We continue our conversation around public transportation, this week focusing on heavy rail. Heavy rail is different from light rail mainly in scale and capacity. Heavy rail cars are larger, and heavy rail trains often include more cars than light rail, meaning they can carry many more passengers at a time. 

Proponents of heavy rail often see it as a foundation of a larger public transit system, carrying millions of passengers every day between major hubs, with lighter public transit lines, like buses and trolleys, carrying passengers the last mile or two to their final destination.