Trams, Light Rail and Trolleybuses

[Brian]

Nice site and explanation Geoff.

To cut Geoff's explanation short and stick to modern useage only.
Light rail in the UK ALWAYS has dedicated tracks, if it runs on rails 
but shares tracks with road traffic for some or all of its route, it's a 
tram.
Trolleybuses were road buses powered by overhead electric wires but did 
not usually run on tracks.

To slightly complicate matters there is now (very recent) yet another 
option guided buses - road buses which are guided by kerbs for some of 
their route (or so I understand, I've never seen them) - example the new 
routes from Dartford to Gravesend connecting with the station for the 
HighSpeedOne line carrying High Speed Trains from London to Kent and 
Eurostar trains to the continent.

In the 1990s (Harry Potter era), you can mostly forget trams, trolleys 
and light rail.  Public transport was buses or trains or underground 
train (what Americans would call a subway - in the UK a subway is a way 
for pedestrians to cross the street through a tunnel (or subway) under 
the street).


For general US/UK differences (and errors authors commonl make with an 
emphasis on HP, schools and food), see my page 
www.thesiteofbrian.com/cultural/

Brian