Interurban

In today’s world, Interurban has gained unprecedented relevance. Whether in the field of technology, politics, entertainment or any other field, Interurban has become a constant topic of conversation and an inexhaustible source of interest and debate. Its impact ranges from the decisions we make in our daily lives to the great transformations we witness globally. In this article, we will explore in detail all the facets of Interurban, unraveling both its practical implications and its symbolic meaning. Through an exhaustive analysis, we will seek to shed light on the different aspects that make Interurban a phenomenon worthy of analysis and investigation.

Type of electric railway which runs within and between cities or towns
«Interurbans» redirects here. For the publishing company once known by that name, see Interurban Press.

The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns.[1] The term «interurban» is usually used in North America, with other terms used outside it. They were very prevalent in many parts of the world before the Second World War and were used primarily for passenger travel between cities and their surrounding suburban and rural communities. Interurban as a term encompassed the companies, their infrastructure, their cars that ran on the rails, and their service. In the United States, the early 1900s interurban was a valuable economic institution, when most roads between towns, many town streets were unpaved, and transportation and haulage was by horse-drawn carriages and carts.

The interurban provided reliable transportation, particularly in winter weather, between towns and countryside. In 1915, 15,500 miles (24,900 km) of interurban railways were operating in the United States and, for a few years, interurban railways, including the numerous manufacturers of cars and equipment, were the fifth-largest industry in the country. But due to preference given to automobiles, by 1930, most interurbans in North America had stopped operating. A few survived into the 1950s.

Outside of the US, other countries built large networks of high-speed electric tramways that survive today. Notable systems exist in the Low Countries, Poland and Japan, where populations are densely packed around large conurbations such as the Randstad, Upper Silesia, Greater Tokyo Area and Keihanshin. Switzerland, particularly, has a large network of mountain narrow-gauge interurban lines.

In addition, since the early 21st century many tram-train lines are being built, especially in France and Germany but also elsewhere in the world. These can be regarded as interurbans since they run on the streets, like trams, when in cities, while out of them they either share existing railway lines or use lines that were abandoned by the railway companies.

Definition

The term «interurban» was coined by Charles L. Henry, a state senator in Indiana. The Latin, inter urbes, means «between cities».[2] The interurban fit on a continuum between urban street railways and full-fledged railroads. George W. Hilton and John F. Due identified four characteristics of an interurban:[3]

• Electric power for propulsion.
• Passenger service as the primary business.
• Equipment heavier and faster than urban streetcars.
• Operation on tracks in city streets, and in rural areas on roadside tracks or private rights-of-way.

The definition of «interurban» is necessarily blurry. Some town streetcar lines evolved into interurban systems by extending streetcar track from town into the countryside to link adjacent towns together and sometimes by the acquisition of a nearby interurban system. Following initial construction, there was a large amount of consolidation of lines. Other interurban lines effectively became light rail systems with no street running whatsoever, or they became primarily freight-hauling railroads because of a progressive loss of their initial passenger service over the years.[citation needed]

In 1905, the United States Census Bureau defined an interurban as «a street railway having more than half its trackage outside municipal limits.» It drew a distinction between «interurban» and «suburban» railroads. A suburban system was oriented toward a city center in a single urban area and served commuter traffic. A regular railroad moved riders from one city center to another city center and also moved a substantial amount of freight.

The typical interurban similarly served more than one city, but it served a smaller region and made more frequent stops, and it was oriented to passenger rather than freight service.[4]

History