Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Regional Rail shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Regional Rail offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Regional Rail at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Regional Rail? Wrong! If the Regional Rail is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Regional Rail then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Regional Rail? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Regional Rail and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Regional Rail wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Regional Rail then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Regional Rail site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Regional Rail, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Regional Rail, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
For a treatment specific to North America, see Commuter rail in North America.
commuter train stands at a platform in
Melbourne, Australia.
Regional rail or
commuter rail usually provide rail transport between
central business districts and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. The trains providing such services may be termed
commuter trains. The development of commuter rail services has become popular today, with the increased public awareness of congestion, dependence on fossil fuels, and other environmental issues, as well as the rising costs of owning, operating and
parking automobiles.
Characteristics
Commuter trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and
luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. The general range of commuter trains varies between 15 and 180 km (9 and 111 miles), with operating speeds from 55 to 175 km/h (30 to 110 mph). Passenger coaches are either single- or double-level, with a capacity of 80 - 110 passengers for single-level cars and 145 - 170 for double-level cars.
Defining aspects
departing from a station platform in Russia train at
Central Railway Station, SydneyIn general, commuter trains are built to
heavy rail standards, differing from light rail or
rapid transit systems by:
- being larger;
- having (in most cases) a lower frequency of service;
- having scheduled services (i.e. trains run at specific hours rather than at specific intervals);
- serving lower-density areas, typically by connecting suburbs to the city centre;
- sharing track or Right-of-way (railroad) with intercity or freight trains
Their ability to coexist with freight or intercity services in the same Right-of-way (railroad) can drastically reduce system construction costs. However, frequently they are built with dedicated tracks within that right-of-way to prevent delays.
Generally such trains run on the List of Rail Gauges track. Light rail systems may run on a narrower gauge. Examples of Narrow gauge railway systems are found in
Japan,
Switzerland and
India, and in the
Brisbane (Citytrain) and Perth, Western Australia (Transperth) systems in
Australia.
In some cases, hybrids between a train and a
metro have been created. They run underground in the dense city centres and on ordinary outdoor tracks in lower-density areas. Examples include the
Madrid Cercanías network, the
Dublin Area Rapid Transit, the Paris RER, lines 6-8 of the Barcelona Metro, the S-Bahn systems of Berlin S-Bahn, Munich S-Bahn, Vienna and Zürich, the
Naples Narrow gauge railway Circumvesuviana, the suburban railway (
HÉV) in
Budapest, the
San Francisco Bay Area BART,
Valparaíso Metro and the rail systems of Sydney (
CityRail) and
Melbourne. In
Hong Kong,
East Rail provides a metro-like service in terms of capacity of its cars (over 300 each), more standees and few seats, and high frequencies, except sharing some of its track with inter-city service.
In some European countries the distinction between commuter trains and long-distance / intercity trains is very hard to make, because of the relatively short distances involved. For example, so called "Inter-city rail" trains in
Belgium and the Netherlands carry many commuters and their equipment, range and speeds are similar to those of commuter trains in some larger countries.
In the United States and Canada, regional passenger rail service is performed by commuter railroads, which are usually governmental or quasi-governmental agencies.
electric multiple unit at a station in suburban
Malaysia.
Train types
Commuter rail trains are usually composed of multiple units, which are self-propelled, bidirectional, articulated passenger rail cars with driving motors on each (or every other) bogie. Depending on local circumstances and tradition they may be powered either by
diesel engines located below the passenger compartment (diesel multiple units) or by electricity picked up from
third rails or
overhead lines (
electric multiple units). Multiple units are almost invariably equipped with control cabs at both ends, which is why such units are so frequently used to provide commuter services, due to the associated short turn-around time.
Push-pull train locomotive commuter train approaches a platform. Locomotive hauled services are used in some countries or locations. This is often a case of Business operations, by using a single large combined fleet for intercity and regional services. Loco hauled services are usually run in
Push-pull train formation, that is, the train can run with the locomotive at the "front" or "rear" of the train (pushing or pulling). Trains are often equipped with a "driving van trailer" (DVT), a control cab at the other end of the train from the locomotive, allowing the train driver to operate the train from either end. The motive power for locomotive-hauled commuter trains may be either electric or Diesel-electric, although some countries, such as Germany and some of the former Soviet-bloc countries, also use diesel-hydraulic locomotives.
Seat plans
In the U.S. and other countries, a three-and-two seat plan is also used. However, most passengers prefer not to use the middle seat if all other seats are taken. Therefore, people may stand in the passageway rather than taking the middle seat. It is said one industrial designer for
Transportation in New York City commuter rail,
Metro-North Railroad, told people: "I designed the aisle seat with a half-back and no upholstery, so it will be very uncomfortable to sit there. They'll move in and take the center seat!"
See also
External links
- Commuter Rail & Transit News Current news concerning commuter rail development and issues
- TimeTable Mobile Open-source train schedule/timetable for PDA and handheld devices
For a treatment specific to North America, see Commuter rail in North America.
commuter train stands at a platform in
Melbourne,
Australia.
Regional rail or
commuter rail usually provide rail transport between central business districts and
commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. The
trains providing such services may be termed
commuter trains. The development of commuter rail services has become popular today, with the increased public awareness of congestion, dependence on fossil fuels, and other environmental issues, as well as the rising costs of owning, operating and parking automobiles.
Characteristics
Commuter trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and
luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. The general range of commuter trains varies between 15 and 180 km (9 and 111 miles), with operating speeds from 55 to 175 km/h (30 to 110 mph). Passenger coaches are either single- or
double-level, with a capacity of 80 - 110 passengers for single-level cars and 145 - 170 for double-level cars.
Defining aspects
departing from a station platform in Russia train at Central Railway Station, SydneyIn general, commuter trains are built to
heavy rail standards, differing from
light rail or
rapid transit systems by:
- being larger;
- having (in most cases) a lower frequency of service;
- having scheduled services (i.e. trains run at specific hours rather than at specific intervals);
- serving lower-density areas, typically by connecting suburbs to the city centre;
- sharing track or Right-of-way (railroad) with intercity or freight trains
Their ability to coexist with freight or intercity services in the same
Right-of-way (railroad) can drastically reduce system construction costs. However, frequently they are built with dedicated tracks within that right-of-way to prevent delays.
Generally such trains run on the
List of Rail Gauges track. Light rail systems may run on a narrower gauge. Examples of
Narrow gauge railway systems are found in
Japan, Switzerland and
India, and in the Brisbane (Citytrain) and Perth, Western Australia (
Transperth) systems in Australia.
In some cases, hybrids between a train and a metro have been created. They run underground in the dense city centres and on ordinary outdoor tracks in lower-density areas. Examples include the Madrid Cercanías network, the Dublin Area Rapid Transit, the Paris
RER, lines 6-8 of the Barcelona Metro, the
S-Bahn systems of Berlin S-Bahn, Munich S-Bahn,
Vienna and
Zürich, the
Naples Narrow gauge railway Circumvesuviana, the suburban railway (HÉV) in Budapest, the San Francisco Bay Area
BART,
Valparaíso Metro and the rail systems of Sydney (CityRail) and
Melbourne. In Hong Kong, East Rail provides a metro-like service in terms of capacity of its cars (over 300 each), more standees and few seats, and high frequencies, except sharing some of its track with inter-city service.
In some European countries the distinction between commuter trains and long-distance / intercity trains is very hard to make, because of the relatively short distances involved. For example, so called "Inter-city rail" trains in
Belgium and
the Netherlands carry many commuters and their equipment, range and speeds are similar to those of commuter trains in some larger countries.
In the United States and Canada, regional passenger rail service is performed by commuter railroads, which are usually governmental or quasi-governmental agencies.
electric multiple unit at a station in suburban Malaysia.
Train types
Commuter rail trains are usually composed of
multiple units, which are self-propelled, bidirectional, articulated passenger rail cars with driving motors on each (or every other) bogie. Depending on local circumstances and tradition they may be powered either by diesel engines located below the passenger compartment (
diesel multiple units) or by electricity picked up from
third rails or overhead lines (
electric multiple units). Multiple units are almost invariably equipped with control cabs at both ends, which is why such units are so frequently used to provide commuter services, due to the associated short turn-around time.
Push-pull train locomotive commuter train approaches a platform. Locomotive hauled services are used in some countries or locations. This is often a case of Business operations, by using a single large combined fleet for intercity and regional services. Loco hauled services are usually run in
Push-pull train formation, that is, the train can run with the locomotive at the "front" or "rear" of the train (pushing or pulling). Trains are often equipped with a "driving van trailer" (DVT), a control cab at the other end of the train from the locomotive, allowing the train driver to operate the train from either end. The motive power for locomotive-hauled commuter trains may be either electric or
Diesel-electric, although some countries, such as Germany and some of the former Soviet-bloc countries, also use diesel-hydraulic locomotives.
Seat plans
In the U.S. and other countries, a three-and-two seat plan is also used. However, most passengers prefer not to use the middle seat if all other seats are taken. Therefore, people may stand in the passageway rather than taking the middle seat. It is said one industrial designer for
Transportation in New York City commuter rail, Metro-North Railroad, told people: "I designed the aisle seat with a half-back and no upholstery, so it will be very uncomfortable to sit there. They'll move in and take the center seat!"
See also
External links
- Commuter Rail & Transit News Current news concerning commuter rail development and issues
- TimeTable Mobile Open-source train schedule/timetable for PDA and handheld devices
Metrolink (Southern California) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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National Rail Enquiries - Special Offers for Rangers & Rovers
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South East England Regional Assembly : Regional Transport - Rail
South East England Regional Assembly website. ... Railways in South East England. Railways form a vitally important part of the transport network in South East England.
