Stadtbahn

Stadtbahn (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtatˌbaːn] ⓘ; German for 'city railway'; plural Stadtbahnen) is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that could be used independently from other traffic.

This article is about the type of light rail system. For suburban metro rail systems, see S-Bahn. For the railway line through Berlin, see Berlin Stadtbahn. For the railway line through Vienna, see Vienna Stadtbahn.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Stadtbahn networks were created again but now by upgrading tramways or light railways. This process includes adding segments built to rapid transit standards –usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway– mainly by the building of metro-grade tunnels in the central city area. In the first years after the opening of the tunnel sections, often regular trams vehicles (but adapted for tunnel service) were used. These trams were followed by specially designed vehicles like the Stadtbahn B series. By the 1980s virtually all cities had abandoned the long-term goal of establishing a full-scale metro system due to the excessive costs associated with converting the tramways. Most Stadtbahn systems are now a mixture of tramway-like operations in suburban and peripheral areas and a more metro-like mode of operation in city centres, with underground stations. This 20th century Stadtbahn concept eventually spread from Germany to other European countries, where it became known as pre-metro.

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