100 miles of light rail vs. 50 miles of heavy rail
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LOL No, they don't, but you can think of two that do. You just proved my point. But thank you, I would have had a hard time coming up with those.
There are a lot more commuter rail systems that use overhead wires, but I'm not going to take the time to come up with a list. But it appears that most of the Northeast systems use both overhead and third rails.
The point is that heavy rail, including commuter rail can use either overhead or third rail. Light rail uses overhead only.
In American terminology "heavy rail" refers to rapid transit metro systems like the NYC Subway, WMATA Metro, Chicago "L", etc. Commuter rail is a separate category and is not considered heavy rail.
Heavy Rail is a mode of transit service (also called metro, subway, rapid transit, or rapid rail) operating on an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic. It is characterized by high speed and rapid acceleration passenger rail cars operating singly or in multi-car trains on fixed rails; separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded; sophisticated signaling, and high platform loading.
Well said. Stations in freeway medians tend to be unpleasant as far as pedestrian access goes, but some are quite a bit worse than others. Here's one of the better ones: the Vienna station on the Washington Orange Line. Plopped right in the middle of I-66, but the station is mostly enclosed and the entrance walkways are fully enclosed and go over the highway, providing a nice view of the cars whizzing by (or stalled in bumper to bumper traffic) down below.
Now, here's an example of how NOT to do it. This is the entrance to the Spring Garden station on the Market-Frankford Line in Philadelphia. The station sits in the median of I-95. Here's what a lucky rider gets to experience when they board or alight at this station:
LOL No, they don't, but you can think of two that do. You just proved my point. But thank you, I would have had a hard time coming up with those.
There are a lot more commuter rail systems that use overhead wires, but I'm not going to take the time to come up with a list. But it appears that most of the Northeast systems use both overhead and third rails.
The point is that heavy rail, including commuter rail can use either overhead or third rail. Light rail uses overhead only.
Your statement was that most heavy rail systems run off overhead catenary. Two lines out of somewhere around 40 in 11 U.S. cities doesn't fit my definition of "most."
Most commuter rail systems don't run on catenary in this country either, for the only part of the country where electrified catenary is common is in the Northeast, in particular the former PRR electrified territory.
Philadelphia's is the only regional rail network that runs on catenary exclusively. New York has some lines that do, mainly two ex-PRR lines that feed Penn Station from North Jersey, the Metro-North New Haven Line and the ex-Lackawanna routes out of Hoboken, but the rest is either third rail or diesel.
Aside from the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend, the Metra Electrics and the MARC Penn Line, what other regional rail lines in the US run off overhead catenary?
Yes, these rail lines can operate off catenary. Most, however, do not, whereas all but a few light rail lines do (there are a handful of DMU (diesel multiple-unit) light rail lines in the US; the only one that comes to my mind right now is the New Jersey Transit River Line from Trenton to Camden).
Now, here's an example of how NOT to do it. This is the entrance to the Spring Garden station on the Market-Frankford Line in Philadelphia. The station sits in the median of I-95. Here's what a lucky rider gets to experience when they board or alight at this station:
Agree with your general assessment, but that splotch of white light on the right-hand wall of the underpass is the exit. If you look over on the left-hand wall in that view, you will find the entrance, recently redone with a metal leaf-pattern surround with the station name in backlit letters.
This is a definite improvement in wayfinding, for the entrance was originally a blink-and-you'll-miss-it hole in the underpass wall too.
Worse still, the platform is very narrow where the entrance facilities are located.
Agree with your general assessment, but that splotch of white light on the right-hand wall of the underpass is the exit. If you look over on the left-hand wall in that view, you will find the entrance, recently redone with a metal leaf-pattern surround with the station name in backlit letters.
This is a definite improvement in wayfinding, for the entrance was originally a blink-and-you'll-miss-it hole in the underpass wall too.
Worse still, the platform is very narrow where the entrance facilities are located.
The lights and the colorful signage is akin to putting lipstick on a pig. This is NOT a criticism of SEPTA's efforts to dress up the entrance. To the contrary, I think they've done about as good a job as anyone could do, given what they had to work with. But this doesn't change the "fact" (OK, it's an opinion) that the Spring Garden station, despite its mellifluous name, is about the least pleasant stop in the Philadelphia heavy-rail system. Well, except for on a nice sunny spring day when the temperatures are just right, and the breeze coming off the Delaware River is soothing, instead of bone-chilling like it is in the winter.
OK, maybe I'm being too harsh. Spring Garden does offer the best view of the Center City skyline, and the best view of the Ben Franklin Bridge, of any rapid-transit station in the SEPTA system. But the traffic noise, and the dismal underpass you have to walk through to access the station, albeit dressed up a bit with the colorful lights . . . .it's just bleh.
Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
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Heavy Rail: Local & Interstate. I like the Cascades Trains (consortium of Oregon, Washington, BC) from Eugene OR-Vancouver BC, passenger rail & bus. The train is comfortable, business class and standard, leather seats, leg-room, club/bistrol cars. Clients are limited to if they can pay the fare and with no urgency. Monitored. Distinations can be strung together. Bad-Frequency.
Light rail, is tolerable (Seattle LINK, Portland MAX). Extensive or building out. Relatively fast. Cheap. Hard seats. Little if any monitoring.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Street level Light Rail is very disruptive to commerce and traffic, and very dangerous to pedestrians, bikes, wheelchairs and vehicles (including fire trucks that get run over by Light rail)
Grade segregated LR can be fast and reliable and efficient at moving high passenger loads between fewer stops (With feeder buses between stations).
Vancouver BC and Singapore have been my most pleasant and efficient LR configurations. (Marta is often OK too)
Many European cities have efficient systems (that usually run on time).
Portland MAX (street level) is very S-L-O-W and dangerous. Can usually drive the route much faster and safer. The 'dedicated' right-of-way sections of MAX are much faster. (and safer).
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LOL No, they don't, but you can think of two that do. You just proved my point. But thank you, I would have had a hard time coming up with those.
