Light rail, low floor vehicles, electric or diesel
are replacing little-used rail lines for rural and commuter traffic,
offering advantages of lower capital and operational costs.
 This Bombardier diesel unit is typical of those now being supplied to German regional railways. Schwerin, 1999, photo Colin Brocock, Tramways & Urban Transit Magazine. |
 This stylish French Alstom-built unit is typical of revitalized rural lines, here in service between Houlgate and Cabourg, Normandy. Photo author 2005. |
 Disused rail line from Holzau to Freiberg, Saxony, revived with this Reggio Sprinter. The service is well used and claims to earn a profit. |
 Reggio Sprinter - inside view. Photos: author 2002. |
 Light rail replaces uneconomic heavy rail in Chemnitz, Germany. |
 China is developing its own light rail vehicles, as this stylish home-grown product from Dalian shows. |