Véhicule Automatique LégerVéhicule Automatique Léger (lit.'automatic light vehicle') or VAL is a type of driverless (automated), rubber-tyred, light metro (people mover). The technology was developed at the Lille University of Science and Technology, was marketed by Matra, and first used in the early 1980s for the Lille Metro system, one of the world's first fully automated mass-transit rail networks, preceded only by the Port Island Line in Kobe, Japan.
Light railForm of passenger urban rail transitGallery of light rail systems worldwide, from top left to bottom right: the Los Angeles Metro E Line, the Granada Metro, the Tunis Metro, the Rio de Janeiro Light Rail, the MTR Light Rail in Hong Kong, and Tvärbanan in StockholmLight rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology, while having the capability to operate rolling stock on exclusive right of ways, on grade-separated section as well as in mixed traffic conditions.
Rapid transitHigh-capacity public transportA Seoul Metro Class 2000 series 10-car EMU set 2x09 leaving Hanyang University StationA R211A train at 80th Street station of the New York City SubwayA test train of London Underground2024 Stock at Turnham Green on the Piccadilly lineA Sydney Metro Metropolis Stock approaching Kellyville.A Paris MetroMP 14 train at Châtelet on Line 14A S Train on the South Island Line on the Hong Kong MTR approaching Ocean ParkRapid transit, mass rapid transit (MRT) or rail rapid transit (RRT) and commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas.
Automatic train operationAutomatic train operation (ATO) is a method of operating trainsautomatically where the driver is not required or is required for supervision at most. Alternatively, ATO can be defined as a subsystem within the automatic train control, which performs any or all of functions like programmed stopping, speed adjusting, door operation, and similar otherwise assigned to the train operator.
Train stationA train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such ancillary services as ticket sales, waiting rooms, and baggage/freight service. Stations on a single-track line often have a passing loop to accommodate trains traveling in the opposite direction.
Rail transportMode of transportA train in Alaska transporting crude oil in March 2006Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a mode of transport using wheeled vehicles running on tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road transport. It is used for about 8% of passenger and freight transport globally, thanks to its energy efficiency and potentially high speed.RidershipIn public transportation, ridership refers to the number of people using a transit service. It is often summed or otherwise aggregated over some period of time for a given service or set of services and used as a benchmark of success or usefulness. Common statistics include the number of people served by an entire transit system in a year and the number of people served each day by a single transit line.
AirportAn airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such as a runway for a plane to take off and to land or a helipad, and often includes adjacent utility buildings such as control towers, hangars and terminals, to maintain and monitor aircraft.
Grade separationIn civil engineering (and more specifically, highway or railway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a mixture of roads, footpaths, railways, canals, or airport runways.
Right of wayLegal authority to use a specific route Right of way drawing of U.S. Route 25E for widening project, 1981 Right of way highway marker in Athens, Georgia Julington-Durbin Peninsula power line right of way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so.
Branch lineA branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located on a main line. Branch lines may also connect two or more main lines.
Single-line workingIn railway operations, single-line working refers to the practice where, when one line out of the two lines is blocked, trains are able to use the other in either direction. This is usually when a line is out of use for maintenance, or because of damage, obstruction or train failure.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.