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33-523: The use of tram vehicles in tunnels originated in the United States in the nineteenth century and was often called "subway–surface line". Later, in the second half of the twentieth century the term " semi-metro " was coined for tram systems with some sections in tunnels and on viaducts. Only when a semi-metro section is designed for later use of heavy rapid transit trains, it falls in the premetro category. The large scale report "Light Rail Transit: A State of

66-469: A nonprofit organisation , also categorises several public transport systems as "light metro". The main reason to build a light metro instead of a regular metro is to reduce costs, mainly because this system employs shorter vehicles and shorter stations. Light metros may operate faster than heavy-rail rapid transit systems due to shorter dwell times at stations, and the faster acceleration and deceleration of lighter trains. For example, express trains on

99-482: A better coverage in suburban areas (from busses and trams). The term semi-metro falls under the umbrella term light rail , which includes many kinds of modern tram transport. Semi-metro is in itself a container concept in which premetro and Stadtbahn fall. Although cheaper than a metro line, the construction of infrastructure for semi-metro routes was often still too expensive. Therefore sections were sometimes not constructed or realised in phases. The entanglement with

132-417: A medium-capacity system (as it used shorter 4-car SP1950 trains, compared to 7- to 12-car trains on other heavy rail lines) but can attain up to 32,000 p/h/d which is comparable to the passenger capacity of some full metro transit networks. However, it was built to the full heavy rail standard as it was designed to be extended. Full-length, 8-car trains were deployed on the line in advance of its extension and

165-509: A section of single track rail) can only achieve lesser headways (e.g. every 15 minutes) which result in lower passenger volume capacities, and thus would be more accurately defined as "light metro" or "medium-capacity" systems as a result. An example is the LA Metro B/D line during the COVID-19 pandemic, as headways were reduced to every 12-20 minutes on each line. In addition to MCS, light metro

198-475: A streetcar station was opened in 1870. Streetcars continued to run until 1935, and the tunnel was reopened as a road tunnel in 1937 after reconstruction. The first city in Europe to carry a portion of a streetcar line through the city center in a tunnel was Marseille , France , in 1893, with its Noailles subterranean station (see Marseille tramway ). It was initially operated by horse-drawn wagons. A prominent example

231-515: A tram/streetcar line has mostly category C, a light rail line has mostly category B and a semi-metro line has some of category A (combined with category B and sometimes C). Whenever light rail vehicles operate only using category A, it is defined as Light rail rapid transit (LRRT) and is part of the greater light metro class. In the Murray Hill Tunnel in New York, which was completed in 1850,

264-531: Is a concept also known as a subway–surface line/system, tram subway line/system, trolley subway system or a hybrid streetcar / light rail line) One key difference from metro lines (rapid transit) is that semi-metro lines only partially run in tunnels and on viaducts. A metro line has an entirely conflict-free track, often completely grade separated. Semi-metro routes are operated by regular trams (with or without low floor ) or with specially developed tramcars (light rail vehicles), such as

297-400: Is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail , but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit . MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medium-capacity rail systems are automated or use light-rail type vehicles. Since ridership determines the scale of a rapid transit system, statistical modeling allows planners to size the rail system for the needs of the area. When

330-487: Is a common alternative word in European countries, India, and South Korea. In some countries, however, light metro systems are conflated with light rail . In South Korea, light rail is used as the translation for the original Korean term, "경전철" – its literal translation is "light metro", but it actually means "Any railway transit other than heavy rail, which has capacity between heavy rail and bus transit". For example,

363-460: Is an in 1980 converted underground tramway line, which was constructed in 1966. Semi-metro Semi-metro is a form of urban rail transport in which trams run partly on a conflict-free track, by using tunnels and viaducts . These stretches of track are designed to function like a regular metro or rapid transit line. Semi-metro lines run with tram cars because they are usually developed from an existing tram network. Semi-metro

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396-420: Is created from relative lower capacity and/or train configuration comparisons to other heavy rail systems in the same area. For example, the train in an MCS may have a shorter configuration than the standard metro system, usually three (though, in some cases, just two) to six traincars , allowing for shorter platforms to be built and used. Rather than using steel wheels, rubber-tyred metro technology, such as

429-423: Is largely similar to semi-metro: a type of public transport in which trams run partly grade separated, by using tunnels and/or viaducts. However, there is one clear distinguishing factor: premetro uses infrastructure that has been explicitly constructed with the ambition to transfer to use metro trains in the future. It is usually also developed from an existing classic tram network. One prominent example

462-687: Is sometimes also referred to as semi-metro, as the term was originally coined there; this was before switching to the concept of pre-metro. More recent examples are the Madrid Metro Ligero , the Málaga Metro and Alicante Metropolitan-Tram in Spain and the Porto Metro in Portugal. Medium-capacity rail system A medium-capacity system ( MCS ), also known as light rapid transit or light metro ,

495-769: Is the Edmonton LRT . Notable examples in Germany are the Hanover Stadtbahn , Essen Stadtbahn , Bonn and Cologne Stadtbahns, and the Frankfurt tramways . In the United Kingdom, the Tyne and Wear Metro is by definition a semi-metro system due to eight level crossings. Over several decades a semi-metro system was constructed in the Dutch city of The Hague . The Brussels premetro

528-568: Is the Tremont Street subway (1897) in Boston , today part of the MBTA Green Line . Brussels, Cologne and Frankfurt pioneered in Europe with long tunnels with multiple stations in the 1960s. Besides regular semi-metro networks, two subtypes exist. Both terms refer to tram networks where tram vehicles use viaducts and/or run through tunnels under city centres, but with key differences: Premetro

561-472: Is the premetro in Brussels, where several premetro lines have been or will be converted into full heavy rail metro lines. The U-Stadtbahn is also an intermediate transportation form between metro and tram. It has originated in Germany, adapting the existing tram networks. Here specially developed trams run underground through tunnels in central urban areas. Stadtbahn lines can be subdivided by looking at

594-637: The Kelana Jaya , Ampang and Sri Petaling lines as "light rail transit" systems; when originally opened, the original Malay abbreviations for the lines, PUTRA-LRT ( Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik /Automatic Light Transit Joint Venture Project) and STAR-LRT ( Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan /Light Flow Transit System) did not clearly distinguish between light rail and light rapid transit. Some articles in India also refer to some "light metro"-type systems as "light rail". The Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA),

627-735: The New York City Subway are about as fast as the Vancouver SkyTrain , but these express trains skip most stops on lines where they operate. Medium-capacity systems have restricted growth capacities as ridership increases. For example, it is difficult to extend station platforms once a system is in operation, especially for underground railway systems, since this work must be done without interfering with traffic. Some railway systems, like Hong Kong and Wuhan, may make advance provisions for longer platforms, for example, so that they will be able to accommodate trains with more, or longer cars, in

660-516: The Stadtbahn-car 'type B' . In the United States most semi-metro systems are operated with larger vehicles than those on streetcar systems. The semi-metro sits between rapid transit (with higher investments and a higher capacity and speed) and buses and tram in city streets (with lower investments and a lower capacity and speed). It combines advantages of greater speed (from rapid transit) with

693-514: The Steinway Tunnel and East Boston Tunnel , were later converted to metro operation. However, the small loading gauge , tight curves , and steep grades of the streetcar tunnels required shorter metro cars than otherwise desirable. In 1950 Stockholm effectively used a pre-war tramtunnel for its first rapid transit line. The modern premetro concept Stadtbahn began in 1960s Germany , as rising traffic congestion due to auto ownership led to

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726-653: The Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications states that each MCS system can board around 6,000 to 20,000 passengers per hour per direction (p/h/d or PPHPD), while the Taiwan Department of Rapid Transit Systems (TCG) suggests an MCS has a capability of boarding around 20,000 to 30,000 p/h/d, and a report from the World Bank places the capacity of an MCS at 15,000 to 30,000 p/h/d. For comparison, ridership capacity of more than 30,000 p/h/d has been quoted as

759-505: The U Line in Uijeongbu utilises VAL system, a variant of medium-capacity rail transport, and is therefore categorised "light metro" by LRTA and others, though the operator itself and South Korean sources refer to the U Line as "light rail". Busan–Gimhae Light Rail Transit is also akin to a light metro in its appearance and features, thought the operator refers it as a "light rail". Likewise, Malaysian officials and media commonly refer to

792-570: The VAL system used on the Taipei Metro , is sometimes recommended, due to its low running noise , as well as the ability to climb steeper grades and turn tighter curves, thus allowing more flexible alignments. Fully heavy rail or metro systems generally have train headways of 10 minutes or better during peak hours. Some systems that qualify as heavy rail/metro in every other way (e.g. are fully grade separated ), but which have network inadequacies (e.g.

825-696: The Art Review" describes on page 9 the relationship of premetro systems to broader terms as follows: The same distinction is made in glossaries. During the period when tram vehicles are used, the specific line falls into the light rail category. An early example was the Tremont Street subway (1897) in Boston , today part of the MBTA Green Line . This tunnel was intended solely to reduce streetcar congestion on surface streets, not for later conversion to metro service. However between 1901 and 1908, two out of four tracks were used for rapid transit service including high platforms. Several early streetcar tunnels, including

858-479: The construction of new transit systems. Rather than building costly metro lines immediately, some cities built only the downtown tunnels. They could be used by existing tram lines in the short term, with the intention of full metro conversion later - hence "pre-metro". The idea spread to other European countries in the 1970s, especially Belgium , where such systems were explicitly named premetros. Also one segment of Vienna 's U2 metro line ( Rathaus - Museumsquartier )

891-454: The distance between stations is much longer than typically found on heavy rail networks. An MCS may also be suitable for branch line connections to another mode of a heavy-capacity transport system, such as an airport or a main route of a metro network. The definition of a medium-capacity system varies due to its non- standardisation . Inconsistencies in international definitions are even reflected within individual countries. For example,

924-728: The existing tram network is an advantage compared to constructing a separate light metro line. Often several tram branches at grade are needed in order to make fully use of the high capacity tunnels. A rail transit system is firstly determined by its main right-of-way category and secondly by other parameters like power supply and operating speed. There are three major right-of-way categories, having been labelled A, B and C. Category A: independent right-of-way, without level road or pedestrian crossings resulting in conflict free sections. Catergory B: reserved right-of-way to avoid traffic congestion, but with level road or pedestrian crossings. Category C: street running lines in mixed traffic. Typically,

957-721: The future. Taipei Metro , for example, constructed extra space for two extra cars in all its Wenhu Line stations. The following is the list of currently-operating MCSs which are categorised as light metros by the Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA) as of March 2018 , unless otherwise indicated. The list does not include, for example, monorails and urban maglev , despite most of them also being "medium-capacity rail system". Bombardier Innovia Metro 300 Trains: 4-car configuration AMPANG AND SRI PETALING LINES: CRRC Zhuzhou LRV Trains: 6-car configuration SHAH ALAM LINE: 3-car CRRC Light Rail vehicles The following

990-635: The line was extended into the Tuen Ma line in June 2021. Two other lines, the Disneyland Resort line shuttle service to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort since 2005 and the South Island line since December 2016, are also classified as MCS because of their shorter trains and smaller capacity, however they use the same technology as the full-capacity rapid transit lines. Generally speaking, medium capacity designation

1023-437: The predicted ridership falls between the service requirements of a light rail and heavy rail or metro system, an MCS project is indicated. An MCS may also result when a rapid transit service fails to achieve the requisite ridership due to network inadequacies (e.g. single-tracking ) or changing demographics. In contrast with light rail systems, an MCS runs on a fully grade separated exclusive right-of-way . In some cases,

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1056-465: The standard for metro or "heavy rail" standards rapid transit systems, while light rail systems have passenger capacity volumes of around 10,000 to 12,000 p/h/d or 12,000 to 18,000 p/h/d. VAL (Véhicule Automatique Léger) systems are categorised in the medium-capacity rail systems because their manufacturer defines their passenger capacities as being up to 30,000 p/h/d. In Hong Kong , MTR 's Ma On Shan line could, in some contexts, are classified as

1089-752: The types of rolling stock. There are many regions with forms of light rail, but only few where light rail uses tunnels and/or viaducts. In the United States, the most prominent examples are the San Francisco Muni Metro and Green Line in Boston. The Buffalo Metro Rail , Seattle's Link light rail , the light rail lines in Cleveland and the MetroLink in St. Louis are also considered semi-metro. A clear example in Canada

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