interurbanos

Interurbanos are transportation networks designed to connect urban areas, typically linking cities with surrounding towns and suburbs. They operate on scheduled services over longer distances than city transit, with defined routes and stops that are more spaced than in urban street networks.

Historically, interurban systems emerged and flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in North America and parts of Europe. They commonly used electric traction on dedicated rights-of-way or lightly used rail corridors, though some later services employed diesel traction. Interurbans offered faster travel between communities than local streetcars and provided a crucial link for regional development before the widespread dominance of the automobile.

Across much of the world, the mid-20th century saw a broad decline of interurban networks as road transport and bus services expanded, and as highway systems were developed. Many lines were abandoned, dismantled, or converted to bus routes, while others were integrated into national or regional rail and transit systems. The fate of a given interurban corridor often depended on local policy, funding, and land use.

In modern transit planning, the term interurban is sometimes applied to contemporary light rail, tram-train, or commuter rail services that serve metropolitan corridors with higher speeds and longer legs than urban trams. The exact meaning and terminology vary by country, and some former interurban routes have been revived or repurposed as new rail services or as rail trails for pedestrians and cyclists.