Interurban
Encyclopedia
- In Australia, "interurban" is a general term for intercity rail.
Toronto radial lines
Toronto radial lines refer to all of these now defunct interurban lines radiating from Toronto.* Halton County Radial Railway, a working museum* Toronto Suburban Railway* Toronto Suburban Railway Company* North Yonge Railways...
in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
; in short a hybrid between tram (streetcar) and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were unpaved and could become nearly impassable during wet weather. Travel was by horseback or carriage, and cartage was by horse-drawn wagon. The interurban provided a new predictable, durable, and comfortable way to travel and, in some cases, a way to get farm products including fresh milk into town. Nowadays, services that were formerly called "interurban" are variously categorized as commuter rail or light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, depending on operation, and may include urban streetcar lines. The Tram-train
Tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
may be considered as a modernization of the interurban.
Rise and decline
Interurbans were often extensions of existing streetcar lines running between urban areas or from urban to rural areas. The lines were mainly electrified in an era when steam railroads had not yet adopted electricity to any large degree. By 1910, there was a very large network of small interurban lines in the U.S., particularly in Indiana and Ohio. Many were financially weak from the beginning. An electric interurban railroad was expensive to build, and there were always construction surprises, such as an unplanned bridge, or a town that demanded streets for the interurban to construct, and franchise fees. In operation, interurbans were labor-intensive and physical plant expensive, and frequently passenger revenues were not as originally projected. Many did not survive the 1920s, following the country's growing adoption of the automobile and the onset of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1930.
By emphasizing freight service, some interurban lines (such as the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad was a short-lived electric interurban railway that operated in 1930-1939 Depression-era Ohio between Cincinnati, Springfield, Columbus, and Toledo...
, the Indiana Railroad
Indiana Railroad
This article is for the electric interurban railroad of 1930-1941. For the currently operating freight railroad Indiana Rail Road see Indiana Rail Road....
, the Lake Shore Electric Railway, and portions of the Pacific Electric) struggled through the Depression but were abandoned just before World War II. Some lines barely made it to World War II, enjoyed a war-related surge in business, only to decline into abandonment after the end of the war. Examples are the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, Illinois Terminal
Illinois Terminal Railroad
The Illinois Terminal Railroad, known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from 1896 to 1982...
, Lehigh Valley Transit
Lehigh Valley Transit
The Lehigh Valley Transit Company was a Pennsylvania interurban rail transport company that operated a network of city and interurban trolley lines. In poor financial condition, LVT abruptly abandoned operation of its Philadelphia Division in September 1951...
near Philadelphia, Sacramento Northern, and the remaining portions of the Pacific Electric.
Interurban lines that have survived to the present day often evolved into commuter railroads
Commuter rail in North America
Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide common carrier passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis primarily for short-distance travel between a central business district and adjacent suburbs and...
or freight short lines. Examples are the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, Philadelphia and Western
Philadelphia and Western Railroad
The Philadelphia and Western Railroad was a high-speed, third rail-operated, commuter-hauling interurban electric railroad operating in the western suburbs of the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of its lines is now SEPTA's R100 Norristown High Speed Line; the other has been abandoned...
, the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway
The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa.-History:...
, and the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company.
Definition of "interurban"
Real-world lines fit on a continuum between wholly urban street railways and full-fledged railroads. George W. Hilton and John F. Due, in The Electric Interurban Railways in America, define an interurban as a system which shares most or all of four characteristics:- Electric power
- Passenger service as primary emphasis
- Heavier, faster equipment than urban streetcars
- Operated on street trackage in cities but on roadside tracks or private rights-of-way in rural areas
The definition of "interurban" is necessarily blurry. Some streetcar systems evolved partly into interurban systems with extensions or acquisitions, while other interurban lines became, effectively, light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
systems with no street running whatsoever, or became primarily freight-hauling railroads with a progressive loss of passenger service.
Another distinction is made between "interurban" and "suburban". A suburban system is oriented toward a particular city center in a single urban area, serving primarily commuters who live in the suburbs of a city. An interurban is more like a regular railroad local train service, moving people from one city center to another with no single center. However, unlike a local train, the interurban serves a smaller region and has more frequent service, and is oriented to passenger rather than freight service, although some small-load freight service was common, especially in the days before trucks (lorries).
The word interurban has defined both the interurban system or network, and the wagons or railcars.
History of interurban rail in North America
The first interurbans were constructed in the 1880s, following the successful development of the electric traction motor and controller by Frank Sprague. States with numerous interurban lines were Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. States with less interurban density were Iowa, Utah, California, Texas, and Oklahoma. By 1900, just over 2100 miles (3,379.6 km) of track had been laid. Mileage peaked in 1916 with over 15500 miles (24,944.8 km). Always requiring extensive operating capital for many employees, rolling stock acquisition, rolling stock maintenance, operation of shops, track maintenance, interurbans could go bankrupt and into receivership even during a good year. One bridge washout, wreck, fire, strike, or dispute with a village or town over track issues and franchise costs could cause bankruptcy for a struggling line.Onset of decline
Beginning around the end of World War I the industry began a decline. This was accelerated in the 1920s by the growth in automobile ownership combined with state construction of durable concrete highways. Often these highways flanked the interurban lines, and in some cases the state would pressure the struggling interurban to abandon service so that the state highway could be widened after tracks were removed. The Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
finally drove most interurbans into bankruptcy in the early 1930s. A few survived into the 1950s and a few more into the 1960s. Those that survived to the 1960s tended to be lines that had become commuter systems into large cities, such as Chicago's North Shore Line and South Shore Line. Only the South Shore Line operates today, and this is with regional subsidies. The South Shore still shows part of its interurban past with its center of street operation in Michigan City. Other survivors had developed an unusually strong freight business like the Illinois Terminal, although the IT is now gone as a separate corporate entity. It was absorbed by competitive railroads and parts of its former trackage were abandoned. The IT had well maintained track between towns and could operate freight trains at considerable speed, but once into the many towns and villages along its route, it reverted to its legacy interurban street running, including exceptionally tight turns at town block corners.
Layout
To minimize cost of construction, an interurban typically ran along public right-of-wayRight-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
, often next to a public highway in rural areas, or on city streets in urban areas. This could require the negotiation of very sharp curves at intersections and climbing steep town grades. Often when an interurban was first constructed, in rural country the adjacent road was unpaved and became bottomless mud during summer wet periods or in winter. Horses would struggle to move people and wagons. In some areas, like rural Pennsylvania, the interurban might be the only reliable daily transportation both for moving people as well as farm to town market products such as vegetables, fruit, meat, and fresh milk. It was less common for interurbans to have long unencumbered stretches of private right-of-way, but some did. Occasionally interurbans ran adjacent to competitive mainline steam railroads, but fares were cheaper, and service was more frequent and not necessarily slower. Due to the characteristics of the electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
, interurbans could operate on steeper grades, going where steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s could not. Some lines had steeple cab electric locomotives, box motors, or regeared interurban coaches that could pull two or more railroad freight cars which might result in good freight business eventually providing greater revenue than the passenger business. Some interurbans owned heavy electric locomotives capable of handling longer trains. In a number of cases, passenger business was abandoned and only freight business continued.
Buses
With the demise of the interurban, many routes were taken over by intercity bus services such as Greyhound and Trailways. Many local intercity services have since been discontinued, and buses now typically run express between major cities. A few interurbans, built to rather high standards, have survived, as have several that still operate only freight service, but the vast majority are long abandoned. Probably the closest present day trolley line resembling a 1920s interurban – with city to countryside to village, side-of-road, "hill and dale" operation – is the present-day broad gauge Upper Darby to Media 100-year-old former Red Arrow line of Philadelphia's SEPTA system. The last third of the Media line becomes single-track private right-of-way with sidings for cars to pass. The cars move rapidly into and out of wooded ravines and along creek beds to then emerge into Media Borough where the cars run trolley-style down the center of Media's main commercial street, State Street. In the early 1900s, this was the Philadelphia and West Chester interurban. At that time it operated all-wood, arch-window heavy interurban cars typical of equipment used nationwide at that time.Car design and manufacturers
There were many interurban car manufacturers, particularly in the 1890 to 1915 period of the classic arch-window, all-wood-truss-rod interurban. One of the best known of these was the Jewett Car CompanyJewett Car Company
The Jewett Car Company was an early 20th century American industrial company that manufactured street cars.The company was founded in 1893 in Jewett, Ohio, where its first factory was located. In 1904, the company relocated from Jewett to a site along South Williams Street in Newark, Ohio, but...
of Ohio. Jewett was a company of craftsmen woodworkers that turned out beautifully made interurban coaches and combines featuring interiors of highly polished mahogany, oak, and cherry wood. Jewett did not survive beyond 1919. Other manufacturers of the all-wood design were the Kuhlman Car Company
G. C. Kuhlman Car Company
The G. C. Kuhlman Car Company was a leading American manufacturer of streetcars and interurbans in the early 20th century. The company was based in Cleveland, Ohio....
and the J. G. Brill Company. Wood cars were bad in wrecks, famous for "telescoping" one car into and onto another killing passengers, and beginning around 1915 steel was primarily used. Well known makers of steel interurban cars included Pullman
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
, Brill, Cincinnati Car Company
Cincinnati Car Company
Cincinnati Car Company or Cincinnati Car Corporation was a subsidiary of Ohio Traction Company. It designed and constructed interurban cars, streetcars and buses. It was founded in 1902 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1928 it bought the Versare Car Company.The company was among the first to make...
, St. Louis Car Company
St. Louis Car Company
The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
, Southern Car, Pressed Steel, Hall-Scott
Hall-Scott
Hall-Scott was a Berkeley, California-based manufacturing company. It was among the most significant builders of water-cooled aircraft engines prior to World War I.-1910–1921:...
, and Holman
W. L. Holman Car Company
W. L. Holman Car Company was a streetcar and cable car manufacturer based in San Francisco, California. It mainly built equipment for rail operation, including San Francisco Municipal Railway's first publicly-owned streetcar and some of the Cable Cars you see today still operating on San...
. St. Louis Car, Pullman, and Brill survived to near present day by manufacturing subway-elevated cars, streetcars, and, in some cases, buses. Over time, J. G. Brill absorbed many of the others and eventually became not only the longest lasting but the largest of the interurban manufacturing companies. In the 1940s, Brill manufactured buses with American Car and Foundry. The buses carried the logo "ACF-Brill" and many operated in Pennsylvania and nearby Delaware.
In 1929, recognizing the need for more comfort and speed to attract more riders plus reduce power consumption to reduce costs, some interurban railways worked with manufacturers to develop innovative interurban car designs. Using aluminum to provide lower weight, a lower center of gravity, and improved ride on often what was rough track, the Cincinnati and Lake Erie in 1929 purchased light weight interurban cars it called "Red Devil
Red Devil (interurban)
The Red Devil was a high-speed interurban trolley . It was developed by the Cincinnati Car Company for the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad , which bought 20 of them in 1929 for service between cities and towns in Ohio. At and long, they were among the first lightweight trolleys, with side...
s" that dramatically improved schedules and, for awhile, business. The Indiana Railroad did the same in 1930 with its lightweights of a similar design. The Bullet
Bullet (interurban)
The Bullet was a high-speed interurban railcar produced by J. G. Brill and Company in Philadelphia for the Philadelphia and Western Railroad in 1931, and then the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad in 1932. Few were sold because of the Great Depression and the public transport decline in...
cars built by Brill for the Philadelphia and Western and then the Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville in 1932, were innovative and successful designs but few were sold. The Philadelphia and Western Bullets ran into the 1980s operated by SEPTA.
Light rail
The present day North American light railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
movement essentially revived the concept of the interurban, but without using the word "interurban". Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
; San Diego; Denver; Baltimore; and many other cities in Canada and the United States have built light rail systems with characteristics of the old interurbans: slow running in the center of streets, tight-radius turns in town but fast running on private right-of-way outside of town.
Interurban technology
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
. In either case, power was transferred from the wire to the locomotive (in the case of an interurban freight line) or interurban passenger car by way of a trolley pole
Trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
or pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. Some interurbans transferred electricity to the trains by way of a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
running parallel to, and outside of, the rails when running on private right-of-way while overhead supply was used elsewhere, notably in built up areas (i.e. Sacramento Northern Railway
Sacramento Northern Railway
←The Sacramento Northern Railway was originally a electric interurban railway linking Chico in northern California to the California capitol of Sacramento The original name of the line was the Chico Electric Railway, or CERY. CERY was sold after a few months of operation to the Northern Electric...
, and Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad , known colloquially as the "Roarin' Elgin" or the "Great Third Rail", was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service on its line between Chicago, Illinois and Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and Elgin. The railroad also operated...
). Power was transferred to the train using a "shoe" attached to the locomotive or car. Engineers working for Michigan United Railways
Michigan United Railways
Michigan United Railways was an interurban which owned and leased numerous lines in the state of Michigan during the early twentieth century.- Corporate history :...
devised a shoe with steel cutters which could remove ice from the tracks.
Electrification
Most interurban railways in North America were electrified using low-voltage direct currentDirect current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
(DC) systems popular with street railways. This enabled interurbans to use urban street railway systems with ease. However, these systems had difficulty in maintaining voltage over long distances. Thus, interurbans developed the practice of generating power at higher voltages and stepping down power to the 600 volts needed to power the cars at substations spaced out along the line. By 1905, 600 volts had become the industry-wide standard. The interurbans also had to develop their own powerhouses for electricity as there were few commercial power companies in existence at the time. Some of these steam driven power generation houses produced high-voltage AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
power that would be stepped-down and converted to DC at the substations using what was called a "rotary converter." The rotary converter combined the features of an AC motor and a DC generator into a single-armature rotating machine. Because of owning a power house, many interurban railway companies became electric companies to their local regions.
Most power was distributed to the cars using overhead trolley wires
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
or pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. Some companies preferred outside third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
. Third rail was cheaper to maintain and improved conductivity, but it was more expensive to construct as it did not mitigate the construction of transmission lines and poles. Third rail was also more dangerous to trespassers and animals. Also, in the winter, third rails were difficult to keep clear of ice.
In 1904, a single-phase alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
(AC) system became available and was distributed by Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
and General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
. But the system soon proved expensive to maintain and operate, and it increased wear and tear on equipment and track. It was a short-lived experiment and none were installed after 1910.
Another experiment in electrification came in 1907 with high-voltage DC (1200 volts). This system allowed for easy conversion from other DC systems and was cheaper to maintain. But it was developed so late that few railways adopted it.
Gauge
Most interurbans were built to standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, but there were a fair number of exceptions. Interurbans often used the tracks
Tramway track
Tramway track is used on tramways or light rail operations. Grooved rails are often used in order to make street running feasible...
of existing street railways
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
through city streets, and when those street railways were not built to standard gauge, the interurbans had to use non-standard gauges as well or face the expense of building their own trackage through urban areas. Many municipalities had ordained the use of non-standard gauges so that railroad freight cars could never be switched onto public streets. The gauge Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
and the gauge Los Angeles Railway
Los Angeles Railway
The Los Angeles Railway was a system of streetcars that operated in central Los Angeles, California and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between from 1901 and 1963. Except for two short funicular railways it operated on tracks...
shared dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
track in down town Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Exceptions
- See Broad gauge railways, by gauge and country.
- In the Czech Republic, the Liberec-JablonecinterurbanTramway line between Liberec and JablonecThe 12 km long tramway line between cities Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic is an intercity transportation system connecting these cities.-Overview:...
runs on metre-gaugeMetre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
track. In Belgium, the SNCV VicinalVicinal tramwayThe Tramways vicinaux or Buurtspoorwegen were a system of narrow gauge tramways or local railways in Belgium, which covered the whole country and had a greater route length than the mainline railway system...
network was one of the most important metric gauge interurbans.
Passenger service
The true first interurbans were small coaches on rails pulled by horses along unpaved streets between small towns. But most people consider the "first" interurbans bring to be the very large arch windowed all wood coaches and combines running alongside one lane meandering rutted dirt roads between towns in the 1900 to 1920 time period. Due to the tendency for these massive cars to "telescope" in collisions, of which there were some genuine disasters leading to a large number of injuries and deaths, around 1915 only steel cars were manufactured by companies such as J.G.Brill, Cincinnati Car Company, St.Louis Car, Southern Car, and Kuhlman. Many interurbans competed directly with nearby steam railroads, but they offered more frequent service, lower fares, and frequent stops, often at a particular farm or home upon request. Limited service, if offered, was more restrictive about the number of stops.
Eventually, interurban lines began to acquire equipment that was more efficient in operation regarding power consumption, more comfortable for the rider, and capable of faster operation.
Indiana Railroad
This article is for the electric interurban railroad of 1930-1941. For the currently operating freight railroad Indiana Rail Road see Indiana Rail Road....
acquired cars based upon the C&LE design but with some design improvements including heavier trucks. Regardless of such improvements, ridership began to decline as the states began to improve highways for the use of the many automobiles being produced. Ridership dramatically declined with the onset of the Depression.
Freight service
Those interurbans carrying freight were typically the last to disappear. The Insull lines focus on freight allowed freight revenues to subsidize money losing passenger operations. Most of the smaller interurbans only carried LCLLess than container load
Less than container load is a shipment that is not large enough to fill a standard cargo container. The abbreviation LCL formerly applied to "Less than Car Load" for quantities of material from different shippers or for delivery to different destinations which might be carried in a single...
freight in box motors, while the bigger interurbans carried car load freight. The North Shore Line
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, often called the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad line that operated between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until its abandonment in 1963.- Early history :...
was an early adopter of TOFC trains, and the South Shore Line
Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad
The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad , known to many as the South Shore Line, is a Class III freight railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois, and South Bend, Indiana...
operated three 800-class "Little Joe" electric locomotives. Not only were these locomotives large for an interurban, they were some of the largest and most powerful locomotives ever made for any railroad. Typical interurban freight operations, when not hauled in LCL fashion, were hauled behind box-cab or steeple-cab motors, with a footprint dimension similar to a GE 80-tonner diesel. Some interurbans had an auxiliary battery power system on their locomotives for operation on un-wired spurs. Frequently the box-cabs were older passenger interurban cars rebuilt in the company shops. Seats and windows were replaced with wide side doors to become a package and freight hauler. "Steeple-cab" locomotives were built by General Electric, Baldwin Westinghouse, or by the interurban line's own shops.
United States
Frank J. Sprague
Frank Julian Sprague was an American naval officer and inventor who contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators...
, expanded rapidly. By 1900, just over 2100 miles (3,379.6 km) of track had been laid, and by 1916, at their peak, over 15500 miles (24,944.8 km) were in service. Most of the interurban track that had been laid was located in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
; both states had 3000 miles (4,828 km) of track. In Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
there was another 2000 miles (3,218.7 km) of track which was interconnected. In Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, thousands of miles of additional track was also laid down by different companies. The first Interurban in Texas was the Denison and Sherman
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
Railway, completed in 1901. In central Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, interurban lines connected City Point
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
and Hopewell
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
with Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, and Petersburg with Richmond. Another connected Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
with Ashland
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
.
In the early 1900s, interurban transportation was very popular in both rural areas and cities. Electric cars offered greater acceleration and lower cost with higher frequency and more stops than mainline steam. After 1910, the popularity of the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
began to diminish the interurban passenger load, and during the 1920s, many interurban systems were declared bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Many were also bought out in the Great American Streetcar Scandal and deliberately destroyed. As a result of this shift in transportation methods, the small and unprofitable lines were discontinued. By the 1930s, most of the interurbans had disappeared, although some of their rail lines were taken over for the use of freight drawn by steam engines. Most were replaced with buses. By the 1960s, very few lines remained; the Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
was abandoned in 1961, and the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, often called the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad line that operated between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until its abandonment in 1963.- Early history :...
near Chicago in 1963.
Remaining and new lines
- The South Shore LineSouth Shore Line (NICTD)The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana...
running from Millennium Station in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to South Bend, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
is the successor of the passenger operations of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, part of Samuel InsullSamuel InsullSamuel Insull was an Anglo-American innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to creating an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States. Insull was notable for purchasing utilities and railroads using holding companies, as well as the abuse of them...
's once-great interurban empire. The line now serves commuters to Chicago from the suburbs of Northwest Indiana. It still includes a street runningStreet runningOn-street running or street running is when a railroad track or tramway track runs directly along city streets, without any separation. The rails are embedded in the road....
section in Michigan City, IndianaMichigan City, IndianaMichigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
, but has evolved into many characteristics of a commuter railRegional railCommuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
operation, including sharing the trackage of the Metra Electric LineMetra Electric LineThe Metra Electric District is an electrified commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra which connects Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, with the city's southern suburbs...
(formerly the Illinois Central RailroadIllinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
) into downtown Chicago. - The Chicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
's Yellow LineYellow Line (Chicago Transit Authority)The Yellow Line, formerly known as the Skokie Swift, is part of the Chicago Transit Authority's Chicago 'L' heavy rail rapid transit system in Chicago, Illinois...
, otherwise known as the Skokie Swift, is the southernmost five miles (8 km) of the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee's 1924 high speed Skokie Valley Route. The North Shore was also part of Samuel InsullSamuel InsullSamuel Insull was an Anglo-American innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to creating an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States. Insull was notable for purchasing utilities and railroads using holding companies, as well as the abuse of them...
's interurban empire. - The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation AuthoritySoutheastern Pennsylvania Transportation AuthorityThe Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...
's SEPTA Route 100 (also known as the Norristown High Speed Line) operates over the old Philadelphia and Western RailroadPhiladelphia and Western RailroadThe Philadelphia and Western Railroad was a high-speed, third rail-operated, commuter-hauling interurban electric railroad operating in the western suburbs of the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of its lines is now SEPTA's R100 Norristown High Speed Line; the other has been abandoned...
's Norristown, PennsylvaniaNorristown, PennsylvaniaNorristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
line. The line has full grade separation, third rail electrification and high platforms, characteristic of rapid transitRapid transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
systems but uses smaller cars with on-board fare collection, like light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
systems. - In Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the LACMTA Blue LineLACMTA Blue LineThe Blue Line is a light rail line running north-south route between Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles passing through Downtown LA, including South Los Angeles, Watts, Willowbrook, Compton, and Long Beach in the Los Angeles County; it is one of five lines in the Metro Rail System...
uses much trackage that was the Pacific Electric's route between Los Angeles and Long BeachLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. There is street trackage at both the Long Beach and Los Angeles ends of the line, and a short subway section at the Los Angeles terminus. - Although it runs on dieselDiesel engineA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
power, the RiverLINE of New Jersey is otherwise an interurban (it uses light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, it runs in the streets of Camden, it is more comfortable than typical urban light-rail vehicles, such as the Hudson-Bergen Light RailHudson-Bergen Light RailThe Hudson–Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City , and North Bergen.The system began...
's trams, it runs outside of town). Fare collection is the current fashion for light rail (proof-of-paymentProof-of-paymentProof-of-payment or POP is an honor-based fare collection approach used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, proof-of-payment requires that each passenger carry a ticket or pass proving that they have paid the fare. Ticket...
). This line was recently built, mostly along a freight railroad right-of-way.
Other lines that have some characteristics of an interurban include:
- SEPTA Routes 101 and 102 MediaMedia, PennsylvaniaThe borough of Media is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and is located west of Philadelphia. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District...
and Sharon HillSharon Hill, PennsylvaniaSharon Hill is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,468 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sharon Hill is located at ....
lines, operating as light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service mostly on dedicated rights of way but with some street trackage. - The Green Line "D" Branch in Boston, a streetcar line on a grade-separated right-of-way formerly belonging to the Boston and Albany RailroadBoston and Albany RailroadThe Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
, a steam railroad - The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed LineAshmont-Mattapan High Speed LineThe Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line or also known as the "M-Line" in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts is considered to be part of the MBTA's Red Line, even though it uses different equipment and passengers have to change at Ashmont. The only MBTA line to run through a cemetery, the line opened on...
in Boston, a streetcar line on a right-of-way formerly belonging to the Dorchester and Milton Branch RailroadDorchester and Milton Branch RailroadThe Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was incorporated in 1846 as a branch off the Old Colony Railroad main line from Boston to Plymouth...
, a steam railroad - The IRT Dyre Avenue LineIRT Dyre Avenue LineThe IRT Dyre Avenue Line is a New York City Subway rapid transit line as part of the A Division . It is a branch of the IRT White Plains Road Line serving passengers in the northeastern section of the Bronx...
in New York City, a rapid transitRapid transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line on a section of the former New York, Westchester and Boston RailwayNew York, Westchester and Boston RailwayThe New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Company , known to its riders as "the Westchester" and colloquially as the "Boston-Westchester", operated as an electric commuter railroad in the Bronx and Westchester County, New York from 1912 to 1937...
, an interurban. - The Iowa Traction RailroadIowa Traction RailroadThe Iowa Traction Railroad is an electrically operated common carrier railroad running between Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa, Iowa. It can trace its roots back to the Mason City and Clear Lake Railway which was founded in 1896. The shops were situated in Emery, the midpoint between the two...
(former Mason City and Clear Lake Railway) still operates electric freight service. - Several former interurbans, such as the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City RailwayCedar Rapids and Iowa City RailwayThe Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa.-History:...
and Central California Traction Company now operate their trackage as diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotiveA diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
powered freight lines. The Chicago SouthShore and South Bend RailroadChicago SouthShore and South Bend RailroadThe Chicago SouthShore and South Bend Railroad , known to many as the South Shore Line, is a Class III freight railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois, and South Bend, Indiana...
also continues to operate freight service along the passenger South Shore Line. - The relatively new Hudson-Bergen Light RailHudson-Bergen Light RailThe Hudson–Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City , and North Bergen.The system began...
system in Hudson County, New JerseyHudson County, New JerseyHudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
runs along a dedicated right-of-way on some stretches, but in Jersey City it runs in the streets. - San Pedro, California Port of LA Waterfront Red Car Line. A 1.5-mile line with three Interurban streetcars, one original Pacific Electric streetcar and two Pacific Electric streetcar replicas, with four stations. A unique heritage streetcar line.
Other portions of interurbans remain in service as parts of regular freight-hauling railroads. California features several former interurbans that survive for freight service. Portions of the Sacramento Northern Railway
Sacramento Northern Railway
←The Sacramento Northern Railway was originally a electric interurban railway linking Chico in northern California to the California capitol of Sacramento The original name of the line was the Chico Electric Railway, or CERY. CERY was sold after a few months of operation to the Northern Electric...
were operated by the Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
. The longest surviving portion of the Sacramento Northern is now owned by the Sierra Northern Railroad. Most of the former Tidewater Southern Railway
Tidewater Southern Railway
The Tidewater Southern Railway was a short line railroad in Central California in the United States. For most of its history, it was a subsidiary of the Western Pacific Railroad...
is still operated by the Union Pacific. Another California interurban company, the Central California Traction Company, still operates diesel freight service on its one-time electric line between Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
and Lodi
Lodi, California
Lodi is a city located in , in the northern portion of California's Central Valley. The population was 62,134 at the 2010 census. The California Department of Finance's population estimate as of January 1, 2011 is 62,473....
.
Present Day interurban style street-running freight train operation
- Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, GeorgiaAlbany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
Roosevelt Avenue - Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, GeorgiaAugusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
6th Street & Broad Street - Columbus, GeorgiaColumbus, GeorgiaColumbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
9th Street & Broadway, 6th Avenue, 2nd Avenue - Visalia, CaliforniaVisalia, CaliforniaVisalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
Oak Street from Willis St. to Santa Fe St (San Joaquin Valley RailroadSan Joaquin Valley RailroadThe San Joaquin Valley Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica. It operates about of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley outside of Fresno, California and Bakersfield, California...
) - Michigan City, IndianaMichigan City, IndianaMichigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
South Shore Line freight from Gary.
Canada
In 1887 the St. Catharines and Niagara Central Railway, the first interurban line in the world, started operations. It ran between St. Catharines and Thorold, OntarioThorold, Ontario
Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara....
, Canada. Not only was this the first interurban line in the world, but it was also one of the first commercially successful implementations of electric streetcars in the world.
In Southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, intercity streetcar lines were called radial railways, because their routes generally radiated from a central city. The longest routes from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
included one running to Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
and another to Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
. A portion of one of these lines is preserved and plays host to a working museum of streetcars and other transit vehicles at the Halton County Radial Railway
Halton County Radial Railway
The Halton County Radial Railway is a working museum of electric streetcars, other railway vehicles, trolleybusses and buses. It is operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association...
in Milton
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
. A notable feature of Toronto's radial railways
Toronto radial lines
Toronto radial lines refer to all of these now defunct interurban lines radiating from Toronto.* Halton County Radial Railway, a working museum* Toronto Suburban Railway* Toronto Suburban Railway Company* North Yonge Railways...
was that because the city streetcar tracks of the Toronto Railway Company
Toronto Railway Company
The Toronto Railway Company was the first operator of horseless streetcars in Toronto.Formed by a partnership between James Ross and William Mackenzie, a 30-year franchise was granted in 1891 to modernize transit operations after a previous 30 year franchise that saw horse car service from the...
(later taken over by the Toronto Transportation Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
) were built to a wider gauge (which is still used to this day), radial cars from the outlying areas could not pass the city limits, requiring passengers to change trains.
Some of the closer sections of Toronto's radial railways were assimilated into the city's streetcar network
Toronto streetcar system
The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission , and is the largest such system in the Americas in terms of ridership, number of cars, and track length. The network is concentrated primarily in downtown and in...
, and with the city's expansion, some communities once linked by radial railway now have relatively central stations on the Toronto subway
Toronto subway and RT
The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
. On a regional level, GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
's commuter railway network is designed on a similar radial principle, though it uses much heavier-capacity mainline trains.
There were also significant radial systems operating from Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, St. Catharines, Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, and throughout the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
Valley, the last of which may see a revival should Grand River Transit
Grand River Transit
Grand River Transit, or GRT, is the public transport operator for the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It operates daily bus services in the region, primarily in the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge....
obtain funding to build a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
way between Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, and eventually Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
, running partially on the tracks of the former Grand River Railway
Grand River Railway
The Grand River Railway was an electric railway in what is now the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, in Southwestern Ontario. It was an example of a radial railway.-History:...
. Hamilton and the Niagara Region are also investigating the possibility of reviving former interurban railway routes as modern light rail. Another southern Ontario line, the London and Port Stanley Railway
London and Port Stanley Railway
The London and Port Stanley Railway is a historic Canadian railway located in southwestern Ontario.The L&PS linked the city of London with Port Stanley on the northern shore of Lake Erie, a distance of approximately ....
, is notable for hauling large quantities of coal from Port Stanley that would arrive via railway ferry from Conneaut, Ohio.
In British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, five interurban lines were operated by the British Columbia Electric Railway
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
Company. The private right-of-way of the Central Park line, between Commercial Drive in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and New Westminster, is now used by the SkyTrain's
SkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
Expo Line. The Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
Line became the British Columbia Hydro Railway when BC Electric was nationalized in the 1960s; it was later privatized and is now the Southern Railway of British Columbia
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in the southwestern mainland of British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry products, and other shipments...
, a local shortline freight railway. The BCER also operated interuban trains between Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Marpole
Marpole
Marpole is a mostly residential neighbourhood of 22,400 located on the southern edge of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, immediately northeast of Vancouver International Airport. It is approximately bordered by Angus Drive to the west, 57th Avenue to the north, Main Street to the east and...
, and between Marpole, Steveston and New Westminster on the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway, which it leased from Canadian Pacific. This railway is also known as Arbutus Corridor route. Likewise, the Millennium Line
Millennium Line
The Millennium Line is the second rapid transit line built in the SkyTrain light metro rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The line is owned and operated by TransLink. Millennium Line uses the colour yellow on route maps, wayfinding and station signage.-History:When...
of the SkyTrain connects the same communities as the former Burnaby Lake Line; however, the new SkyTrain line does not follow the original right-of-way, which is now the route of Highway 1 through Burnaby. The fifth BCER interurban connected Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
and Patricia Bay on the Saanich Peninsula
Saanich Peninsula
The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by the Saanich Inlet on the west, and various straits of the Gulf of Georgia on the east, chiefly Haro Strait The exact southern boundary of what is referred to as the "Saanich Peninsula" is somewhat fluid...
. Its right-of-way is commemorated by Interurban Road in Saanich
Saanich
The Saanich or W̱SÁNEĆ are indigenous nations from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.*BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin...
.
In Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the Montreal and Southern Counties Railway
Montreal and Southern Counties Railway
The Montreal and Southern Counties Railway Company was an interurban streetcar line that ran between Montreal and Granby until 1956. A second branch served the city of Longueuil....
operated electric interurban lines from central Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
across the St. Lawrence Seaway to Longueuil
Longueuil
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
and Granby
Granby, Quebec
Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and...
from 1909 to 1956.
In Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, the Cape Breton Electric RCompany operated interurban services between Sydney, Glace Bay and New Waterford from 1901 to 1947, and the Pictou County Electric Company operated interurban services between the five towns of Pictou County from 1904 to 1931.
Mexico
In the first decade of the 20th century, Canadian investors purchased the Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
operator Compañía de Tranvías de México, and attempted to create an interurban radial-railway system on the Canadian model, beginning work on lines that were intended to reach Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
and Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
. Typical US style interurban electric cars built by the St. Louis Car Company
St. Louis Car Company
The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
were imported for the service. Expenses due to Mexico's difficult terrain and political instability that culminated in the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
combined to end this project although lines were completed as far as La Venta and Tulyehualco
Tulyehualco
Tulyehualco. is a Mexican football club that plays in the Tercera División de México. The club is based in Puebla city, Puebla and plays its home games in which is right next to the Estadio Cuauhtémoc .-External links:*...
and a popular suburban line was built to San Angel and Coyoacán
Coyoacán
Coyoacán refers to one of the sixteen boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City as well as the former village which is now the borough’s “historic center.” The name comes from Nahuatl and most likely means “place of coyotes,” when the Aztecs named a pre-Hispanic village on the southern shore...
. A portion of the ex-Puebla line operates today as the Xochimilco Light Rail
Xochimilco Light Rail
The Xochimilco Light Rail is a light rail line that serves the southern part of Mexico City. It connects to, but is not considered a part of, the Mexico City Metro...
system. Another Mexican system that would have been considered of an interurban type was the Playa Miramar high-speed line in Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
.
The Mexican state of Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
had approximately 1,500 kilometers of interurban tramway network, mostly narrow gauge and either animal powered (mule or horsecar
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
s) or gasoline powered.
Cuba
The Hershey train is an electrified train from HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
to Matanzas
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
that was built by the Hershey Company in order to facilitate transport of workers and products after it had bought sugar plantations in 1916. It is a commuter service running in northern Havana and Matanzas provinces, some original equipment still exists.
Europe
In Europe, lines that fit the interurban definition were rare historically. A whole large interurban system in continuous service exists however since 1894 at Upper SilesiaUpper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
in Poland connecting cities and towns of this densely populated region (See Silesian Interurbans
Silesian Interurbans
Silesian Interurbans - one of the largest tram systems in the world has been in existence since 1894. The system is spread over more than 50 kilometres and covers thirteen towns in the Upper Silesia metropolitan area and their suburbs Silesian Interurbans - one of the largest tram (streetcar)...
for more information). More common were either wholly urban, street-running tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
systems or light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
systems operating wholly on dedicated rights of way. In Europe, tram-train
Tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
s began running on the streets in cities and on railway lines in the suburbs and countryside in the mid-late 20th century.
Netherlands
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Leiden and Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
were fairly big electric trams running on 1200 volt with in-street running in towns and quite a lot of private right-of-way outside towns. Especially the "Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
er" trams (see picture) resembled American interurban cars. A typical tram was made up by coupling a motorised unit (A400 or A500 series) with one or two trailers (B400/B500). In common with American practice the NZH also had local streetcar lines in The Hague, Leiden and Haarlem sharing some of the track with the interurban routes. Power supply was entirely by overhead wire. Although there was a connection between tram and train tracks in Leiden it was not possible to convey railway cars on NZH track due to differing track and wheel geometry, curve radius and loading gauge. The A/B600 series of twin-cars, built around 1930, resemble those of Oaklands Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
'Bridge Units' built slightly later.
Part of the NZH system was built to metre-gauge. In the 1920s the same "Budapester" interurbans were bought for use here (with narrower wheel-sets of course). It was envisioned that some of this track would be converted to standard gauge at a later date but the axe fell before this could occur. Because the terminus of one of these lines was at Spui in the centre of Amsterdam (where the streetcars use standard gauge) some three-rail track (combined standard/narrow gauge) existed there. Long after the demise of the NZH-interurbans the tree-rail track was still present in some streets with interesting pointwork where streets crossed.
HTM Personenvervoer
HTM Personenvervoer NV is a public transport company in the Netherlands operating trams, lightrail and buses in The Hague, Rijswijk, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Delft, Zoetermeer, Wateringen and Nootdorp, the so-called Conurbation Haaglanden...
, running from Scheveningen to Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
. NZH turned into a bus company and in 1999 was taken over by Connexxion
Connexxion
Connexxion is the largest public transport bus company in the Netherlands, operating in the west, middle, east and far northern part of the country. It was formed in 1999 as result of a fusion between the public transport companies NZH, ZWN, Midnet and Oostnet. Its name is a mutation of the French...
. However Connexxion also runs the light-rail line from Utrecht to Nieuwegein that was built around 1980 but has roots in the steam-tram era. In addition, until 2006 Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
ran two regional lines between The Hague and Rotterdam Hofplein/Zoetemeer as a train (heavy-rail) service, and these were then transformed into Randstadrail
RandstadRail
RandstadRail network in the southern part of the Randstad conurbation in the west of the Netherlands, connecting The Hague, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam, consists of a metro-like line between The Hague and Rotterdam and two light rail lines between The Hague and Zoetermeer...
, a concept similar to the old interurbans. Interestingly this "Hofplein-line" started early 20th century as a separate company (ZHESM) modelled after the American style interurbans (running fully electric multiple-unit trains right from the start) but was included into the nationalised rail system later on.
Belgium
The Belgian Vicinal tramwayVicinal tramway
The Tramways vicinaux or Buurtspoorwegen were a system of narrow gauge tramways or local railways in Belgium, which covered the whole country and had a greater route length than the mainline railway system...
system had many characteristics of the American interurban, although operating speeds and vehicle comfort were only comparable on a few of the more important services. The main surviving section is the Belgian Coast Tram, which has been in service since 1885. With 70 stations along its 68-kilometre line, connecting the cities and towns along the entire Belgian (West Flanders) coastline, it is the longest tram line in the world. Some other sections were absorbed into urban tramway systems, especially in Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
.
Czech Republic
Two interurban lines exist, both connected to city street car systems, the Liberec-JablonecTramway line between Liberec and Jablonec
The 12 km long tramway line between cities Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic is an intercity transportation system connecting these cities.-Overview:...
line and the Most-Litvinov line. The Liberec-Jablonec line is notable for being metre-gauge.
Germany
In Germany, Interurbans that fit the whole definition were uncommon. However, in many instances the definition is almost met.One of these cases are the many early secondary (connecting) railway lines that were built in the onset of the 20th century. Many of them were street-running in urban and suburban areas while using a dedicated right of way in less populated areas. Those lines were usually operated with mainline stock, however very few were electrified. Most of them have disappeared or were moved onto a fully dedicated right-of-way due to increasing street traffic and safety concerns. One of the few such railway lines still in service is the steam operated narrow-gauge Molli train between Bad Doberan
Bad Doberan
Bad Doberan is a town in the district of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It was the capital of the former district of Bad Doberan. As of 2010 its population was 11,325.-Geography:...
and Kühlungsborn
Kühlungsborn
Kühlungsborn is a Seebad town in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the Baltic Sea coast, 11 km northwest of Bad Doberan, and 25 km northwest of Rostock....
West on the shore of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern which is street-running inside Bad Doberan and has its own right-of-way on the rest of the line.
Another not uncommon case are interurban tramways. Germany has numerous areas where several larger cities are clustered together, and there were always places not served by mainline railway lines. Often urban tramways companies jumped at the opportunity and built over-land tramway lines, sometimes linking two existing tramway networks together. Those lines were run with standard tramway cars. The most extensive system was the originally German Silesian interurbans.
After World War II these Interurban tramways were modernised and now dubbed Stadtbahn
Stadtbahn
A ' is a tramway or light railway that includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the building of tunnels in the central city area....
. All of them are street-running in city areas and use a dedicated right-of-way between cities, and all of them are electrified. Rolling stock used is either standard tramcars or special heavier cars which still qualify for tramway use in street-running lines as regulated in BOStrab
BOStrab
The Verordnung über den Bau und Betrieb der Straßenbahnen is a German law governing regulations for tramway, metro and light rail operations....
. Generally, the Stadtbahn systems fit the definition of an interurban once their network leaves city boundaries. This is especially true for the ones which run both in the streets and on true railway (often S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
) tracks. This requires two power systems (German: Zweisystemstadtbahn): Both the common 600 V DC tram voltage, and the 15 kV AC used by German railways. On the railway tracks, they run at up to 114 km/h. Such Tram-train systems are constructed in cities like Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
and Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, later also in countries outside Germany like Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
One particularly large effort was the Stadtbahn Rhein-Ruhr, which was meant to grow to a length of 300 km (186.4 mi), spanning over 10 cities of the Ruhrgebiet industrial area, building upon already existing interurban and urban tramway lines. Although those plans were later abandoned due to exploding costs, 17 Stadtbahn lines between Krefeld
Krefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
in the west and Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
in the east were finished, and today one can travel from Krefeld to Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
without using a single mainline train. The only link missing is between Bochum and Dortmund.
Poland
In Poland interurban tram lines - in addition to the Silesian interurbans - exist in Łódź agglomeration. They were built before first world war and served OzorkówOzorków
Ozorków is a town in central Poland with 20,731 inhabitants , located on the Bzura River. It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , having previously been in Łódź Metro Voivodeship .- External links :* * *...
, Zgierz
Zgierz
Zgierz is a town in central Poland, located just to the north of Łódź and part of the metropolitan area centered on that city. As of 2007, it had a population of 58,164....
, Pabianice
Pabianice
Pabianice is a town in central Poland with 69 648 inhabitants . Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the capital of Pabianice County...
, Konstantynow
Konstantynów
Konstantynów Łódzki is a town in Pabianice County, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,569 inhabitants . It was incorporated in 1924, but originally founded in the 1820s by a landowner who had planned to build a textile industry there....
, Lutomiersk
Lutomiersk
Lutomiersk is a village in Pabianice County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Lutomiersk. It lies approximately north-west of Pabianice and west of the regional capital Łódź....
, Aleksandrów
Aleksandrów
Aleksandrów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Aleksandrów County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Aleksandrów Kujawski, town, the seat of Aleskandrów County*Aleksandrów Łódzki, town in Łódź Voivodeship...
and Tuszyn
Tuszyn
Tuszyn is a small town in Łódź East County, Łódź Voivodeship, central Poland, with 7,201 inhabitants .-External links:**...
. Today the first four of these are still active. The line to Ozorków is 38 km long, the second longest in the world after the Belgian coastal tram line.
Switzerland
Switzerland has a large number of interurban electric rail lines, usually narrow gauge. Some are operated by Swiss Federal Railways, but most are privately owned companies or are Canton (County) owned. Examples are the Bierre-Apples-Morges line that operates north from Morges on Lake Geneva, known as BAM locally. The Nyon-St Cergue-LeCure line operates north from Nyon on Lake Geneva and is known as NStCM. Nyon is just east of municipal Geneva. Interurbans operated by the City/District of Aigle go primarily to ski resorts: Aigle to Leysin; Aigle to Ollon - Monthey - Champéry; Aigle to Sépey - Les Diablerets - Bex - Villars - Bretaye. Aigle, population 8,100 people, is 13 km southeast of Montreux at the foot of the Alps.Isle of Man
The Manx Electric RailwayManx Electric Railway
The Manx Electric Railway is an electric inter-urban tramway connecting Douglas, Laxey and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. It connects with the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway at its southern terminus at Derby Castle at the northern end of the promenade in Douglas, and with the Snaefell Mountain Railway at...
survives after over 100 years of service using mainly original equipment. It links Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
with Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
. The Snaefell Mountain Railway
Snaefell Mountain Railway
The Snaefell Mountain Railway is an electric mountain railway on the Isle of Man in Europe. It joins the town of Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, at above sea level the highest point on the island. It connects with the Manx Electric Railway in Laxey. The line is long, built to gauge and...
links the M.E.R with the summit of Snaefell
Snaefell
Snaefell is the highest mountain and the only summit higher than on the Isle of Man, at above sea level. The summit is crowned by a train station, cafe, and several communications masts.- Views :...
the highest point on the island.
Influence of the United States
In Japan, no clear distinction of the interurban from the ordinal heavy rail has been settled, but most of the major private railway companies, which now play important role in public transportation, had been influenced greatly by the systems of U.S. interurbans, such as motors and controllers of General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, Westinghouse Electric
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
, air brakes of Westinghouse Air Brake Company
Westinghouse Air Brake Company
The railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
, trucks of J. G. Brill Company and Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
, just to name some.
Pioneers
The first interurban in Japan was the Hanshin Electric RailwayHanshin Electric Railway
is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.The second character for Osaka and the first character for Kobe combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.IC cards are accepted when...
's main line, which opened in 1905 between Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. In the Greater Tokyo area in the same year, the present Keihin Electric Express Railway
Keihin Electric Express Railway
, also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. means the Tokyo - Yokohama area. The company's railway...
(Keikyū) extended its main line to the station of Kanagawa in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, to connect Tokyo. The followers of this earlier period were Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Electric Railway
is a Japanese railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. It is known as , or .-History:Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River...
's main line between Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
and Osaka in 1910, Nagoya Electric Railway (present Nagoya Railroad
Nagoya Railroad
, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...
) in Nagoya to surrounding towns such as Inuyama
Inuyama, Aichi
is a city located near Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.In 2010, the city had a population of 75,449 and a population density of 1,010 persons per km². The total area is 74.97 km². The city lies along the edge of Aichi Prefecture, separated from neighbouring Gifu Prefecture by the Kiso River...
(present Inuyama Line
Meitetsu Inuyama Line
The is a Japanese railway line operated by Nagoya Railroad that runs from the Biwajima Junction in Kiyosu, Aichi to Shin-Unuma Station in Kakamigahara, Gifu.- Stations :● ● ● ● ● ● ●...
) and Tsushima
Tsushima, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 66,448, with a household number of 25,398, and the density of 2,649.44 persons per km². The total area is 25.08 km²....
(Tsushima Line
Meitetsu Tsushima Line
The is a Japanese railway line which connects Sukaguchi Station in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture with Tsushima Station in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture. It is owned and run by Nagoya Railroad .-Station list:Local trains stop at all stations....
). The latter had operated through to the center of Nagoya via streetcar tracks, though the former had planned so in Osaka but the administrating authority refused permission.
Second generation
The second boom of Japanese interurbans occurred in the 1920s and 1930s, unlike the counterparts in the US that declined during that period. The difference between the two countries is the extent of motorization; in Japan, private automobiles remained uncommon until the 1960s. The operators of this generation built their exclusive tracks with heavier rail (e.g. 100 lb. per yard) and fewer curves, and they rarely laid tracks on roads.In Kansai region, mostly from Osaka:
- Kobe Line of Hanshin Kyūkō Railway (present Hankyu Corporation)
- competing Hanshin's Main Line in the same region
- Kobe - Himeji Electric Railway
- western half of the main line of present Sanyo Electric RailwaySanyo Electric RailwaySanyo Electric Railway Co., Ltd. is a Japanese private railway in western Hyōgo Prefecture...
connecting Akashi and Himeji
- western half of the main line of present Sanyo Electric Railway
- Shin-Keihan Railway
- concurrent to Keihan, later transferred to Hankyū
- Hanwa Electric Railway
- later merged to the governmental network under wartime condition, presently Hanwa LineHanwa LineThe is one of commuter rail lines and services in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company. The line runs between Osaka and Wakayama, Japan and has a 1.7-kilometre branchline in Osaka suburb....
- later merged to the governmental network under wartime condition, presently Hanwa Line
- Osaka Electric Tramway's main line (present KintetsuKintetsu, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
)- for NaraNara, Narais the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
- for Nara
- Nara Electric Railway's line (presently Kintetsu)
- Kyoto and Nara
- Sangū Kyūkō Electric Railway
- Together with Osaka Electric Tramway line, from Osaka to Ise, exceeding 100 km in distance
In Tokyo:
- Tōbu Railway' Nikkō Line
- preceding main line Isesaki Line applied steam traction, but a long branch to Nikkō was built electrified, more than 100 km from terminus AsakusaAsakusais a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.- History :...
in Tokyo on the main line.
- preceding main line Isesaki Line applied steam traction, but a long branch to Nikkō was built electrified, more than 100 km from terminus Asakusa
- Odawara Express Railway's main line (present Odakyu)
- to OdawaraOdawara, Kanagawais a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
- to Odawara
- Tokyo Yokohama Electric Railway's Tōyoko Line (present Tokyu Corporation)
- to YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
- to Yokohama
- Keisei Electric RailwayKeisei Electric RailwayThe is a major private railway in Chiba and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of the kanji 京 from and 成 from , which the railways main line connects. The combination uses different readings than the ones used in the city names. The railway's main line runs from Tokyo to Narita and...
's main line- to NaritaNarita, Chibais a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the site of Narita International Airport, the main international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area....
- to Narita
In other regions
- Aichi Electric Railway's main line (eastern half of present Nagoya RailroadNagoya Railroad, often abbreviated as , is a railroad company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan.Some of the more famous trains operated by Nagoya Railroad include the Panorama Car and the Panorama Car Super, both of which offer views through their wide front windows...
's Nagoya Main Line)- Nagoya to ToyohashiToyohashi, Aichiis a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...
- Nagoya to Toyohashi
- Kyūshū Railway (2nd) (present Tenjin Ōmuta LineTenjin Omuta LineThe is a heavy rail line in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan, being the main line of a Japanese private railway company Nishi-Nippon Railroad . The line is from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, stretching south to Ōmuta Station in Ōmuta...
(Nishitetsu)- FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuokais the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
to Ōmuta
- Fukuoka
Development
During the Japanese post-war economic miracleJapanese post-war economic miracle
The Japanese post-war economic miracle is the name given to the historical phenomenon of Japan's record period of economic growth following World War II, spurred mainly by Japanese economic policy, in particular through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry...
(1955–1975), rapid urbanizations increased the traffic and required the capacity expansion. Descendants of interurbans responded by:
- Extending the length of platforms to accommodate longer trains.
- Acquiring higher capacity, metro-like trains.
- Operating Trains at smaller headways.
- Interoperating with subway lines.
- doubling, tripling, or quadrupling their tracks.
- grade separating their lines.
Nowadays, most notability in and around Tokyo and Osaka, companies such as Keikyū, Tōbu, Odakyū, and Hankyu operate trains of 200 m length and tend to resemble Commuter rail.
See also
- Box motorBox motorA box motor, in railroad terminology, is a self-propelled boxcar, normally powered by electricity and running on an interurban railway or a streetcar line. Many box motors were converted from passenger cars on the systems that ran them, with the seats and most of the windows removed and large...
, an interurban specifically built for freight transport. Purchased from a builder, but often a former interurban coach rebuilt and regeared in company shops. - BoxcabBoxcabA boxcab, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive in which the machinery and crew areas are enclosed in a box-like superstructure . It is a term mostly used in North America while in Victoria , such locomotives have been nicknamed "butterboxes"...
, another style of electric locomotive - Interurban streetcars in Southern New EnglandInterurban streetcars in Southern New EnglandSouthern New England at one time had a large network of interurban streetcar lines. It was possible to go from New York City to Boston completely using these lines, with a choice of route...
- Light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, light railway transportation in general, as opposed to "heavy" freight or standard modern passenger trains. Usually means recently built lines. - List of interurbans
- Railway electrification
- Rapid transitRapid transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
- SteeplecabSteeplecabIn railroad terminology, a steeplecab is a style or design of electric locomotive; the term is rarely if ever used for other forms of power...
, a style of electric locomotiveElectric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
popular on interurban lines for freight service. Built by General Electric, competitor Baldwin-Westinghouse, or by the interurban's own shops. See Illinois Terminal for unique homebuilds. - Streetcar suburbStreetcar suburbA streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
- TramTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
(also called streetcar or trolley)