Is a tram the same as light rail?

Difference between trams and light rail Light rail is a relatively modern term, and can be applied to quite a broad spectrum of systems. Virtually every tram systems can be considered as light rail, but only those light rail systems which feature street running can be called trams.

How do trams change lines?

Next time you hop on a tram, check to see that the driver flicks a knob on the dash. That would be the mechanism for changing the points. When the switch is activated a small electrical circuit in the track picks up the change and resets the points accordingly.

Is a tram and train the same thing?

Although trams are also rail-based modes of transport, trams are designed to travel shorter distances on public city and urban streets, sharing the road with other vehicles. Trains consist of a series of vehicles or coaches which are coupled together and drawn by a locomotive.

What does trams stand for?

TRAMS

How are trams controlled?

The operation of trams is relatively simple. As trams run on rails, they do not require steering controls. Thus trams have no need for controls to operate their gears. Most of the important controls on a tram are actually electrical switches.

How do tram lines work?

Today, most trams use electrical power, usually fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line; older systems may use a trolley pole or a bow collector. Some trams, known as tram-trains, may have segments that run on mainline railway tracks, similar to interurban systems.

Why there is no gap in tram line?

The gaps left between successive rails on a railway track, the reason is that the rails expand in summer. The gap is provided to allow for this expansion. If no gap is left, the expansion in summer will cause the rails to bend sideways. That will result in train accidents.