Metropolitan (train)

The Metropolitan (official spelling: MetropolitaN) was a premium passenger train service between the cities of Cologne and Hamburg in Germany. Meant as an alternative to air transport, the first-class-only trains were operated from 1 August 1999 until 11 December 2004 by Metropolitan Express Train GmbH (MET) based in Bad Homburg, a wholly owned subsidiary of the DB Fernverkehr division of Deutsche Bahn AG. Service was discontinued in December 2004 due to low usage and profitability; the custom made coaches are since then deployed in Intercity-Express (ICE) and Intercity traffic.

Operation

The Metropolitan was introduced at the 1999 ITB Berlin trade fair; two train formations were delivered on June 14 and July 12, 1999. The push–pull train units with control cars were hauled by specifically equipped DB Class 101 highpower locomotives. Each unit comprised seven specially manufactured railway coaches based on ICE 2 cars, with flexible gangway connections and a luxurious pearwood and leather interior manufactured by Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau. The Metropolitan's silver, black and orange corporate design clearly differentiated it from the Deutsche Bahn parent group.

Rapid transit

Rapid transit, also known as metro, subway or underground is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. Unlike buses or trams, rapid transit systems are electric railways that operate on an exclusive right-of-way, which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles of any sort, and which is often grade separated in tunnels or on elevated railways.

Modern services on rapid transit systems are provided on designated lines between stations typically using electric multiple units on rail tracks, although some systems use guided rubber tyres, magnetic levitation, or monorail. The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside the trains, requiring custom-made trains in order to avoid gaps. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same public transport authorities. However, some rapid transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines. It is unchallenged in its ability to transport large numbers of people quickly over short distances with little use of land. Variations of rapid transit include people movers, small-scale light metro, and the commuter rail hybrid S-Bahn.