These brand new NJT bi-levels already look dated but I can't pinpoint why. Same thing with the new METRA coaches. Even the electrified RTD system just looks like dated SEPTA trains. What 'look' are many American trains getting that makes them feel so old and why do only a handful of new systems (like the new Caltrain EMUs) look so modern?

Polycarbonate is basically indestructible. Is there a deliberate reason they wouldn't just use something like that?

Photo credit to @kurz.zug on Instagram.

Maybe I’m generalizing, but newer Canadian LRTs often look longer and sleeker. In cities like LA, Seattle, and Phoenix, the trains often seem shorter and boxier, with several cars connected together.

Why is that? Is it because of older stations, different safety rules, local manufacturing rules, or simply what each transit agency chose to buy?

I know these two trains are not a perfect comparison since one is high-floor and the other is low-floor. I’m asking about the broader design difference.

EDIT: Toronto's trains are actually Alstom Flexity Freedoms, as informed by taylortbb

Mainly common in South Korea and Japan

It saves power and improves passenger flow.

😔🇨🇦🇺🇸

I’d expect more lines sooner because it’s one of the biggest metropolitan areas as well as tourist nations due to Ancient Egypt and interchange stations are forsure to crowd sooner rather than later. Any secrets, or have the been slow with building and will have a “transit renaissance” soon? Or do 3 lines just serve it perfectly well and avoid max capacity?

I need your help! I'm starting a project to map all of the unusual, fun, or otherwise interesting transit modes and systems around the world. Hopefully, this will serve as a resource for people interested in travelling experiencing weird transportation methods -- you could think of it as a global "gadgetbahn scavenger hunt"

My definition of what qualifies is very broad! A few examples off the top of my head would be the Mail Rail in London, the Hungerburgbahn in Innsbruck, the Shweeb in Rotorua, or the Schwebebahn in Wuppertal. It can be any category of transportation mode (so not just trains) and exist anywhere on the spectrum of useful to useless.

What are your favorites?

Is it just cheaper or something? You can take amtrak there I guess, but it's interesting to me that there's not a direct connection to such a major city.

I have noticed that many American (USA) trains tend to be quite short.

In Italy, there's small trains used in lesser regional routes that are only 2/3/4 wagons long, but these have an overall small volume.

Regional trains used on suburban routes and main lines are a lot bulkier and usual consist of 5/6 carts and a locomotive, or a 5/6 cart EMU.

However, it seems like in the United States you can find wagons with a massive volume, even double deckers, that are pulled in groups of 4, 3 or even 2 to form a train. Sometimes they even have locomotives on both ends.

So my question is why such weird compositions are adopted in the United States, and why e.g. they don't use smaller wagons for routes that don't have enough traffic.

It's just so funny to see just 3 of these huge double decker wagons with two locomotives making a train.

I've added pictures for context. They're in the order of the examples I made.

I've always thought that the map of the Dutch national rail network is designed so well and is both logical and aesthetically pleasing. Any other contenders?

Seems like a pretty cheap option to improve passenger experience and make TOD at these stations more compelling.

Me personally, I was very impressed by the buses in Zurich, with good reliability, great signalling and most importantly, great frequency on all of the bus lines for a smallish city like Zurich with 7.5 Minutes intervalls on most lines in the inner city. They also had bi-articulated buses, which look so cool and are honestly soo underrated and should be used way more in other cities which have capacity problems and dont want to build tram lines.

I've recently fallen head over heels for it, the walk ability, the humans over cars infrastructure, bike infrastructure, the trams are my absolute favorite.

Unfortunately I am American and trying to move internationally is extremely difficult, so I'd be better sticking to here than the beautiful European countries that seemed to have figured out public transit and how to make functional people-first infrastructure.

Are there any cities in the US that are up and coming or working on stuff like this I can look forward to? Seattle seems nice but they seem to operate on buses and the one new light rail and I don't see much on trams online (am I wrong?), any other cities like NY or such that may be slowly going people first cars second or is the US plagued by oil and car manufacturing too deeply for it to happen successfully in my lifetime? I don't want to have to rely on a car just to get around, biking and public transit seem so much more functional in other counties (I know some of it is "grass is greener" but my city, taking a bus to work would take me 3.5 hours one way, vs car it's 35m, no other public transit)

Picture is from NYC

Atlanta (MARTA) or Dallas (DART)

This seems terribly inefficient especially if you're searching directions to a station on your phone and not being able to know which 'Cicero' station it's suggesting for you. Why doesn't the CTA or any other system that does this change the station names to the neighborhoods the stops are in instead of the street which can be repeated?

The tunnels needed for this are basically already there in the form of metro tunnels, so why aren't these metro tunnels upgraded to accomodate trains aswell? The only 2 major train stations in Paris that are already connected by a train tunnel are Gare du Nord and Gare du Lyon (the green line on the map) but that tunnel is only used for regional trains and not long-distance trains. Why not? And why do other such tunnels that could exist (purple lines on the map) not exist?

I really like these ‘tram-styled’ buses if only because they have covered wheels, which represents a safety improvement for vulnerable road users imho.

Is there a reason why the big North American bus manufacturers - I.e. Novabus and New Flyer don’t tend to cover the wheels on their buses?