An elevated railway system carrying commuter or rapid transit trains above street level. Constructed on steel or concrete viaducts, these systems separate train traffic from pedestrians and vehicles without the massive expense of tunneling. The term is most famously associated with the Chicago transit system.
Heard on the job
The train gets incredibly loud when it comes out of the subway and hits the steel structure of the El.
Also heard as
- L
Related terms
Elevated railway
A rapid transit line built above street level on a continuous viaduct or steel structure.
Commuter rail
A passenger train service connecting a city center with its surrounding suburbs.
Heavy rail
A transit system or conventional railroad operating on fully separated right-of-ways with high passenger capacity.