# MISC | Rapid train vs. Express train



## Poryaa (Sep 26, 2004)

which is faster?


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## sweek (Jan 30, 2006)

Space trains are obviously the fastest.


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## Alargule (Feb 21, 2005)

Is this a quiz? If so: what can I win?


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## Falubaz (Nov 20, 2004)

rapid and express trains are only something like trade mark or trade names. it depends on where that train is. in Poland for example rapid trains are fast trains calling only in 'bigger' or 'more important' stations, express trains are more comfortable trains, calling in cities. but the speed depend not on the name of the train but on the tracks which it's going on. the real fast trains are TGV in France or ICE in Germany but only if there are separate fast tracks for them.

so 'rapid' or 'expres' means not much more than 'not local'. but this is different in France with their RER-trains where the 'E' stands for 'express' but it's a suburban train anyway. as u can see it's just the definition, that doesn't really say much.


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## eomer (Nov 15, 2003)

Poryaa said:


> which is faster?


It's the same thing.
During the '80, SNCF created 2 kinds of trains: "Rapids" were faster (and more expensive) than "Express" but it's over.


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## gladisimo (Dec 11, 2006)

Exactly, those names are synonymous, or are interchangeable. To me express feels more like a train that skips stations, and are shorter distance, and rapids are longer distance and actually go fast. That's just how it feels to me though


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## TRZ (Sep 18, 2004)

*They are not the same*

At least not in Japan.

Heirarchy goes _vaguely _something like this:
Local(普通／各停）
Section Semi-Express（区間準急）
Rapid（快速）
Semi-Express（準急）
Commuter Semi-Express（通勤準急）
Express（急行）
Commuter Limited Express（通勤特急）
Rapid Express（快速急行）
Limited Rapid（特快）
Semi-Limited Express（準特急）
Limited Express（特急）

There are so many different companies and so many different service levels and obviously one company does not use all of these on one line (Odakyuu and Seibu use a lot of them though, Odakyuu operates Local, Section Semi, Semi, Commuter [Tama] Express, Express, Rapid Express, Limited Express Romance Car (special fare), and Seibu runs Local, Rapid, Semi, Express, Commuter Express, Rapid Express, Limited Express New Red Arrow (special fare), so while there is a pattern it is not easy to keep track). *Rapid is slower than Express.*


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

What's the question?

Are you saying Rapid trains are the skip-stop trains and the express are skip a LOT trains?

Chicago has dozens of express trains between the suburbs and the city. The city has one main express line that skips around 10 or 12 stops on it's elevated system. There use to be multiple skip-stop lines back before 1993. The stations were either A or B or AB stations. The trains were either A or B trains. It was good for shuttling the trains faster overall as they only had to stop and open the doors every two stations.

They gave that up though and made everything all-stop in the 90's.


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## Yardmaster (Jun 1, 2004)

I thought an "express" train was one that didn't stop until it reached its destination, whereas a "rapid" train was one that went fast.

After all, you have "mass rapid transport" (MRT) in Singapore, for instance, but the overall speed would hardly break world records.


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## Dakkus (May 12, 2005)

In Finland the product category "Pikajuna" is called "Express train" in English.
The product categories (from slowest to fastest) along with their official English translations look like this:
Lähijuna (H) – Commuter train
Taajamajuna (H) – Regional train
Pikajuna (P) – Express train
Intercity (IC) – Intercity
Pendolino (S) – Pendolino

Thus, "Express" means "Quite fast, but not as fast as most long distance trains".


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## Castor_Game (Feb 24, 2010)

Rapid train vs. Express train hno: ..... In Spain AVE train :lol:


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

In Italy the word for "express" is used to designate rather slow, crappy night trains of the lowest level that travel long distances (more than 1600km until 2011) and stop often.


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## Fatfield (Jul 26, 2010)

In Britain the term 'Express' is generally used for commuter trains that don't stop at every station on their particular route. Depending on where about in the country they are, they run at a frequency of roughly 1 or 2 trains an hour. Possibly more in places like Manchester, London & Birmingham.

For example, before the T&W Metro reached Sunderland there was a quarter hourly service between Sunderland & Newcastle by British/Northern Rail. The normal train would stop at the following stations: Sunderland Central - Seaburn - East Boldon - Boldon Colliery - Pelaw (replaced by Heworth) - Felling - Gateshead - Newcastle Central. The hourly express train would stop at Sunderland Central & Newcastle Central missing out a stop at all the stations in between. Now the Northern Rail service only stops at Sunderland Central - Heworth - Newcastle Central.

InterCity trains can be classed as 'Express' too but it can be harder to differentiate between the two if you're not a regular user of a particular route.


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