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From Suburban Railways to Regional Rail Systems
In recent decades rail systems serving cities and their suburbs have undergone a major expansion and evolution. As one of the oldest modes of mechanized urban transportation, suburban or commuter railways were specialized services for commuters operated by railway companies which primarily operated long-distance passenger and freight transport. Today most of these railways have grown into regional rail systems - regular transit services which meet the need for high quality multicentered transportation throughout growing metropolitan areas.
