城铁

城铁（德语：Stadtbahn，德语发音：[ˈʃtatˌbaːn]）是有轨电车或轻轨以城市轨道交通标准兴建的线路，通常是改造成地铁过程的一部分，主要用于城市中心地带以地铁级别兴建隧道。

提示：此条目页的主题不是城市快铁或城际铁路。

城铁网络多数在1960年代及1970年代实施，目标希望建立全面的地铁系统，但到了1980年代几乎所有城市都因财政困难而放弃了这个目标。如今多数城铁”系统是类似电车-火车系统，并设有地下车站。城铁的概念最后由德国扩散至其他欧洲国家^[1]，最后成为准地铁（英语：pre-metro）^[2]。

参考文献

1. Ian Yearsley. Trams are coming back. New Scientist (Reed Business Information Ltd.). 21 December 1972 [2014-01-14]. But instead of building the entire expensive systems immediately, the Germans hit on the idea of building only the city centre tunnels at first. Intended in the long run to be extended to full undergrounds, in the short term they could be used by trams which would continue to run on the surface outside city centres.
2. John Hoyle. Letters to the editor -- The tram is the answer. Sydney Morning Herald. 16 May 1975 [2014-01-13]. （原始内容存档于2020-06-27）. Cities such as Frankfurt and Cologne in West Germany have further developed their tramway system by introducing a concept known as "premetro." In this system trams or light rail vehicles make extensive use of tunnels, reserve track and by utilizing folding steps these vehicles can operate through high or low stopping places.