In Australia, "interurban" is a general term for intercity rail. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Inter-city rail services are express Train passenger services which cover longer distances than Commuter trains Africa Inter-city services are reasonably

An Interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, was a type of passenger railroad that enjoyed widespread popularity at the turn of the twentieth century in North America. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Interurbans were often extensions of streetcar lines running between urban areas or from urban to rural areas. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The lines were mainly electrified in an era when steam railroads had not yet adopted electricity to any large degree. Railway electrification supplies electrical energy to railway Locomotives and Multiple units so they can operate without having a Reciprocating Most could not survive following the widespread adoption of the automobile. Those that remained survived as commuter railroads or as freight short lines. Commuting is the process of Travelling between one's place of residence and regular place of work Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, Short Line is also one of the four railroads in the popular Board game Monopoly, probably named after the Shore Fast Line, an Interurban streetcar

Contents 1 North America 2 Definition of "Interurban" 3 Interurban technology 3.1 Electrification 3.2 Gauge 3.2.1 Exceptions 3.3 Passenger service 3.4 Freight service 4 North America 4.1 United States 4.1.1 Remaining lines 4.2 Canada 4.3 Mexico 5 Europe 5.1 The Netherlands 5.2 Belgium 5.3 Germany 5.4 Isle of Man 6 Asia 6.1 Japan 6.1.1 Influence of US 6.1.2 Pioneers 6.1.3 Second generation 6.1.4 Development 7 References 8 See also 9 External links

North America

The first interurbans were constructed in the 1880s, following the successful development of the electric traction by Frank Sprague. Frank Julian Sprague ( July 25, 1857 in Milford Connecticut - October 25, 1934) was an American naval officer By 1900 just over 2,100 miles (3,400 km) of track had been laid and mileage peaked in 1916 with over 15,500 miles. ^[1] From approximately the end of the First World War the industry was in decline, accelerated by the growth of the private automobile. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Great Depression of the 1930s drove most into closure and only a couple survived beyond the 1960s.

To minimize cost of construction, an interurban typically ran along public right-of-way, either next to a public highway in rural areas, or within city streets in urban areas. A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted – through an Easement or other mechanism – for Transportation purposes such as for a Rail line or It was somewhat less common for interurbans to have lengthy stretches of private right-of-way. Occasionally interurbans were operated along mainline steam railroads. Fares were cheaper than steam railroads and service was more frequent but typically slower. Due to the characteristics of the electric motor, interurbans could operate on steeper grades, going where steam engines could not. An electric motor uses Electrical energy to produce Mechanical energy. The grade (or gradient or pitch or slope) of any physical feature such as a Hill, Stream, Roof, railroad, or A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid.

With the demise of the interurban, many routes were taken over by intercity bus services. Most local intercity services have since been discontinued; buses now typically run express between cities. A few interurbans, built to rather high standards, have survived, as have several that still operate only freight service, but the vast majority are long abandoned.

Definition of "Interurban"

Real-world lines fit on a continuum between wholly urban street railways and full-fledged railroads. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train George W. Hilton and John F. Due, in The Electric Interurban Railways in America, define an interurban as a system which shares most or all of four characteristics:

• Electric power
• Passenger service as primary emphasis
• Heavier, faster equipment than urban streetcars
• Operated on street trackage in cities but on roadside tracks or private rights-of-way in rural areas

The definition of "interurban" is necessarily blurry. Some streetcar systems evolved into partly interurban systems with extensions or acquisitions, while other interurban lines became, effectively, light rail systems with no street running whatsoever, or became primarily freight-hauling railroads with a progressive loss of passenger service. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.

Another distinction is made between "interurban" and "suburban". A suburban system is oriented toward a particular city center in a single urban area, serving primarily commuters who live in the suburbs of a city. An interurban is more like a regular railroad local train service, moving people from one city center to another with no single center. However, unlike a local train, the interurban serves a smaller region and has more frequent service, and is oriented to passenger rather than freight service, although some small-load freight service was common, especially in the days before trucks (lorries).

Interurban technology

In general, interurbans operated with technology somewhere between that of a streetcar line and a full-scale railroad. The vast majority of interurbans were electrified, utilizing simply strung overhead wire, or, on heavily trafficked high speed lines, the more complicated wiring system known as catenary. Railway electrification supplies electrical energy to railway Locomotives and Multiple units so they can operate without having a Reciprocating Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the In either case, power was transferred from the wire to the locomotive (in the case of an interurban freight line) or interurban passenger car by way of a trolley pole or pantograph. For the weapon see Trolley pole (weapon. trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of Wood or Metal, used to transfer Electricity A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from Overhead lines for electric Trains or Trams The term stems from the resemblance to pantograph A few systems, usually in heavily populated urban areas, transferred electricity to the trains by way of a third rail running parallel to, and outside of, the rails holding and guiding the train. A third rail is a method of providing Electricity to power a railway through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails Power was transferred to the train using a "shoe" attached to the locomotive or car. Engineers working for Michigan United Railways devised a shoe with steel cutters which could remove ice from the tracks. Michigan United Railways ( MUR) was an Interurban which owned and leased numerous lines in the state of Michigan during the early twentieth century

Electrification

Most interurban railways in North America were electrified using low-voltage direct current systems popular with street railways. Direct current ( DC) is the unidirectional flow of Electric charge. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train ^[2] This enabled interurbans to use urban street railway systems with ease. However, these systems had difficulty in maintaining voltage over long distances. Thus, interurbans developed the practice of generating power at higher voltages and stepping down power to the 600 volts needed to power the cars at substations spaced out along the line. By 1905, 600 volts had become the industry-wide standard.

The interurbans also had to develop their own powerhouses for electricity as there were few commercial power companies in existence at the time. Some of these power houses produced high-voltage AC power that would be stepped-down and converted to DC at the substations. Because of this choice, many interurban railway companies became electric companies.

Most power was distributed to the cars using overhead trolley wires or pantographs. Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from Overhead lines for electric Trains or Trams The term stems from the resemblance to pantograph Some companies preferred outside third rail. A third rail is a method of providing Electricity to power a railway through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails Third rail was cheaper to maintain and improved conductivity, but it was more expensive to construct as it did not mitigate the construction of transmission lines and poles. Third rail was also more dangerous to trespassers and animals. Also, in the winter, third rails were difficult to keep clear of ice.

In 1904, a single-phase alternating current system became available and was distributed by Westinghouse and General Electric. An alternating current ( AC) is an Electric current whose direction reverses cyclically as opposed to Direct current, whose direction remains constant Founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. But the system soon proved expensive to maintain and operate, and it increased wear and tear on equipment and track. It was a short-lived experiment and none were installed after 1910.

Another experiment in electrification came in 1907 with high-voltage DC (1200 volts). This system was allowed for easy conversion from other DC systems and was cheaper to maintain. But it was developed so late that few railways adopted it.

Gauge

Most interurbans were built to standard gauge, but there were a fair number of exceptions. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Interurbans often used the tracks of existing street railways through city streets, and when those street railways were not built to standard gauge, the interurbans had to use non-standard gauges as well or face the expense of building their own trackage through urban areas. Many municipalities had ordained the use of non-standard gauges so that railroad freight cars could never be switched on the public streets.

Exceptions

• See 5 ft 4¹⁄₂ in, 5 ft 2¹⁄₂in and 5 ft 2¹⁄₄in (1638 mm, 1588 mm & 1581 mm)

Passenger service

Freight service

Those interurbans carrying freight were typically the last to disappear. Named gauges Broad gauge railways by gauge and country Standard gauge railways, by country This is the Standard or international The Insull lines focus on freight allowed freight revenues to subsidize money losing passenger operations. Most of the smaller interurbans only carried LCL freight in box motors, while the bigger interurbans carried car load freight. Less than container load (LCL is a shipment that is not large enough to fill a standard Cargo container. The North Shore was an early adopter of TOFC trains, and the South Shore operated three 800-class "Little Joe" electric locomotives. Not only were these locomotives large for an interurban, they were some of the most powerful and large locomotives ever made for any railroad. Typical interurban freight operations, when not hauled in LCL fashion, were hauled behind box-cab or steeple-cab motors, with a footprint dimension similar to a GE 80-tonner diesel. Some interurbans had an auxiliary battery power system on their locomotives for operation on un-wired spurs.

North America

United States

In the late 1890s, electrified systems called streetcars, which had been developed by Frank Sprague, expanded rapidly. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Frank Julian Sprague ( July 25, 1857 in Milford Connecticut - October 25, 1934) was an American naval officer By 1900, just over 2,100 miles (3,400 km) of track had been laid, and by 1916, at their peak, over 15,500 miles (24,900 km) were in service. Most of the interurban track that had been laid was located in Ohio and Indiana; both states had 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of track. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union In Michigan and Illinois there was another 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of track which was interconnected. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. In Texas and in California, thousands of miles of additional track was also laid down by different companies. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The first Interurban in Texas was the Denison and Sherman Railway, completed in 1901. Sherman is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 35082 at the 2000 census In central Virginia, interurban lines connected City Point and Hopewell with Petersburg, and Petersburg with Richmond. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state City Point was a town in Prince George County Virginia in the state of Virginia. Hopewell is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Petersburg is an Independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River. Another connected Richmond with Ashland. This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ashland is a town located just north of Richmond in Hanover County, Virginia.

In the early 1900s, interurban transportation was very popular in both rural areas and cities. Although slower in speed than steam driven passenger trains, the interurban system made up for speed by increased frequency of service. After 1910, the popularity of the Ford Model T automobile began to diminish the interurban passenger load, and during the 1920s, many interurban systems were declared bankrupt. The Ford Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie and also the Flivver) was an Automobile produced by Henry Ford 's Ford Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against Many were also bought out in the Great American Streetcar Scandal and deliberately destroyed. The Great American Streetcar Scandal is a Conspiracy theory according to which Streetcar systems throughout the United States were dismantled and replaced As a result of this shift in transportation methods, the small and unprofitable lines were discontinued. By the 1930s, most of the interurbans had disappear, although some of their rail lines were taken over for the use of freight drawn by steam engines. Most were replaced with buses. By the 1960s, very few lines remained; the Pacific Electric Railway in California was abandoned in 1961, and the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad near Chicago in 1963. The Pacific Electric Railway, also known as the Red Car system was a Mass transit system in Southern California using Streetcars, California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, often called the North Shore Line, was an Interurban Railroad line that operated between Chicago Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

Remaining lines

Few historic interurban lines are still operated in their original form, although a number of more recently-constructed transit lines could be considered interurbans by Hilton and Due's standards above.

• The South Shore Electric Line running from Millennium Station in Chicago to South Bend, Indiana is the successor of the passenger operations of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, part of Samuel Insull's once-great interurban empire. History Chicago and Indiana Air Line Railway The oldest predecessor of the line was the Chicago and Indiana Air Line Railway, chartered on December 2 Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Terminal; sometimes called Randolph Street Station or Randolph/South Water Street Station) is a major Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. South Bend is a city on the St Joseph river and a twin city of Mishawaka Indiana. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad, known to many as the South Shore Line is a Class III Freight Railroad operating between Chicago Samuel Insull ( November 11, 1859 &ndash July 16, 1938) was an Anglo-American Investor based in Chicago who was known The line now serves commuters to Chicago from the suburbs of Northwest Indiana. It still includes a street running section in Michigan City, Indiana, but has evolved into many characteristics of a commuter rail operation, including sharing the trackage of the Metra Electric Line (formerly the Illinois Central Railroad) into downtown Chicago. Road running is the sport of Running on a measured course over an established Road (as opposed to track and Cross country running) Michigan City is a city in LaPorte County, Indiana, USA It is one of two principal cities of and is included in the Michigan City- La Porte Indiana Various terms are used for Passenger rail lines and equipment The Metra Electric Line ( ME) is an electrified Commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra, connecting Millennium Station (formerly The Illinois Central, sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes
• The Chicago Transit Authority's Yellow Line, otherwise known as the Skokie Swift, is the southernmost five miles (8 km) of the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee's 1924 high speed Skokie Valley Route. Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois. The Yellow Line (Skokie Swift Service, is part of the Chicago Transit Authority 's Chicago 'L' Heavy rail rapid transit system in Chicago Illinois The Yellow Line (Skokie Swift Service, is part of the Chicago Transit Authority 's Chicago 'L' Heavy rail rapid transit system in Chicago Illinois The North Shore was also part of Samuel Insull's interurban empire. Samuel Insull ( November 11, 1859 &ndash July 16, 1938) was an Anglo-American Investor based in Chicago who was known
• The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's SEPTA Route 100 (also known as the Norristown High Speed Line) operates over the old Philadelphia and Western Railroad's Norristown, Pennsylvania line. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA) is a regional public authority that operates various forms of public transit &mdash bus SEPTA Route 100, also known as the Norristown High-Speed Line, is an Interurban line system operating between Upper Darby and Norristown The Philadelphia and Western Railroad was a high-speed third rail electric Railroad operating in the western suburbs of the U Norristown is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County Pennsylvania, 6 miles (10 km northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the The line has full grade separation, third rail electrification and high platforms, characteristic of rapid transit systems but uses smaller cars with on-board fare collection, like light rail systems. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.
• In Los Angeles, the LACMTA Blue Line uses much trackage that was the Pacific Electric's route between Los Angeles and Long Beach. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The Metro Blue Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a Light rail line connecting Downtown Los Angeles at the 7th St/Metro Center station The Pacific Electric Railway, also known as the Red Car system was a Mass transit system in Southern California using Streetcars, Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast There is street trackage at both the Long Beach and Los Angeles ends of the line, and a short subway section at the Los Angeles terminus.

Other lines that have some characteristics of an interurban include:

• SEPTA Routes 101 and 102 Media and Sharon Hill lines, operating as light rail service mostly on dedicated rights of way but with some street trackage. SEPTA Routes 101 and 102, also known as the Media–Sharon Hill Line, are two Light rail lines operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority The borough of Media is the County seat of Delaware County Pennsylvania and is located 12 miles (19 km west of Philadelphia. Sharon Hill is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.
• The Green Line "D" Branch in Boston, a streetcar line on a grade-separated right-of-way formerly belonging to the Boston and Albany Railroad, a steam railroad
• The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line in Boston, a streetcar line on a right-of-way formerly belonging to the Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad, a steam railroad
• The IRT Dyre Avenue Line in New York City, a rapid transit line on a section of the former New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, an interurban. The "D" Branch, also called the Highland Branch or Riverside Branch, is a branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green This article is about the former Boston and Albany Railroad in Massachusetts and New York. The Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line in Boston and Milton Massachusetts is considered to be part of the MBTA's Red Line, even though it uses The IRT Dyre Avenue Line is a New York City Subway Rapid transit line as part of the A Division ( IRT) The City of New York A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway The New York Westchester and Boston Railway Company (NYW&BRwy known to its riders as "the Westchester" and "the Boston-Westchester" operated as an electric commuter
• The Iowa Traction Railroad (former Mason City and Clear Lake Railway) still operates electric freight service. The Iowa Traction can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway which was founded in 1896 The Iowa Traction can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway which was founded in 1896
• Several former interurbans, such as the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway and Central California Traction Company now operate their trackage as diesel locomotive powered freight lines. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway, also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa. The Central California Traction is a Class III Short-line railroad operating in Northern California. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad also cotinues to operate freight service along the passenger South Shore Line.

Other portions of interurbans remain in service as parts of regular freight-hauling railroads; for instance, portions of the Sacramento Northern Railway were operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. The Sacramento Northern Railway began as a 93 mile electric Interurban Railway system linking the California state capitol Sacramento with the The longest surviving portion of the Sacramento Northern is now owned by the Sierra Northern Railroad. Most of the Tidewater Southern Railway is still operated by the Union Pacific. The Tidewater Southern Railway was a Short line railroad in Central California in the United States. Another California interurban company, the Central California Traction Company, still operates diesel freight service on its one-time electric line between Stockton and Lodi. The Central California Traction is a Class III Short-line railroad operating in Northern California. Stockton is a City in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States Lodi (ˈloʊdaɪ LOW-dye is a city located in As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 56999

Canada

In 1887 the St. Catharines and Niagara Central Railway, the first interurban line in the world, started operations. The Niagara St Catharines and Toronto Railway (NS&T is a historic Canadian railway that operated in southern Ontario from 1899 to 1959 It ran between St. Catharines and Thorold, Ontario, Canada. Thorold (2006 population 18244 is a City in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Not only was this the first interurban line in the world, but it was also one of the first commercially successful implementations of electric streetcars in the world.

In Southern Ontario, intercity streetcar lines were called radial railways, because their routes generally radiated from a central city. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The longest routes from Toronto included one running to Lake Simcoe and another to Guelph. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Lake Simcoe is a Lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the twelfth-largest lake in the province A portion of one of these lines is preserved and plays host to a working museum of streetcars and other transit vehicles at the Halton County Radial Railway in Rockwood. The Halton County Radial Railway is a working Museum of electric streetcars other Railway vehicles and Buses It is operated by the Ontario Electric Guelph/Eramosa is a township in northern Ontario, Canada in Wellington County. A notable feature of Toronto's radial railways was that because the city streetcar tracks of the Toronto Railway Company (later taken over by the Toronto Transportation Commission) were built to a wider gauge (which is still used to this day), radial cars from the outlying areas could not pass the city limits, requiring passengers to change trains. The Toronto Transit Commission ( TTC) is a Public transport authority that operates Buses streetcars, subways and Rapid transit

Some of the closer sections of Toronto's radial railways were assimilated into the city's streetcar network, and with the city's expansion, some communities once linked by radial railway now have relatively central stations on the Toronto subway. The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar ( Tram) routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto Transit Commission The Toronto subway and RT is the main Rapid transit (RT railway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto On a regional level, GO Transit's commuter railway network is designed on a similar radial principle, though it uses much heavier-capacity mainline trains. GO Transit is the interregional public transit system serving the Conurbation in Ontario, Canada referred to by Metrolinx as the

There were also significant radial systems operating from Hamilton, St. Catharines, Windsor, and throughout the Grand River Valley, the last of which may see a revival should Grand River Transit obtain funding to build a light railway between Waterloo, Kitchener, and eventually Cambridge, running partially on the tracks of the former Grand River Railway. Hamilton (ˈhæməltən ( 2006 population 504559 UA population 647634 CMA population Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. For other rivers of the same name please see Grand River. The Grand River is a large Grand River Transit, or GRT, is the Public transport operator for the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. Waterloo is a City in Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality The City of Kitchener (ˈkɪtʃɨnɚ is a City in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Cambridge ( 2006 population 124371 is a city located on the Grand River and Speed River The Grand River Railway was an historic Electric railway in southern Ontario. Hamilton and the Niagara Region are also investigating the possibility of reviving former interurban railway routes as modern light rail.

In British Columbia, five interurban lines were operated by the British Columbia Electric Railway Company. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia. The private right-of-way of the Central Park line, between Commercial Drive in Vancouver and New Westminster, is now used by the SkyTrain's Expo Line. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The SkyTrain is a two-line urban mass transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Expo Line is the oldest line in the SkyTrain rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The Fraser Valley Line became the British Columbia Hydro Railway when BC Electric was nationalized in the 1960s; it was later privatized and is now the Southern Railway of British Columbia, a local shortline freight railway. Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The Southern Railway of British Columbia ( AAR Reporting marks SRY) is a Canadian Short line railway operating in the The BCER also operated interuban trains between Vancouver and Marpole, and between Marpole, Steveston and New Westminster on the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway, which it leased from Canadian Pacific. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Marpole is a mostly-residential neighbourhood of 22400 ( located on the southern edge of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, immediately northeast of Steveston was originally a small town near Vancouver, British Columbia, but has since been absorbed into the city of Richmond British Columbia, a community The Canadian Pacific Railway ( This railway is also known as Arbutus Corridor route. Likewise, the Millennium Line of the SkyTrain connects the same communities as the former Burnaby Lake Line; however, the new SkyTrain line does not follow the original right-of-way, which is now the route of Highway 1 through Burnaby. The Millennium Line is the second line in the SkyTrain rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The fifth BCER interurban connected Victoria and Patricia Bay on the Saanich Peninsula. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria British Columbia, Canada. Its right-of-way is commemorated by Interurban Road in Saanich. This article is about the Saanich Indigenous people; for the Municipality in British Columbia, see Saanich British Columbia.

In Quebec, the Montreal and Southern Counties Railway operated electric interurban lines from central Montreal across the St. Lawrence Seaway to Longueuil and Granby from 1909 to 1956. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes

Mexico

In the first decade of the 20th century, Canadian investors purchased the Mexico City tram operator Compañía de Tranvías de México, and attempted to create an interurban radial-railway system on the Canadian model, beginning work on lines that were intended to reach Toluca and Puebla. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Is a Mexican state located in the center east of the country to the east of Mexico City. Typical US style interurban electric cars built by the St. Louis Car Company were imported for the service. The St Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars streetcars Trolleybuses Expenses due to Mexico's difficult terrain and political instability that culminated in the Mexican Revolution combined to end this project although lines were completed as far as La Venta and Tulyehualco and a popular suburban line was built to San Angel and Coyoacán. The Mexican Revolution (Revolución Mexicana was a major armed struggle that started with an uprising led by Francisco I Coyoacán is one of the 16 Delegaciones ' (boroughs into which Mexico 's Federal District is divided ^[3] A portion of the ex-Puebla line operates today as the Xochimilco Light Rail system. The Xochimilco Light Rail (locally known as el tren ligero) is a Light rail line that services the south of Mexico City, Mexico. Another Mexican system that would have been considered of an interurban type was the Playa Miramar high-speed line in Tampico. Tampico, located at, is the main city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, and is the Mexican Gulf 's main economic powerhouse

The Mexican state of Yucatan had approximately 1,500 kilometers of interurban tramway network, mostly narrow gauge and either animal powered (mule or horsecars) or gasoline powered. Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways A horsecar was an animal-powered Streetcar or Tram. The first passenger services in the world were started by the Oystermouth Railway in ^[4]

Europe

In Europe, lines that fit the interurban definition were rare historically. A whole large interurban system in continuous service exists however since 1894 at Upper Silesia in Poland connecting cities and towns of this densily populated region (See Silesian Interurbans for more information). Upper Silesia (Horní Slezsko Oberschlesien Latin: Silesia Superior; Górny Śląsk Silesian: Gůrny Ślůnsk) is the southeastern part Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Silesian Interurbans - one of the largest tram (streetcar systems in the world has been in existence since 1894 More common were either wholly urban, street-running tram systems or light rail systems operating wholly on dedicated rights of way. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. See tram-train for information about modern European systems running on the streets in cities but on railway lines outside them. A tram-train is a light-rail Public transport system where Trams also run on main-line train tracks for greater flexibility

The Netherlands

Holland used to have a "tram-system" that came very close to the American style interurban. The standard gauge NZH trams in the area between The Hague, Leiden and Haarlem were fairly big electric trams running on 1200 volt with in-street running in towns and quite a lot of private right-of-way outside towns. Especially the "Budapester" trams (see picture) resemble American interurban cars. A typical tram was made up by coupling a motorised unit (A400 or A500 series) with one or two trailors (B400/B500). In common with American practice the NZH also had local streetcar lines in The Hague, Leiden and Haarlem sharing some of the track with the interurban routes. Power supply was entirely by overhead wire. Although there was a connection between tram and train tracks in Leiden it was not possible to convey railway cars on NZH track due to differing track and wheel geometry, curve radius and loading gauge.

Belgium

The Belgian Coast Tram, which has been in service since 1885, is a notable example of interurban tramway which survives to this day. The Belgian Coast Tram ( Kusttram) is a Public transport service connecting the cities and towns along the entire Belgian ( West Flanders) coast With 70 stations along its 68-kilometre line, connecting the cities and towns along the enitre Belgian (West Flanders) coastline, it is the longest tram line in the world. West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium.

Germany

In Germany, Interurbans that fit the whole definition were uncommon. However, in many instances the definition is almost met.

One of these cases are the many early sondary (connecting) railway lines that were built in the onset of the 20th century. Many of them were street-running in urban and suburban areas while using a dedicated right of way in less populated areas. Those lines were usually operated with mainline stock, however very few were electrified. Most of them have disappeared or were moved onto a full dedicated right of way due to increasing street traffic and safety concerns. One of the few such railway lines still in service is the steam operated narrow-gauge Molli train between Bad Doberan and Kühlungsborn West on the shore of the Baltic Sea in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which is street-running inside Bad Doberan and has its own right of way on the rest of the line. The Molli ( German: Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn "Molli") short ( MBB) is a narrow-gauge steam-powered railway in Mecklenburg Bad Doberan is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Bad Doberan. Kühlungsborn (ˈkyːlʊŋsbɔʁn is Seebad (seaside resort town in the district of Bad Doberan, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, sometimes translated as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, is a state in Northern Germany comprising

Another not uncommon case are interurban tramways. Germany has numerous areas where several larger cities are clustered together, and there were always places not served by mainline railway lines. Often urban tramways companies jumped at the opportunity and built over-land tramway lines, sometimes linking two existing tramway networks together. Those lines were run with standard tramway cars.

After World War II these Interurban tramways were modernised and now dubbed Stadtbahn. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including See also Light rail Stadtbahn (literally in German: city railway) or Premetro, is a Tramway or Light railway which All of them are street-running in city areas and use a dedicated right of way between cities, and all of them are electrified. Rolling stock used is either standard tramway cars or special heavier cars which still qualify for tramway use in street-running lines as regulated in BOStrab. The Verordnung über den Bau und Betrieb der Straßenbahnen (abbreviated BOStrab) is a German law governing regulations for Tramway, metro and Generally, the stadtbahn systems fit the definition of an interurban once their network leaves city boundaries.

One particularily large effort was the Stadtbahn Rhein-Ruhr which was meant to grow to a length of 300 km (180 miles), spanning over 10 cities of the Ruhrgebiet industial area, building upon already existing interurban and urban tramway lines. The Ruhr Area, ( German Ruhrgebiet, colloquial Ruhrpott, Kohlenpott or Revier) is an Urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia Although those plans were later abolished due to exploding costs, 17 stadtbahn lines between Krefeld in the west and Dortmund in the east were finished and today one can travel from Krefeld to Bochum without using a single mainline train. History The origins of the town were in Roman times when the legions founded the military camp of Gelduba (today the borough of Gellep Dortmund (ˈdɔʁtmʊnt is a City in Germany, located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Bochum (ˈboːχʊm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The only link missing is between Bochum and Dortmund.

Isle of Man

The Manx Electric Railway survives after over 100 years of service using mainly original equipment. The Manx Electric Railway is an electric interurban Tramway connecting the towns of Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey on the Isle It links Douglas with Ramsey. The Snaefell Mountain Railway links the M. The Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric Mountain railway connecting the town of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at 2036 feet (620 E. R with the summit of Snaefell the highest hill on the island. Snaefell (Sniaull is the highest Mountain and the only summit higher than on the Isle of Man.

Asia

Japan

Influence of US

In Japan, no clear distinction of the interurban from the ordinal heavy rail has not been settled, but most of the major private railway companies, which now play important role in public transportation, had been influenced greatly by the systems of U. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Rail transport in Japan is a major means of passenger Transport, especially for mass and high-speed travel between major cities and for commuter transport in Metropolitan S. interurbans, such as motors and controllers of General Electric, Westinghouse Electric, air brakes of Westinghouse Air Brake Company, trucks of J. G. Brill and Company and Baldwin Locomotive Works, just to name some. Founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York State in 1868. J G Brill and Company manufactured streetcars and Buses in the United States. The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of Railroad Locomotives It was located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania originally and later

Pioneers

The first interurban in Japan was the Hanshin Electric Railway's main line which opened in 1905 between Osaka and Kobe. is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. Outline The Main Line of Hanshin is the southernmost railway of the three to connect Osaka and Kobe with more stations through the earliest inhabited area is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 In the Greater Tokyo area in the same year, the present Keihin Electric Express Railway (Keikyū) extended its main line to the station of Kanagawa in Yokohama, to connect Tokyo. The Greater Tokyo Area is a large Metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama The ( also known as or more recently, is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula Rapid service The operator Keikyū offers 5 types of rapid service as well as Local trains is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, located in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshū and is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The followers of this earlier period were Keihan Electric Railway's main line between Kyoto and Osaka in 1910, Nagoya Electric Railway (present Nagoya Railroad) in Nagoya to surrounding towns such as Inuyama (present Inuyama Line) and Tsushima (Tsushima Line). ( is a Japanese Railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures Rapid service; (KLE Trains in the morning for Yodoyabashi stop at Hirakata-shi Station. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. often abbreviated as, is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. is a city located near Nagoya in Aichi, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1954. The is a Japanese railway line operated by Nagoya Railroad that runs from the Biwajima Junction in Kiyosu, Aichi to Shin Unuma Station is a city located in Aichi Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. The latter had operated throuh to the center of Nagoya via streetcar line, though the former had planned so in Osaka but the administrating authority refused.

Second generation

The second boom of Japanese interurban were in 1920s to 1930s, unlike the counterparts in the US that declined in this period. The difference of the countries is the motorization, in Japan until 1960s private automobile was not common. The operators of this generations built their exclusive tracks with heavier rail (e. g. 100 lb. per feet), less curves and rarely laid tracks on roads.

In Kansai region mostly from Osaka

• Kobe Line of Hankyū Electric Railway (present Hankyu Corporation)

  competing Hanshin's Main Line in the same region

• Kobe - Himeji Electric Railway

  western half of the main line of present Sanyo Electric Railway connecting Akashi and Himeji

• Shin-Keihan Railway

  concurrent to Keihan, later transferred to Hankyū

• Hanwa Electric Railway

  later merged to the governmental network under wartime condition, presently Hanwa Line

• Osaka Electric Tramway's main line (present Kintetsu)

  for Nara

• Nara Electric Railway's line (presently Kintetsu)

  Kyoto and Nara

• Sangū Kyūkō Electric Railway

  Together with Osaka Electric Tramway line, from Osaka to Ise, exceeding 100km in distance

In Tokyo

• Tōbu Railway' Nikkō Line

  preceding main line Isesaki Line applied sterm traction, but a long branch to Nikkō was built electrified, more than 100km from terminus Asakusa in Tokyo on the main line. The of Hankyu Railway is one of the three major commuter heavy rail line in the Keihanshin conurbation of Japan Hankyu Railway (阪急電鉄 Hankyū Dentetsu) is a Japanese Private railway that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region The is the JR main railway line in western Japan connecting Kobe Station and Moji Station, largely running parallel the coast of the Inland Sea, in other Sanyo Electric Railway Co Ltd (山陽電気鉄道株式会社 San'yō Denki-tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese Private railway in western is a city located in southern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, on the Inland Sea west of Kobe. is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The is one of Commuter rail lines and services in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company. History The line was opened by the. In 1970 the Namba Line was opened and the operational starting station of the Line moved to Kintetsu Namba Station until then Uehonmachi named Kinki Nippon Railway Co Ltd in English (a full translation of its Japanese name until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. History The Kyoto Line was built by in 1928 The track between Kyoto Station and Horiuchi Station (present-day Kintetsu-Tambabashi Station) was placed on the site of a is a Japanese Commuter Railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Rapid service Tōbu operates several types of rapid service on this line Descriptions;Track qudruple - 13 km - 189 km single - 399 km double the rest;Length 114 is a city located in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. is a district in Taitō Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon.

• Odawara Express Railway's main line (present Odakyu)

  to Odawaara

• Keisei Electric Railway's main line

  to Narita

In other regions

• Aichi Electric Railway's main line (eastern half of present Nagoya Railroad's Nagoya Main Line)

  Nagoya to Toyohashi

• Kyūshū Railway (2nd) (present Tenjin-Ōmuta Line of Nishi-Nippon Railway)
• Fukuoka to Ōmuta

Development

During the Japanese post-war economic miracle (1955-1975), rapid urbanizations increased the traffic and required the capacity expansion. History The entire stretch of the line was opened on April 1, 1927 by the operator The, or OER, is a major private Railway company in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its Romance car series of limited express trains from Tokyo is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. The city was founded on December 20, 1940. The is a major private railway in Chiba and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of contractions of "Tokyo Rapid and express services; charged run the entire length of the line in 53 minutes ||-||-||} is a city located in Chiba, Japan. It is the site of Narita International Airport, the main international airport serving the Greater Tokyo often abbreviated as, is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Basic data Distance 998 km (approx 620 mi) Stations 60 Gauge: 1067  mm (3 ft is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on August 1, 1906. is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyūshū in Japan, across is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. As of March 2006 the city has an estimated Population of 133802 (Men 61249 Women 72553 and the Japanese post-war economic miracle is the name given to the historical phenomenon of Japan's record period of economic growth following World War II, spurred Descendants of interurbans also extend the length of trains. presently, especially in and around Tokyo, companies such as Keikyū, Tōbu, Odakyū operate trains of 200 m length.

References

• Hilton, George W. and Due, John F. George Woodman Hilton, born 1925 is a United States historian and economist who specializes in Social history, Transportation economics, Regulation (1960, 2000). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Stanford is a Census-designated place (CDP in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The Stanford University Press is the Publishing house of Stanford University. ISBN 0-8047-4014-3.  
• Middleton, William D. (1965, 2003). The Interurban Era. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. Kalmbach Publishing Co is an American Publisher of Magazines and books many of them railroad-related ISBN 0-89024-003-5.  
• Rowsome, Frank; Stephan McGuire, tech. ed. (1956). A Trolley Car Treasury: A Century of American Streetcars—Horsecars, Cable Cars, Interurbans, and Trolleys. New York: McGraw.  

See also

• List of interurbans
• Category:Interurbans
• Railway electrification
• Box motor - an interurban car for freight transport
• Steeplecab - a style of electric locomotive popular on interurbans for freight service
• Boxcab - another style of electric locomotive

External links

• Interurbans: The technology of economical local transport in the United States
• Interurban Electric Trolley Cars by Robert G. This is a list of Interurban railway systems worldwide The vast majority of these systems are defunct Railway electrification supplies electrical energy to railway Locomotives and Multiple units so they can operate without having a Reciprocating A box motor, in Railroad terminology, is a self-propelled Boxcar, normally powered by electricity and running on an Interurban railway or a In Railroad terminology, a steeplecab is a style or design of Electric locomotive; the term is rarely if ever used for other forms of power "Electric Trains" redirects here For the 1995 Squeeze single see Electric Trains (song. A boxcab, in Railroad terminology, is a Locomotive in which the machinery and crew areas are enclosed in a Box -like Superstructure {from Koch
• Dave's Electric Railroads, a collection of electric railroad, interurban, and streetcar photography from many eras
• Principle (sic) Interurban Car builders of the U.S
• Roster of Preserved North American Electric Railway Cars
• The Last Interurbans
• Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Electric Interurban Railways" (accessed March 31, 2007)
• South Shore Line Photos "The last interurban"

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