Can light rail be used to transport goods?

Question

Can light rail be used to transport goods?

Answer 1

Yes. This practice is widespread in mainland Europe, where independent light railways connect with the main line system in many countries and wagon loads of freight are forwarded to local destinations via the light rail system. Sometimes this consists of  a rail bus on a single track, but powerful enough to pull a few wagons which are then dropped off at stations en route.

Another system used at various locations is for standard (4ft 8.5in) gauge wagons to be jacked or rolled onto narrow gauge transporters, which are then forwarded on to destinations on the narrow gauge system as part of its freight or mixed train service.

Switzerland has extensive light rail systems which carry intensive freight workings as well as serving both the the local and tourist passenger traffic.

Many European towns and cities have trams and these often carry mail and small items of freight as well as passengers.

Alas! Britain, which invented the train, seems to have slunk into the backwoods where railways are concerned. There was once an extensive network of industrial freight lines some of which were narrow gauge.

A few have survived into preservation e.g. The Great Little Trains of Wales, but now carry passengers instead.

Answer 2

Of course light rail can be and is beeing used to transport goods.

Many tram systems used to operate freight cars in the beginnings of the 20th century, when cars and trucks were not as common as nowadays. But even today some cities use trams and light rail to carry cargo or plan to reestablish such services.

Answer 3

Yes, the Dresden system has trams built to carry VW car parts from the Logistics centre on the outskirts to the 'Transparent Factory' in the city centre.

The Trams operate on an Hourly basis (though that can be increased to 40 mins if required by the factory)

Answer 4

In a sense yes...

Around Trafford Park near Manchester there are trains running which are lighter than standard rail locos.

also try looking into the Weymouth Harbour Tramway.

not technically light rail more heavy rail running on street through a town.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weymouth_Harbour...

Answer 5

I only know the US practice.  Technically, light rail systems can handle light to medium freight (goods) loading, but the practice has not been widespread in recent years because of political pressures exerted by truckers.

In the classic days of trolleys and interurban systems, freight cars and "box motors" ran into cities at night when passenger loadings were lightest.  There is no reason it cannot be done now.

Answer 6

Technically it is feasible but due to the changes in the railroad environment over the last 50 years or so, highly unlikely (because of the fact that two of the railroads' strong points are hauling bulk goods and hauling freight over long distances from "Point A to Point B" with little or no switching done in between).  This is the reason the trolley/interurban lines that did haul freight mostly gave up on it, or shutdown altogether (most quit by the 1950s or 1960s, although a few held on longer), as trucks are much more efficient at short-haul freight.  

Today, light rail's biggest advantage is in transporting people over short to medium distances at a much lower cost than could be done with conventional locomotives and cars (usually using a light-weight powered car or short trainset that is not even designed in any way to haul freight), not to mention the savings gathered by less wear on highways and city streets.  Of note, light rail systems are growing, at pretty rapid rate, all across the country.