Street running train

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An NICTD EMU street-running on Michigan City's 11th Street; United States, in 2009; the street-running track has been replaced with its own right-of-way as of 2023 South Shore 512 (3542718093).jpg
An NICTD EMU street-running on Michigan City’s 11th Street; United States, in 2009; the street-running track has been replaced with its own right-of-way as of 2023

A street running train is a train which runs on a track built on public streets. The rails are embedded in the roadway, and the train shares the street with other users, such as pedestrians, cars and cyclists, thus often being referred to as running in mixed traffic or sharing the road with trains. For safety, street running trains travel more slowly than trains on dedicated rights-of-way. Needing to share the right-of-way with motor vehicles can cause delays and pose a safety risk. [1]

Contents

Stations on such routes are rare and may appear similar in style to a tram stop, but often lack platforms, pedestrian islands, or other amenities. In some cases, passengers may be required to wait on a distant sidewalk, and then board or disembark by crossing the traffic. The last street-station in the USA was in Michigan City, until 2022. [2]

Argentina

Salto Grande Bridge over the dam Puente Salto Grande.jpg
Salto Grande Bridge over the dam

Australia

A passenger train running down the centre of Ellen Street, Port Pirie in 1940 Ellen Street station and passenger train headed by SAR loco 625, 1940 (SLSA B 30245).jpg
A passenger train running down the centre of Ellen Street, Port Pirie in 1940

Canada

Notable examples in Canada include: [10]

Croatia

Czechia

Germany

For tramways the legal separation of a street running trackbed and an exclusive trackbed in urban traffic is given in § 16 BOStrab tramway regulations. Germany has some street-running railways:

A "Mollibahn" train running through Bad Doberan, Germany Bad Doberan Molli (02) 2006-09-24.JPG
A "Mollibahn" train running through Bad Doberan, Germany

Hong Kong

Light Rail tracks along Tai Fong Street, Tai Hing Estate, Tuen Mun LRT Tai Hing South Stop.jpg
Light Rail tracks along Tai Fong Street, Tai Hing Estate, Tuen Mun

The MTR Light Rail running in and between the new towns of Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai has many sections of on-street running, although the majority of the system runs on its own tracks alongside major roads or elevated viaducts, e.g., at the junctions near Tuen Mun Town Centre.[ citation needed ]

The KCR British Section had two street running stretches: a spur line to Whampoa Dockyard through Baker Street  [ yue ], [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] another across Salisbury Road  [ yue ] and Canton Road to the Kowloon Godowns.[ citation needed ]

Indonesia

Train along Jalan Slamet Riyadi, Solo, Indonesia Batara Kresna 2022 Bennylin 06.jpg
Train along Jalan Slamet Riyadi, Solo, Indonesia

Japan

Laos

New Zealand

Street running in Kawakawa BOI-VR kawakawa.jpg
Street running in Kawakawa

Switzerland

A Berninabahn train crossing the main square in Tirano TiranoBerninabahn04.jpg
A Berninabahn train crossing the main square in Tirano

Swiss law does not distinguish between trams and railways, making the distinction between street running by trams and that by railways legally indistinct.

United Kingdom

The combined road and rail swing bridge at Preston Marina 5643 on the swing bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1697655.jpg
The combined road and rail swing bridge at Preston Marina

Street running railways have been much rarer in the United Kingdom than elsewhere. This is due to 19th-century laws requiring railways to be enclosed by fences, which had the consequence that railways could not be built along existing roads and had to use their own rights of way. In cases where street running was unavoidable, the roads were often legally treated as level crossings with trains and road vehicles not permitted to use them at the same time. Some examples are:

United States

A selection of the many examples:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

California

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Columbus & Chattahoochee Railroad running on 9th Street in downtown Columbus CCH 3348 Broadway9thst 2254.jpg
Columbus & Chattahoochee Railroad running on 9th Street in downtown Columbus

Illinois

Indiana

The South Shore Line formerly ran on 10th and 11th streets in Michigan City, Indiana Southshoremichigancity.jpg
The South Shore Line formerly ran on 10th and 11th streets in Michigan City, Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

See also

Notes

  1. Street running railroad on Denison Street in Rockhampton, Queensland 23°22′35″S150°30′26″E / 23.376492°S 150.507336°E

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