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Russia´s First High Speed Train Sapsan, Moscow To St. Petersburg
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The term rapid transit is used for public transport such as commuter trains, metro and light rail. However, in New York City, services on the New York City Subway have been referred to as "trains".
• Tram
In most countries, such as the United Kingdom, the distinction between a tramway and a railway is precise and defined in law. In the US and Canada such street railways are mostly referred to as trolleys. The key difference between a railroad and a trolley system is the latter running primarily on public streets, whereas trains have a right of way separated from the public. Often the US style interurban and modern light rail are confused with a trolley system, as it too may run on on the street for short or medium long sections. In some languages the word tram also refers to interurban and light rail -style networks, in particular Dutch.
The length of a tram or trolley may be determined by national regulations. Germany has the so-called Bo-Strab standard, restricting the length of a tram to 75 meters, while in the US, vehicle length is normally restricted by local authorities, often allowing only a single type of vehicle to operate on the network.
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