail is the most important part of the city It is an important form of rail construction and the most rapidly developing form of rail transportation in the world today. The weight and passenger capacity of light rail locomotives are smaller than those of ordinary trains. The rails used are lightweight, only 50kg per meter, so they are called "light rail". Urban light rail has the advantages of large transportation capacity, fast speed, low pollution, low energy consumption, punctual operation, and high safety.

Urban light rail, subway, urban railway and other forms of rail transit constitute the urban rapid rail transit system. It can effectively alleviate the tension between population and transportation resources, cars and transportation facilities. As an effective carrier to improve urban transportation status, light rail has become an important choice for modern metropolises. It greatly facilitates passenger travel and enables residents to enjoy a higher quality of life. Light rail is also more in line with green transportation standards, and the construction of large-scale municipal supporting facilities where the track extends is more conducive to comprehensive environmental management.

Light rail transportation has a positive role in promoting the growth of the national economy and will bring social and economic benefits. It will drive the development of related industries and directly recover investment costs from real estate development and commercial operations. The construction of urban light rail will promote the continuous improvement of urban planning, accelerate the process of residential suburbanization, and adjust the unreasonable structure of urban layout. The areas along the track will become the most dynamic areas and will in turn become the first choice for real estate development and emerging urban industries. Emerging residential areas, industrial and commercial facilities will reorganize the land use pattern along the tracks.

Light rail construction occupies an important position in the urban process of a country and region. It can meet the needs of economic, social and urban development. Highlighting the characteristics and functions of the city and accelerating the realization of modernization will have a positive impact on urban layout, urban appearance, environmental protection, residential construction, citizens' living patterns and lifestyles, etc.

The definition and specification of light rail first came from the U.S. UMTA "Urban Transit Support Act", which was proposed by the U.S. Urban Rail Transit Administration in 1972 to describe the urban rail transit systems in Europe and the United States. new rail transit. The term "light" for light rail comes from UMTA's description of this mode of transportation. Here is an excerpt: "Light" actually refers to light load, not light axle load and rail load. It has nothing to do with axle load and rail load. relation.

Many people misunderstand that light rail refers to the light weight of the track. In fact, the track weight of light rail often exceeds that of the national railway and is not light at all. Another name for light rail, overhead, comes from the Liverpool Overhead in England, which opened in 1893, meaning "overhead railway system"; the light rail system ceased operation in 1956 and was dismantled.