Rail-Based Public Transport

Rail-based public transport, usually simply referred to as Railways, are the third most prevalent mode of transportation (Behind Roads and Air transport.) Railways are more expensive than roads but cheaper than airports. Despite this, High-speed rail is, in many cases, the fastest way to get around a nation, and can even rival air travel internationally if the rail networks are inter-operable. This page will explain the benefits and drawbacks of each mode of rail-based public transit in the style of the Road Networks page created by ImmAdam.

## Rail types and function

There are two types of rail network: **Light rail** and **Heavy rail.** All train lines have gravel as a bed.

### Light rail

Light train lines, also referred to as stock trains, are train tracks that use exclusively vanilla tracks. These are much slower than planes and comparable to cars. These can be single-track or doubled, and are usually used as light rail/metro in Cities or in very remote areas.

### Heavy Rail

Heavy rail lines, also referred to as modded trains, are train tracks that make use of the modded rails found in the **Better Rails** mod. These are almost as fast as planes and much faster than cars, meaning that they are the premier method of transport for virtually all trips under 3000 blocks, providing the network exists. They are usually double tracked.

## Modes of Rail-Based Transportation

There are five types of Rail-Based Transportation: **High Speed Rail, Regional Rail, Light Rail, Metro and Trams.**

**High Speed Rail** is a type of heavy rail using virtually exclusively modded tracks. HSR is mainly for getting around within a nation, however it can cover international routes if there is significant cooperation. This type of rail connection features large sections of tunnels and viaducts to maintain the highest speed possible. They usually stop at few stations, travel long distances and feature few corners. They also usually feature more elaborate tunnels than other networks, along with requiring lighting and clearance either side of the rail tracks. They are typically not seen in cities but are present, just simply underground. Double tracks are mandatory.

**Regional Rail** is a type of heavy rail also using almost exclusively modded tracks. These tracks feature fewer tunnels and viaducts than High Speed trains as speed is less important. They are designed to provide the widest network of connectivity so that everyone can access the rail network. Lighting is not required and tunnels may be more simple. Doubling the track is optional.

**Light rail** is a type of light rail commonly found in urban areas and very rural locations. The purpose of these lines are to travel around a city or travel to the city from nearby. Tunnels may be bare and single-track lines are common. They use exclusively vanilla rails, resulting in lower speeds but also higher safety levels and lower amounts of noise pollution in an urban area.

**Metros** are a type of light rail also usually using vanilla rails, serving a similar purpose as light rail, but simply being underground. These tunnels can feature anything from bare rock to a nice interior with proper lighting. Speed is obviously not of the essence so corners are common but height changes do not exist, a significant advantage over light rail, alongside Metro networks taking up next to no space.

**Trams** are the least common form of light rail, solving the problem of space in a very different way to the metros. Trams are lines with their tracks mostly or wholly on the existing road network of a city. This means that tram networks vary significantly based on what roads they are built upon. They are usually approximately similar in speed to Metros and Light Rail but can suffer against cars, as they are forced to take the same route as them, causing issues when there is an incline or complex intersection. The purpose of Trams is exclusively to get around a city.