Regional rail is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
rail transport
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than
inter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
, and unlike
commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
, operate beyond the limits of
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
s, connecting smaller cities and towns.
In North America (e.g. the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
), "regional rail" is often used as a synonym for "commuter rail", often using "commuter rail" to refer to systems that primarily or only offer service during rush hour while using "regional rail" to refer to systems that offer all-day service.
In
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, regional trains have their own
category
Category, plural categories, may refer to:
General uses
*Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy
* Category of being
* ''Categories'' (Aristotle)
* Category (Kant)
* Categories (Peirce)
* Category ( ...
, often abbreviated to R (
RB in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
) or L (for local train).
Characteristics
Regional rail provides services that link settlements to each other, unlike commuter rail which links locations within a singular urban area. Unlike inter-city services, regional trains stop at more stations and serve smaller communities. They may share routes with inter-city services, providing service to settlements that inter-city trains skip, or be the sole service on routes not busy enough to justify inter-city service.
Regional rail services are much less likely to be profitable than inter-city, so they often require government funding. This is mainly because many passengers use monthly passes giving a lower price per ride, and that lower average speed gives less distance, meaning less ticket revenue per hour of operation. Subsidies are justified on social or environmental grounds, and also because regional rail services often act as feeders for more profitable
inter-city
Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
lines.
There are also services that are something in between regional and inter-city, like the
Oresundtrain (between
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
and three cities in Sweden over 3 hours away) with stopping pattern like a regional train and pass prices attracting work commuters.
Regional rail in different countries
This list describes the terms used for regional rail in various countries, as described above.
See also
*
Commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
*
Elektrichka
*
Passenger rail terminology
Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:
Rapid transit
A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid acceleratio ...
*
Train categories in Europe
In Rail transport in Europe, Europe, railway companies assign trains to different categories or train types depending on their role, i.e. based on the used rolling stock, their speed (high-speed rail, high-speed, higher-speed rail, higher-speed, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Regional Rail