Regional rail

Clockwise from top left:

• A Northern TrainsClass 156 at Dewsbury station, England
• A V/LineVLocity at Sunshine station, Australia
• An Ferrovie del Sud EstPesa Atribo at Martina Franca station, Italy
• A Deutsche Bahn DBpzfa double-decker carriage at Falkenberg (Elster) station, Germany
• An Indian RailwaysWAG-5P arrives at Odela station, India
• A West Japan Railway521-100 series passing between Nose and Unoke, Japan

Regional rail is a publicrail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connecting smaller cities and towns.

In North America, "regional rail" is often used as a synonym for "commuter rail",^[1][2] while in other places "commuter rail" refers to systems that primarily or only offer service during rush hour while "regional rail" refers to systems that offer all-day service. In Europe, regional trains have their own category, often abbreviated to R (RB in Germany) or L (for local train).

Regional rail provides services that link settlements to one another, unlike commuter rail, which links locations within a single urban area. Unlike inter-city services, regional trains stop at more stations and serve smaller communities. They may share routes with inter-city services, providing service to settlements that inter-city trains skip, or be the sole service on routes not busy enough to justify inter-city service.

Regional rail services are much less likely to be profitable than inter-city, so they often require government funding. This is mainly because many passengers use monthly passes, which lowers the price per ride, and the lower average speed results in less distance traveled, meaning less ticket revenue per hour of operation. Subsidies are justified on social or environmental grounds, and also because regional rail services often act as feeders for more profitable inter-city lines.

بعض الخدمات تقع في مكان ما بين الخدمات الإقليمية والخدمات بين المدن، مثل قطار أوريسند (بين كوبنهاغن وثلاث مدن في السويد، وكلها تبعد أكثر من 3 ساعات)، مع نمط توقف مثل القطار الإقليمي وأسعار تذاكر تجذب الركاب العاملين.

تصف هذه القائمة المصطلحات المستخدمة للسكك الحديدية الإقليمية في مختلف البلدان، كما هو موضح أعلاه.

• قطار الركاب
• إليكتريتشكا
• مصطلحات سكك حديد الركاب
• فئات القطارات في أوروبا