What's the difference between metro and tram?

What's the difference between metro and tram? Tram — a light train for passengers capable of being used extensively on street level. Metro — a grade separated train for passengers (on bridges, tunnels and stuff that prevents it from crossing street levels) separate from the standard railways in the area within an urban area that runs on high frequencies.

Is subway a tram or metro?

A tram, is a more international term for what would be called Streetcar, or Light Rail, in North America. A subway is usually an electric train of passenger cars operated in subterranean tunnels, though the term is often stretched to include EL or elevated Trains and even some at-grade urban electric trains.

Is A tram the same as a metro?

Tram — a light train for passengers capable of being used extensively on street level. Metro — a grade separated train for passengers (on bridges, tunnels and stuff that prevents it from crossing street levels) separate from the standard railways in the area within an urban area that runs on high frequencies.

Is a tram the same as a monorail?

Monorails are single-rail systems often found in airport transfers and medium-capacity metros. Monorails differ from trams and light rail systems by always being separated from other traffic and pedestrians, and they do not use pantographs.

What is the driver of a tram called?

A motorman is a person who operates a tram (streetcar), light rail, or rapid transit train. A motorman is in charge of operating their train, applying power to traction motors, in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. Hat pin from motorman on the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee railroad.

What is the largest underground train system in the world?

The Shanghai Metro is the world's longest metro network at 803 kilometres (499 mi) and has the highest annual ridership at 2.83 billion trips. The New York City Subway has the greatest number of stations with 472. As of 2023, the country with the most metro systems is China, with 45 in operation.

Is a metro a type of train?

Trains are used for intercity or long distance commuting. Metro are a mass rapid transit system inside a city. It can be underground, elevated or at grade, so don't get fooled by an elevated metro, like in Bangkok, Chicago… Or at grade like in London suburb.

What is the thing on top of a tram called?

A pantograph (or pan or panto) is an apparatus mounted on the roof of an electric train, tram or electric bus to collect power through contact with an overhead line.

What is the difference between a train and a metro?

Trains are used for intercity or long distance commuting. Metro are a mass rapid transit system inside a city. It can be underground, elevated or at grade, so don't get fooled by an elevated metro, like in Bangkok, Chicago… Or at grade like in London suburb.

Do trams still exist?

First electric tram in England was opened in 1885 in Blackpool. There are more than 200 European cities who have active tram lines. More than 36,000 trams and light rail vehicles are currently in operation all around the world. The largest fleet of trams is in a city of Prague (920).

Can trams go on train tracks?

At the junctions of train tracks, the gap in the frog or switch rail is wide. So trams can be accommodated. The main problem with a train on tram rails is the relatively narrow width of frog and switch gaps and channels of the groove rails designed to accommodate the narrow flanges of tram wheels .

What makes a tram not a train?

I think the main difference between a tram and a train is that a train (heavy rail) has a dedicated locomotive that carries no passengers or freight (besides the operator) but tows unpowered passenger or freight cars, while a tram has just one or two powered passenger cars with an operator's cabin at each end.

What are the disadvantages of trams?

Trams cannot go around obstacles, they don't mix well with bikes, they take up too much space and “they cost a fortune,” as Washington DC can tell you.

Why did cities get rid of trams?

However, the demise of the streetcar came when lines were torn out of the major cities by bus manufacturing or oil marketing companies for the specific purpose of replacing rail service with buses. In many cases, postwar buses were cited as providing a smoother ride and a faster journey than the older, pre-war trams.

What do Americans call trams?

A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in USA) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are called tramways or simply trams/streetcars.