Meanings
- USuncountablerail transportA rail transport system with trains used to transport commuters between two places, typically their homes and works, normally within a metropolitan area and its surrounding environs, and generally distinguished from other rail transport systems (i.e. subways, metros, tramways) by having less frequent service, lacking free transfers between trains and using heavy rolling stock running on a mainline railway
I took the commuter rail in to work today, since it's quicker and more convenient than driving on the highway at rush hour.
1 more example
Boston and Philadelphia's commuter rails each have thirteen active lines, but Boston's lines reach, on average, over a third again farther out from the central city than their counterparts in Philly.
Synonyms: suburban rail
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA rail transport system with trains used to transport commuters between two places, typically their homes and works, normally within a metropolitan area and its surrounding environs, and generally distinguished from other rail transport systems (i.e. subways, metros, tramways) by having less frequent service, lacking free transfers between trains and using heavy rolling stock running on a mainline railway
Translations
Esperanto A-fervojo, aglomeraĵo fervojo
- A-fervojorailway
- aglomeraĵo fervojorailway
- antaŭurba fervojorailway
Finnish lähijunajärjestelmä, paikallisjunajärjestelmä
- lähijunajärjestelmärailway
- paikallisjunajärjestelmärailway
French train de banlieue
- train de banlieuerailway
German S-Bahn, Stadtschnellbahn
- S-Bahnrailway
- Stadtschnellbahnrailway
Italian servizio ferroviario suburbano, servizio ferroviario urbano
- servizio ferroviario suburbanorailway
- servizio ferroviario urbanorailway
- servizio ferroviario metropolitanorailway
Polish kolej aglomeracyjna, kolej podmiejska
- kolej aglomeracyjnarailway
- kolej podmiejskarailway
Spanish ferrocarril de cercanía, cercanías
- ferrocarril de cercaníarailway
- cercaníasrailway
Swedish pendeltågssystem, pendel
- pendeltågssystemrailway
- pendelrailway
Cite this entry
commuter rail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commuter%20rail
“commuter rail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commuter%20rail. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “commuter rail,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commuter%20rail.
Source: commuter rail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.