Light rail takes regional rail to the city centre

In many cities around the world, regional rail systems provide fast, high-capacity service to urban centers, serving suburban stations along the way. But the effectiveness of serving travellers to and from city centers is dependent on the location of central railway stations. Light rail systems are more suitable for serving city centers than are regional rail systems, and many cities have begun to convert regional to light rail for this reason. Light rail cars have been equipped with special wheels which can run on regional tracks as well as on urban tramways. In Karlsruhe, Germany, main-line railways have been linked with the urban tramway system through the use of dual-voltage light rail vehicles. British Railways is seeking to follow the Karlsruhe model. In Cardiff, Great Britain, guided buses have been suggested as an alternative, but British Railways maintains that the Karlsruhe example is more effective inasmuch as new and existing tracks could be shared by both heavy rail and light rail systems.