From: jishnu@nospam.verizon.net

On 8/14/2014 1:22 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> Jishnu Mukerji  wrote:
>> On 8/14/2014 10:00 AM, Stephen Sprunk wrote:
>
>>> They are FRA/FTA regulatory terms, not marketing or technical terms.
>
>>> "Light rail" is for heavy non-FRA trains on a non-exclusive ROW, and
>>> "heavy rail" is for light non-FRA trains on an exclusive ROW.
>
>> Just to elaborate a bit... it should be noted that this categorization
>> may apply only to territories where FRA has potential jurisdiction,
>> namely the USA and its territories. The rest of the world really does
>> not care much about that definition since they neither know nor care
>> what FRA is or says. Well Canada and Mexico might care a little, but
>> certainly no one in Eurasia or Australia cares.
>
> But no one inside the United States cares either. If the categorization
> was performed, it was performed by the author of a report. Another author
> writing another report at a different time will use his own categorization
> methodology. The author of a hypothetical report can include any rail route
> or system he likes in his categorizing from anywhere in the world if he
> feels it's applicable to his report.
>
> Stephen claimed they're regulatory terms, disagreeing with the O.P. who
> noted that they're marketing terms. (No marketer worth his salt would use
> "heavy rail" as it's so stupid and off-putting, but I agreed with the
> jist of what was said.) But Stephen cannot find any federal standard
> for "light rail" or "heavy rail" that doesn't exist.
>
> The distinction he made is lousy anyway as there are way too many exceptions.
> See my other followup.
>

You are correct. That is also why I hedged my bets in using the phrase
"This categorization may apply....", since I am not sure that it applies
in any general sense, or as a matter of regulation or de jure standard
of any sort.Most normal mortals seem to call "Heavy Rail" "Subway" or
"Metro", and "Light Rail" as "Trolley" or "LRT" depending on the context
anyways.

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