Since 1973 there has been a significant increase in both the number of light railways coming into being and the facilities they offer.
It was the first major line engineered by the young Arthur Pain who went on to construct several other light railways, notably the Southwold and the Axminster & Lyme Regis.
Some of these regulations affect light railways and tramways as well as conventional railways.
On the whole, the directive is advantageous to the rail network, but it is not advantageous to trams and light railways, nor to community and heritage railways.
Two railway Acts of the 1860s mention light railways and in 1870 the Tramways Act was passed.
It had a track gauge of 60 cm, and this was applied to all light railways constructed by the British.
In 1888 light railways also were used on the construction of the ‘Nord-Ostsee-Kanal’.
Demand for passenger and freight cars for light railways was met completely by domestic manufacturers.
China is planning to construct subways and light railways in more than 20 cities, covering a total length of 850 kilometres, the Beijing-based Guangming Daily reported yesterday.
Russia had had wide experience, some of it bitter, with light railways during the Russo-Japanese War.
There are advanced plans for light railways in various regions.