Semi-metro was nominated for deletion. The discussion was closed on 22 August 2025 with a consensus to merge. Its contents were merged into Light rail. The original page is now a redirect to this page. For the contribution history and old versions of the redirected article, please see its history; for its talk page, see here.

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	Light rail was a good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Article milestones Date Process Result April 25, 2006 Good article nominee Not listed

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I think the Tyne and Wear Metro Should not be include in Light Rail & instead Commuter rail because it better follows the requirement's to be a commuter rail instead of Light Rail. Also the Tyne & Wear Metro only has level crossing which are at about Right Angles to the Road. Also the Tyne & Wear Metro get's some quite heavy freight trains heading to/from Drax Power Station & Tyne Dock running on the same track as the Tyne & Wear Metro. I Like The british Rail Class 483 (talk) 16:49, 25 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

You may be right, especially after the old stock (based on type B trams/LRVs) will be phased out by 2025. KatVanHuis (talk) 18:39, 13 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The most WP:COMMON NAME is 'light rail'. I am happy for 'light rail transit' to be mentioned too, but it must be afterwards. Will Thorpe (talk) 13:25, 17 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Sometimes it can be difficult to grasp the concept of a term within an abundance of related terms. I've created a family tree for a better overview. Should I add it to the article as well?

Light rail

Tram

Tram-train

Semi-metro

City tram

Interurban

Rubber-tyred tram

Mixed with railways

On former railways

Premetro

U-Stadtbahn

KatVanHuis (talk) 16:27, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The content of Semi-metro was merged into Light rail on 22 August 2025. The former page's history now serves to provide attribution for that content in the latter page, and it must not be deleted as long as the latter page exists. For the discussion at that location, see its talk page.

The content and discussions from the former Semi-metro article have been merged here:

I am sorry but I am still failing to grasp why this couldn't be a section of "light rail" - this page refers to sections of light rail that are conflict free? I don't think this is a widespread concept or different enough from light rail to merit it's own page LegalSmeagolian (talk) 22:52, 9 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Hello LegalSmeagolian, one of the reasons I created this page was the discussion on the talk page of List of premetro systems. Porto Metro for instance was removed from the list, which is correct as there are no plans to transform the Porto system (LRT with tunnels) into rapid transit. I'm planning to create a List of semi-metro systems where all light rail systems belong that have sections that are completely conflict free, like the Porto Metro. Indeed it could be included in the light rail article, yet because semi-metro is a subclass of light rail (like premetro, Stadtbahn and Karlsruhe model), I think it deserves its own article as well. KatVanHuis (talk) 18:02, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I guess my issue is the vast majority of LRT systems (atleast in the US) have conflict-free sections, hence I don't really understand the distinction. LegalSmeagolian (talk) 18:27, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for you quick reply. So far in the U.S. I've only found 9 systems: Boston, Buffalo, L.A., Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, S.F. and Seattle. I'm not sure that's even the majority. Germany has a dozen systems, other countries each less than a handful. KatVanHuis (talk) 20:10, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Portland has conflict free sections of MAX, Dallas DART has many conflict free sections, as does Sacramento. It is pretty prototypical of light rail to run with conflict free sections, that is what makes it Light Rail rather than a streetcar system. LegalSmeagolian (talk) 21:10, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I'm guessing that you mean the sections around Washington Park and Sunset Transit Center in Portland and then the Cityplace, Mockingbird and the Airport sections in Dallas. Nice finds, I will add them to the list in the future; thanks. Sacramento seems to be more of Train-tram[1] style system.

Unfortunately (as I think it's a little confusing) many sources consider streetcars to be a type of light rail. And worldwide roughly 300 light rail systems exist, of these only a few (about 11 in the U.S, a dozen in Germany and a handful elsewhere) have semi-metro/subway-surface lines. KatVanHuis (talk) 11:47, 18 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Tunnels (or elevated sections for that matter) may be comparatively rare on Light Rail - but sections of separate right of way are not. If you look at Light Rail networks from the 1970s onwards - or many extensions of older networks built since then - they will have a percentage of independent right of way of 50% or more in many cases - most cases outside North America. 2001:A62:1453:5602:A95A:9762:7DDC:387D (talk) 12:36, 31 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Vuchic describes three levels:

1. street running

2. separate right of way (not independent/with level road-crossings)

3. independent right of way (conflict free/without level road-crossings)

The last one is rare and forms the semi-metro category. KatVanHuis (talk) 09:14, 6 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Virtually all West German systems that are called "Stadtbahn" have some of 3.

As do a lot of Anglophone "light rail" system. The question imho is more how muchmof a given system is 2. or 3.? 2001:A62:1591:C802:1D72:F80B:F5FC:C466 (talk) 20:49, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The German "Stadtbahn" systems indeed have some of 3, and are therefore all semi-metro sytems.

Having type 2 infrastructure is perfect to qualify for light rails systems, regardless of how much a given system has. KatVanHuis (talk) 21:53, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

So what is the difference between Stadtbahn and semi-metro? 2001:A62:15A2:9F02:2536:B051:4CD3:554C (talk) 15:08, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The 1960s & 1970s U-Stadtbahn systems all have high platforms in their tunnel stations, semi-metro can have either low, intermediate or high platforms in their tunnel stations. KatVanHuis (talk) 15:54, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

This describes that "semi-metro" is just a subset of light rail. We should merge this page with light rail. Laztwin (talk) 01:02, 3 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed both "semi-metro" as well as tram-train are subsets of light rail. Equally "light rail" is a subset of urban rail transport; should those two be merged as well? KatVanHuis (talk) 19:21, 3 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Fair point. Laztwin (talk) 00:12, 4 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think we should not be fooled by the implications of a marketing term. Neither "pre-metro" nor "U-Stadtbahn" these days actually mean or imply the future conversion to "full" metro. Even though they were used with that implication in the past. 2001:A62:1453:5602:A95A:9762:7DDC:387D (talk) 12:32, 31 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The sources in this article are international organisations, national government bodies or research reports and never marketing names from local public transport companies. KatVanHuis (talk) 09:16, 6 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

What do those sources say? Do they give examples for systems that actually were converted to "full metro"? Because other than the odd tunnel or El being transformed from "interim" light rail to metro use, I could not name a single system. Can you?

And: the city of x calling their system "pre-metro" and implying a future conversion to full metro (or worse yet, just using the term "metro" for something that isn't one) is marketing imho - even if the source is "official" (i.e. government or studies by NGOs using the government coined terminology) 2001:A62:1591:C802:1D72:F80B:F5FC:C466 (talk) 20:54, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

All those sources say something like: "tram infrastructure that can easily be converted to heavy rail/metro use". I can name several, Rio being one of them.

And: so we're not using the cities' marketing claims to create definitions. KatVanHuis (talk) 22:02, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The word "semi" does not appear once in your link. "Pre-metro", however, does. 2001:A62:15A2:9F02:2536:B051:4CD3:554C (talk) 15:09, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I'm aware of that. But no official definition mentions semi-metro to be converted to full metro. Summarising your question: can you name one system that actually was converted to "full metro"? KatVanHuis (talk) 16:01, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I am not sure I understand your question. My contention is precisely that no system of that kind – whether called "Stadtbahn" or "premetro" or anything else – was ever converted to full metro. At least not in its entirety.... 2001:A62:15A2:9F02:C55F:9663:6E67:E840 (talk) 19:59, 9 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Why should it be in its entirety? As long as full metro infrastructure was first temporarily used by trams. This is the case for two separate tram tunnels in Brussels, and with infrastructure in Rio, Vienna and Frankfurt, just to name a few. KatVanHuis (talk) 20:01, 11 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I know this isn’t probably the right place to put this but I know that there is 8 level crossings on the TW Metro. These are at: (Excluding Pedestrian only crossings or depot crossings)

1, Callerton Parkway

2, Bank Foot

3, Kingston Park

4, Fawdon

5, Howdon

6, Benton Road (B1298) (Near Biddick Hall)

7, Tile shed Lane

8, East Boldon Traingoodcarbad (talk) 18:38, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, but how common is this term outside Wikipedia?

Also: I do not think the attempted distinction between "Stadtbahn" and pre-metro by using the criterion "the latter will one day become a metro" works. Back when Stadtbahn-networks were first built, they were built with the "promise" of eventually having a "full" metro. And pre-metros like Charleroi Premetro are - I think - by now universally acknowledged to never become "full" metro. 2001:A62:1453:5602:A95A:9762:7DDC:387D (talk) 12:28, 31 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You're absolutely correct: the term does not exist in "the real world". It seems to me ratheran attempt by someone to coin a new term. The article should be merged with light rail or metro. 178.255.168.151 (talk) 12:08, 1 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The term semi-metro exists since the 1960s, being roughly sixty years old. The term subway-surface line is even older. KatVanHuis (talk) 09:26, 6 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

So who was using the term in the 1960s and what were they meaning by it? And what was the difference between that usage and the usage of similar terms like "Light Rail" or "Stadtbahn" or "Pre-Metro"? And how and by whom is the term used today? 2001:A62:1591:C802:1D72:F80B:F5FC:C466 (talk) 20:57, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

A. Newspapers about the Brussels tram network were using the term in the 1960s and they were talking about plans for new tramtunnels. B. Light Rail was coined by Vuchic in 1972 and he described tram systems with type 2 infrastructure, possibly mixed with either type 1 or 3 (or both). Stadtbahn describes semi-metros with level-boarding (using specially designed trams with folding steps). Pre-Metro: semi-metro designed to be upgraded to full metro. C. Semi-metro is used today (this century) in the same way as sixty years ago by researchers and planners. KatVanHuis (talk) 22:14, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Having folding steps is ipso facto the opposite of level boarding, isn't it? 2001:A62:15A2:9F02:2536:B051:4CD3:554C (talk) 15:12, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Those folding steps are often not build-in anymore with the newly ordered Stadtbahn vehicles, just because of many lines are currently rebuild to fully high-platform standards.

The original vehicles had folding steps to make sure these vehicles could be used with old/existing tram stops without high platforms or none at all. The level boarding was only possible in the new tunnel stations. KatVanHuis (talk) 16:08, 8 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't some tunnel stations have low platforms? Or am I confusing that with low floor trams running in high platform tunnels? 2001:A62:15A2:9F02:C55F:9663:6E67:E840 (talk) 20:00, 9 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I’m not aware of any… But I’m curious to hear more about it! KatVanHuis (talk) 20:03, 11 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The Charleroi Premetro was never officially named premetro. In the first years (1976 onwards) it was simply called «semi-métro» and from the 1980s onwards Métro Léger de Charleroi. In Brussels the premetro is being converted to metro (line 3) as we speak. KatVanHuis (talk) 09:24, 6 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Sometimes it can be difficult to grasp a term within an abundance of related terms. I created a family tree for a better overview. Should I add it to the article as well?

Light rail

Tram

Tram-train

Semi-metro

City tram

Interurban

Rubber-tyred tram

Mixed with railways

On former railways

Premetro

U-Stadtbahn

KatVanHuis (talk) 16:19, 17 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The 322-pages book solely about light rail named "Light Rail Transit: A State of the Art Review"^[1] states on page 9 that concerning Pre-metro: "Certain design features distinguish these systems from semi-metro or conventional light rail systems, e.g., greater radii of curvature, lesser grades, provisions of later adjustment of station platform heights to conventional rapid transit levels, and provisions for installation of power distributions and control systems suitable to rapid transit operations." KatVanHuis (talk) 12:38, 9 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• Have you created this "family tree", or is it directly supported by a reliable source? If all of the relationships in the tree are directly and explicitly supported by a reliable source, could you please provide that source? If it is something you have created, then that constitutes WP:Original Research, which Wikipedia articles must not contain. Qpwoeizmxnr (talk) 19:54, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As I understand it, the scope of the article is about those streetcar/light rail systems that include tunnel sections. I never heard such called "semi-metro" in English. For the Philadelphia-area lines, subway-surface is still in common use. Are there examples of English-language sources from the last 20-30 years that treat this is a distinct concept, and (if so) what do they call it when they discuss it? Mackensen (talk) 11:35, 15 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Mackensen and thank you for your questions here. In the Philadelphia-region indeed "subway-surface" is common. And "semi-metro" is just one synonym; similar to the many synonyms of rapid transit.

• I'm a little confused about your first question, as non-English sources are allowed: WP:NONENG. To answer your question though, a few examples: 2006, 2009, 2010 2011 2013, 2016, 2016.
• For you second question: several synonyms can be found here.

KatVanHuis (talk) 08:19, 16 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@KatVanHuis: "Semi-metro" being framed as more of a container category here doesn't clearly define it as a unique operational subcategory.

Those other synonyms are also not wholly unique subsets of light rail. "Premetro" is more of a descriptor of future intent/design in relation to the status of the infrastructure being utilized; it doesn't inherently transform the nature of the light rail itself. Partial grade separation is already a common characteristic in many light rail systems. Even the Brussels premetro article itself avoids defining the system as "premetro" but rather as a network of lines that are part of the broader Brussels tramway system. "Stadtbahn" is a German-language term (not a common English-language term) that is also very loosely defined, and in practice, Stadtbahn systems don't really operate any differently from other light rail systems. Partial grade separation and street-running are already common operating modes for many light rail systems.

The "archaic terms" listed in that section are, again, merely descriptive labels for light rail operation that don't denote a separate subcategory distinct from light rail. By the same logic, the fact that "semi-metro" more closely aligns with those labels implies that it, too, is an "archaic term," which is reinforced by the lack of abundance in common, reliable, modern English sources. OrdinaryScarlett (talk) 10:26, 16 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello OrdinaryScarlett,

• In the premetro article, the inline citations indicate that "premetro" is a subtype of lightrail. "Stadtbahn" is indeed loosely defined, but with an U in front of it, it is a subtype as well. (Please note that U stands for unabhängig, or "independent" in English.)
• That fails any logic because if the term "autocar" is archaic, then the term "car" doesn't automatically become archaic. And per WP:GNG: "Significant coverage" is required and not "abundance".

KatVanHuis (talk) 17:58, 20 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]