Urban Rail Passenger Transport
in the
United States of America
Portland Streetcar on Market Street with an NS Line service to
South Waterfront.
004 is a Škoda 10T three-section vehicle built in Plzeň, Czech Republic.
These pages deal with the contiguous
United States of America, namely 48 states and the District of
Columbia. For the remaining states, and other areas of particular
railway interest, see the Main Index.
The railways covered on this page are devoted to the large scale
movement of passengers, generally within major conurbations. A number
of different types of system come into this category:
- Traditional Street Running Tramways, known as trolleys or
streetcars: most of these are systems that have been in
operation since the early 20th century. Many cities had such a system
at one time though few now remain in operation. Of those that remain,
some have lost their mass transport function and now operate mainly
as tourist attractions. These are included in the Tourist
Railways pages. Other examples still retain that essential transport
role and are listed here.
- Modern Tramway Systems: usually known as light rail transit,
these are purpose built systems with tram-like characteristics, which
may or may not include on-street running.
- Heavy Rail Metro: rail systems with high capacity dedicated tracks,
generally serving densely populated areas. Long established systems may
be underground (Subway) or overhead (Elevated or
“El”). Newer systems tend to be underground and are usually
referred to as rapid transit. All the systems may closely
resemble conventional surface level rail lines in suburban areas.
- Other modes: specialist systems such as funiculars, monorails, and
so on.
The various systems are listed here by the principal cities that they
serve.
- Atlanta GA
- MARTA
modern heavy rail metro and light rail transit with street running
- Austin TX
- Baltimore MD
- Boston MA
- MBTA Subway heavy rail metro first opened in
the 19th century
- Buffalo NY
- Metro Rail light rail transit with street
running, elevated and underground sections
- Charlotte NC
- Lynx
light rail transit, mainly on segregated tracks following a former rail
route
- Chicago IL
- CTA
heavy rail metro with origins in the 19th century, much modernised
and extended, with elevated, underground and surface level sections.
The heart of the system is The Loop, an elevated circuit of track
in downtown Chicago. The colloquial name “El” or “L” is often applied
to entire system (not just the elevated sections)
- Cincinnati OH
- Connector light rail transit with
street running
- Cleveland OH
- RTA
heavy rail metro surface line (Red Line) and light rail lines
(Blue, Green, and Waterfront lines) running on segregated tracks.
The light rail lines share the heavy rail line for part of their
route. The website also refers to a trolley service, but this is
actually operated by small buses
- Dallas TX
- DART Rail light rail transit with street running
- Denver CO
- RTD
light rail transit with street running. Also operates commuter rail
services
- Detroit MI
- El Paso TX
- Galveston TX
- Glassboro NJ to Camden NJ
- Houston TX
- METRORail
light rail transit with street running
- Jacksonville FL
- Jersey City NJ
- PATH modern
heavy rail metro linking New York and New Jersey
- Light Rail light rail transit with street running
- Kansas City MO
- Las Vegas NV
- Little Rock AR
- Los Angeles CA
- Metro Rail
light rail transit primarily on segregated tracks (A, C, E, and
K Lines) and underground metro (B and D Lines)
- LINXS proposed people mover at Los Angeles
International Airport
- Inglewood Transit Connector proposed
people mover connecting with Metro Rail
- Miami FL
- Metrorail light rail transit primarily on
segregated, elevated tracks
- MIA Mover people mover connecting Miami
International Airport to Miami Central Station for connection with
Metrorail light rail, Tri-Rail heavy rail commuter network, and
other transportation modes.
- Milwaukee WI
- The Hop
light rail transit with street running
- Minneapolis - St Paul MN
- Morganstown WV
- West Virginia University PRT Personal Rapid
Transit System connecting downtown Morganstown with the various
University campuses. Primarily for the use of students and staff
but can be visited and toured by members of the public by prior
arrangement
- Newark NJ
- PATH modern heavy rail metro linking New York
and New Jersey
- Light Rail light rail transit with street
running
- AirTrain Newark monorail linking Newark Liberty
International Airport with rail station (for Amtrak and commuter
services). The monorail system is expected to be replaced by a
new cable hauled peoplemover in the near future.
- New Orleans LA
- NORTA
traditional street running trams (streetcars) (For the
purposes of the website, streetcar routes are for the most
part not distinguished from bus routes. For streetcar information,
see routes 12, 46, 47, 48, and 49)
- New York NY
- MTA heavy rail metro, the first sections
of which opened in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Although known as the “Subway”, it includes elevated and surface
level sections as well as underground
- PATH modern heavy rail metro linking New York
and New Jersey
- AirTrain JFK people mover system linking the
various terminals of JFK airport and connecting with the New York
City Subway and the Long Island Railroad commuter system
- Norfolk VA
- Oceanside CA
- Oklahoma City OK
- Omaha NB
- Omaha Streetcar light rail transit with
street running, under construction (Website blocked
for access from UK and EU)
- Philadelphia PA
- SEPTA
heavy rail metro and trolleys
- PATCO
heavy rail metro line, mostly at surface level, linking Philadelphia
with Lindenwold NJ
- Phoenix AZ
- Valley
Metro light rail transit with some street running
- PHX Sky Train people mover connecting
Valley Metro light rail with airport terminals and parking
- Pittsburgh PA
- PRT
light rail transit with street running
- Portland OR
- Sacramento CA
- SacRT
light rail transit with street running
- Saint Louis MO & IL
- Metrolink light rail transit on segregated tracks
- Salt Lake City UT
- TRAX light rail transit with street running
- San Diego CA
- Trolley tram-train, operating under the
traditional name of “Trolley”
- San Francisco CA
- Bay Area Rapid
Transit (BART) modern heavy rail metro serving the entire
area, and a connecting people mover at Oakland airport
- San Francisco
Municipal Transportation Authority (Muni) long established
system of street running trams, either electric (trolleys) or cable
hauled (cablecars); and the Muni Metro which supplements
the older lines with a modern light rail system
- AirTrain people mover connecting the airport
terminals with parking areas and the BART station
- San Jose CA
- VTA light rail
transit with some street running
- Santa Ana CA
- OC Streetcar proposed trams (Website
not functional when last checked)
- Seattle WA
- Tacoma WA
- Trenton NJ to Camden NJ
- Tucson AZ
- Washington DC
- Metrorail modern heavy rail metro
- Maryland
Purple Line proposed trams serving the outer suburbs of
Washington located in Maryland
- The US Capitol has its own subway system with two
lines connecting the Capitol building to nearby office facilities. These
are not normally accessible to the general public
Test Track
- United Streetcar has a ¾ mile (1.2km) tram test
track at its manufacturing facility in Clackamas OR