Light Rail Transit (LRT) is a form of urban passenger railway designed to provide medium-capacity public transport using light rail vehicles (LRVs).

LRT systems can operate on a variety of alignments. These may include segregated railway corridors, dedicated reservations within streets, elevated or underground sections, and in some cases sections shared with road traffic.

Compared with conventional heavy metro systems, LRT generally uses smaller and lighter vehicles and can accommodate tighter curves, steeper gradients and more frequent stops. Infrastructure requirements and station arrangements can therefore be less extensive, although the characteristics vary considerably between individual systems.

LRT vehicles are normally electrically powered, commonly using an Overhead Contact System (OCS) or Overhead Line Equipment (OLE). Some modern systems may use alternative forms of power supply or onboard energy storage in selected areas.

Depending on the degree of segregation from road traffic, signalling arrangements can range from road-compatible traffic signals and priority systems to dedicated railway signalling and train control.

LRT is commonly used to connect city centres, residential areas, transport hubs and suburban districts where passenger demand requires greater capacity than conventional buses but may not justify a full heavy-metro system.

The terminology varies internationally, and the distinction between light rail, tramway and metro can depend on vehicle characteristics, infrastructure, operating environment and local regulatory definitions.

light_rail, depot

Applicable national light rail and tramway standards; EN railway standards where applicable; local transport authority requirements and project specifications