light rail
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light rail
A rail-based local public transport system that combines features of a tram and a subway. It often runs on its own tracks, sometimes also in tunnels or on the street.
Mit der Stadtbahn kommt man schnell und ohne Stau ins Zentrum.
With the light rail, you can get to the city center quickly and without traffic jams.
The word is a simple compound made up of 'die Stadt' (the city) and 'die Bahn' (the railway/train). So it literally describes a railway for the city.
Das Netz der Stadtbahn wird in den nächsten Jahren ausgebaut.
The light rail network will be expanded in the coming years.
In everyday language, 'Stadtbahn' (light rail) is often combined with the verbs 'nehmen' (to take) or 'fahren' (to ride/go). You say: 'Ich nehme die Stadtbahn' (I'm taking the light rail) or 'Ich fahre mit der Stadtbahn' (I'm going by light rail).
Nehmen wir die Stadtbahn, das geht schneller.
Let's take the light rail; it's faster.
A 'Stadtbahn' (light rail) is a typical German transport concept. It is a mix of a tram (runs on the street) and a subway (runs in tunnels or on its own tracks).
Die Stadtbahn fährt hier im Zentrum unterirdisch.
The light rail runs underground here in the city center.
metro
'die Metro' and 'die Stadtbahn' are both forms of urban transport and run on rails. In German, 'Metro' is often used for a subway or metro system in large cities abroad, for example in Paris or Moscow. It usually runs underground and is a rapid transit system. 'Stadtbahn' is used more for a system that sits between a tram and a subway: it runs partly in tunnels, partly on its own tracks, or on the street. The words can be confused because both belong to local public transport. In German cities, 'Stadtbahn' is often more precise, while 'Metro' sounds more natural for certain foreign subway systems.
Zur Messe fährt die Stadtbahn erst durch den Tunnel und dann über der Straße weiter.
To get to the trade fair, the light rail first goes through the tunnel and then continues above the street.
In Paris nehmen wir die Metro, weil sie schnell durch die ganze Stadt fährt.
In Paris, we take the metro because it travels quickly across the whole city.