scope:

Scope of urban rail

Urban rail systems cover Urban Guided Transport systems (UGT) and might include other rail systems excluded from the scope of the Interoperability Directive 2008/57/EC (Article 1.3 (a) and (b))1.

Urban Guided Transport systems (UGT), which cover metro, tram and light rail, are defined as public transport systems permanently guided at least by one rail, intended for the operation of local, urban and suburban passenger services with self-propelled vehicles and operated either segregated or not from general road and pedestrian traffic.

Categories of urban rail systems include:

- (I) Metros: UGT systems operated on their own right of way and segregated from general road and pedestrian traffic. They are consequently designed for operations in tunnel, viaducts or on surface level but with physical separation in such a way that inadvertent access is not possible. In different parts of the world, Metro systems are also known as the underground, the subway or the tube. Rail systems with specific construction issues operating on a segregated guideway (e.g. monorail, rack railways) are also treated as Metros as long as they are designated as part of the urban public transport network.

- (II) Trams: UGT systems not segregated from general road and pedestrian traffic, which share their right of way with general road and/or pedestrian traffic and are therefore embedded in their relevant national road traffic legislation (highway codes and specific adaptations).

- (III) Light Rail: Light Rail is defined as a UGT system operated in parts of the system not segregated from general road and pedestrian traffic, and in parts of the system with segregated right-of-way. The segregation may include some sections of line where inadvertent access is not possible.

- (IV) Local rail systems which by national decision complying with Article 1 (3) a) or b) of Directive 2008/57/EC may be excluded from the European Community Rail System.

NOTE Such systems connect city centres with their suburban hinterland or regional local centres. Such systems are operated on rights of way which are basically segregated from general road and/or pedestrian traffic and/or which can be declared by law as independent from the public environment even if they are not segregated by location, form of construction or appropriate measures. For historical reasons they might be strongly influenced by conventional railway parameters and their operations procedures.