Passenger rail terminology
Videos
Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:
Chicago Transit Authority Chicago "L" tracks in the Chicago Loop at the Adams/Wabash station at night
A 2600 series car brings up the rear of a Red Line train (temporarily rerouted through the elevated tracks of the Chicago Loop) at Randolph/Wabash.
Parry People Mover ultra light rail on Stourbridge Town branch line
An interurban tram from the Philadelphia & Western Railroad, which survived long in the interurban business
MBTA subway
Videos
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates rapid transit, light rail, and bus rapid transit services in the Boston metropolitan area, collectively referred to as the rapid transit, subway
Passenger rail terminology
…trolleys operate in an actual subway for part of their route and on city streets for the remainder. This is locally styled subway-surface. When the Boston subway was originally built, the subway label was only used for sections into which streetcars (trams) operated, and the rapid transit sections were called…
Red Line train entering Charles/MGH station in February 2025