Railways and Urban Transport

Interurban and urban transport modes are essential in the modern...

life as they have the capability to connect and decongest cities. Mass transport systems are playing such role, are highly environmentally sustainable and capable to foster the economic development by improving the accessibility to the concerned areas.

As far as passenger transport is concerned, such systems are able to provide mobility for commuters, families, students, elderlies and disabled people thus generating a relevant positive social impact. In addition, interurban transport of passengers uses railway stations as gateway and quite often such stations are located in the city centres thus allowing centre-to-centre journeys, whereas urban transport allows a relevant reduction of pollutants and noise besides freeing capacity out of the road system. Such features stimulate the urban regeneration and the enhancement of the quality of life in the urban context.

Because of the increasing demand of passenger services, the mass transport systems have seen the interest of the industries toward the development of more technologically advanced solutions capable to expand the performance of such complex system: e.g. high speed railways, unmanned metros, monorails, etc.

As far as freight transport is concerned, railway plays an important role in the long-hauling transport within an intermodal system which terminal might be also a port or an airport or a factory and where the capillary distribution is normally assigned to the road.