Light rail

What is light rail?
Light rail transit (LRT) is an electric rail-borne form of transport which can be developed in stages from a tramway to a rapid transit system operated partially on its own right-of-way.

The general term ‘light transit’ covers those systems whose role and performance lie between a conventional bus service running on the highway at one extreme and an urban heavy rail or underground metropolitan railway at the other. Light rail systems are thus flexible and expandable.

Developments and trends
Trams started in the second half of the 19th century as horse-driven carts. With the advent of electricity, tramways became very popular and virtually every city in the Western world (and some in the colonies) had tram systems.

After World War II, trams were removed from many cities, as city planners dreamt of automobile-oriented cities.

Some however, realising that they could not afford a genuine metro system, decided to keep their trams and modernise them. The major element of this strategy was to free the vehicles from congestion. The compromise principle of the founding fathers was “to get 80% of the performance attributes of metro for 20% of its costs”.

These pioneering cities were so successful in improving the quality of service and the image of the system at affordable costs that they triggered an unprecedented wave of interest and emulation.
Over the last 20 years, many cities on all continents have (re)-introduced urban rail systems with some level of street running, especially since the advent of low-floor technology in the 90s, allowing easy use without requiring high platforms.

Other key innovations include:

• Modularity
• Diversification of power supply: on-board energy storage, ground current collection
• Rubber-tyred guided systems

Light rail in figures
Today, there are some 400 systems in operation worldwide, with constructions in some 60 more and plans in well above 200.
Europe is the densest LRT continent with 170 systems in operation and nearly 100 more in construction or planning, but North America (30 in operation, 10 in construction) and Asia are also very active in opening new systems.
The next emerging LRT region is the Middle East where the post-oil age is being actively anticipated.

Capacity of light rail: 6-axle tram: 170 pax / multi-articulated light rail vehicle: 200-350 pax

Read more
Potential cost savings from grouped orders of light ral vehicles
Light rail and metro systems in Europe: Current market, perspectives and research implications
Keeping and upgrading long-established tram systems
Light rail for liveable cities
Track sharing
Diversion of public utilities for the construction of light rail and tramway systems
Call from international experts to build on success of light rail in US and rest of world
Light rail and BRT: Competitive or complementary?

UITP Light Rail Division

Missions and issues    List of members  Working groups  Information for members

Introduction
The UITP Light Rail Division consists of two bodies:

• the Light Rail Assembly;
• the Light Rail Committee.

The Light Rail Assembly
The Light Rail Assembly is composed of all UITP full members operating Light Rail transport systems. The current Chairman is Slaven TICA, Managing Director, City Public Transport Company -GSP "Beograd", Beograd, Serbia.

Mission
The Light Rail Assembly is a forum for liaison, exchange of knowledge and debate that provides information on all topics related to the planning, financing, construction, operation and management of Light Rail systems.



The Light Rail Committee
History
Founded in 1978 as the International Light Rail Commission, and renamed Light Rail Committee in 1999.
Its development ran parallel to the worldwide revival of light rail. The current Chairman of the Committee is Georg DRECHSLER from BREMER STRAßENBAHN AG, Bremen , Germany
Mission
The Light Rail Committee will promote the interest of public transport by light rail through:

• exchange of information, know-how and experiences internationally in all fields related to light rail;
• preparation of recommendations, reports and of the UITP Light Rail Conferences;
• publication of the completed papers and reports.

UITP Light Rail Conferences
The Light Rail Committee has a tradition of organizing bi-annual thematic Conferences : Stuttgart 1992, Amsterdam 1994, San José 1996, Zürich 1998, Melbourne 2000, Nantes 2002, Dresden 2004, St Louis 2006.

CONTACT: Laurent DAUBY, laurent.dauby@uitp.org

Missions and Issues

2. The Light Rail Committee shall inform the Light Rail Assembly on on-going developments in the industry, on its current themes studied and on the position papers prepared by the Committee and submitted for discussion and approval to the Policy Board.

3. The Assembly notes and discusses the on-going topics studied and the position papers of the Committee.

4. The Assembly can propose candidates for nomination within the Committee to the UITP General Secretariat and to the Committee Chairperson.

5. The Light Rail Assembly is a privileged place to promote UITP activities to potential Light Rail Division members.

II. The Light Rail Committee

Mission statement and main issues
1.1. Mission
The Light Rail Committee will promote the interest of public transport by Light Rail through:

• exchange of information, know-how and experiences internationally in all fields related to Light Rail Transit
• preparation of recommendations, reports and of the UITP Light Rail Conferences
• publication of the completed papers and reports

The Committee shall inform the Light Rail Assembly of its work on the occasion of Assembly meetings.

1.2. Issues
The Committee will deal with various issues related to:

• safety
• quality
• environment
• efficiency
• funding and economy
• industry

While concentrating on Light Rail topics, the Committee must keep a worldwide scope and cover all aspects of public transport, in particular in relation with the social role of Light Rail and its effects on the quality of life of the population it serves

List of members

See the list of members

• Tramways Modernisation in Central and Eastern Europe
• Light Rail Performance Analysis
• Financing and Funding
• Innovation
• Legal acceptance and safety cases