Regional rail

"Regional rail" is sometimes used as a synonym for "commuter rail", while in other contexts "commuter rail" refers to systems that primarily or only offer service during rush hour while "regional rail" refers to systems that offer all-day service. In Europe, regional trains have their own category, often abbreviated to R (RB in Germany) or L (for local train).

Characteristics

Regional rail provides services that link settlements to one another, unlike commuter rail, which links locations within a single urban area. Unlike inter-city services, regional trains stop at more stations and serve smaller communities. They may share routes with inter-city services, providing service to settlements that inter-city trains skip, or be the sole service on routes not busy enough to justify inter-city service.

Regional rail services are much less likely to be profitable than inter-city, so they often require government funding. This is mainly because many passengers use monthly passes, which lowers the price per ride, and the lower average speed results in less distance traveled, meaning less ticket revenue per hour of operation. Subsidies are justified on social or environmental grounds, and also because regional rail services often act as feeders for more profitable inter-city lines.

Some services are somewhere between regional and inter-city, like the Oresundtrain (between Copenhagen and three cities in Sweden, all over 3 hours away), with a stopping pattern like a regional train and pass prices that attract working commuters.