A
tram (also known as
tramcar; and in
North America known as
streetcar,
trolley or
trolley car) is a
rail vehicle which runs on
tracks along public urban streets (called
street running), and also sometimes on a segregated
right of way. The lines or networks operated by tramcars are called
tramways. Tramways powered by electricity, the most common type historically, were once called
electric street railways. However, trams were widely used in urban areas before the universal adoption of
electrification; other methods of powering trams are listed below under "History".
