A heavy rail system is an electric railway with the capacity to handle a heavy volume of traffic. The term is often used to distinguish it from light rail systems, which usually handle a smaller volume of passengers.
In Britain, heavy rail refers to regional rail, international rail (Eurostar) and intercity rail services as distinct from other rapid transit or light rail modes, such as when referring to National Rail services in London.
In North America, heavy rail can also refer to rapid transit, when referring to systems with heavier passenger loadings than light rail systems, but distinct from commuter rail and intercity rail systems. It is characterized by high-speed, passenger rail cars running in separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded.
Read more about this topic: Passenger Rail Terminology
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