Light rail

Light rail is an urban passenger railway using relatively lightweight vehicles, often on street-level tracks and sometimes sharing roads with other traffic.

Street running: Rail vehicles operate on tracks embedded in streets used by other traffic. Shared street space is a defining operating arrangement for some light-rail routes.
Tram: A passenger rail vehicle or service operating mainly on urban streets. The terms overlap, but light rail often describes systems with more separated track and higher capacity.
Portland MAX: The light-rail system serving Portland, Oregon, and nearby communities. Its routes combine street operation, reserved corridors, and suburban extensions.
Value capture: Public recovery of some land-value gains created by infrastructure or public investment. Rising land values near stations can help fund light-rail construction and service.
Dedicated right-of-way: A transport corridor reserved for a particular mode or service. Separation from road traffic lets light rail run more reliably than street-running sections.
Metro: An urban rapid-transit railway operating on segregated tracks, usually with frequent service. A metro is generally more fully separated from street traffic and built for higher capacity.
Manchester Metrolink: The light-rail and tram system serving Greater Manchester, England. It shows how a city can convert former railway lines into a wider tram network.
Induced demand: An increase in travel resulting from added transport capacity or improved travel conditions. New light-rail service can attract trips that were previously made by other modes or not made.
Tram-train: A rail vehicle and service that can operate on both urban tram tracks and mainline railway tracks. It extends light rail beyond city tracks onto regional railway networks.
Commuter rail: Passenger rail service connecting cities or suburbs, often using mainline railway infrastructure. Commuter rail usually serves longer trips and uses heavier trains than light rail.

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