Light Rail Transit | Britannica

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External Websites

• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Fed - Light-Rail Transit: Myths and Realities
• Texas A and M Transportation Institute - Transportation Policy Research - Light-Rail Transit (LRT)

Ask Anything Also known as: LRV, electric trolley system Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Dec. 13, 2025 •History Contents Ask Anything

light rail transit, system of railways usually powered by overhead electrical wires and used for medium-capacity local transportation in metropolitan areas. Light rail vehicles (LRVs) are a technological outgrowth of streetcars (trams). Light rail transit lines are more segregated from street traffic than are tramways (particularly in congested urban areas) but less so than are rapid transit (heavy rail) lines. See mass transit.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.