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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Commuter-Style Interurban Railways and Modern Regional Transit: Rise, Fall and Reuse

The electric interurban railway was a fast, heavy-duty adaptation of street railway technology for suburban, rural, and intercity travel. Achieving its greatest prosperity in the early 20th century, it almost died out by the early 1960s. Some of the longer-lasting interurbans, particularly in Chicago, Ill. and Los Angeles, Calif., were largely comparable in their rights-of-way and rolling stock with conventional electrified commuter railroads. Despite considerable differences, these commuter-carrying interurbans shared an overall history of growth, consolidation, decline, and abandonment. One of these, the Norristown High-Speed Line in suburban Philadelphia, Penna., continues as a suburban rapid transit line. A second, the South Shore Line in northern Indiana, survives as an electrified commuter railroad. Portions of several others have been reused for rapid transit or light rail. Even though these interurbans were largely business failures, the revival of many segments suggests that their underlying transportation bases were sound.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP070 Standing Committee on Commuter Rail Transportation.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Transportation Research Board

    500 Fifth Street, NW
    Washington, DC  United States  20001
  • Authors:
    • Allen, John G
    • Levinson, Herbert S
  • Conference:
  • Date: 2016

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 20p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01589037
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 16-1864
  • Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Feb 1 2016 9:26AM