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Why can't light rail use the same rollingstock and tracks as heavy rail? (aussie.zone)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/fuckcars@lemmy.world
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i've always wondered this

lightrail, streetcars, trams. Why must they be built to be incompatible with heavy rail? why can't heavy rail be built with a bunch of level crossings, street level stations, slow speeds, and function exactly the same as light rail?

if compatible, the rail could act heavy at designated tracks and light at others, removing what would otherwise be an interchange. it would also allow the light rail to have a higher top speed at express areas.

what am i missing?

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[–] 5 points 11 months ago (1 child)

Tram-trains are a thing that exists in various places in the world, so it isn't impossible.

But heavy rail usually has higher platforms, bigger trains, wider wheels than light rail. So there are some challenges, such as:

  • Even tram tracks are a tripping hazard e.g. for bicycles; heavy rail tracks an even bigger one, and what you want means you need heavy rail tracks in all roads where the system goes, making them dangerous to cyclists.
  • Platform heights might be around five times (or even more) higher on heavy rail than in the streets, so you need a solution to make them compatible, all solutions are either expensive or unusable for wheelchairs.
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