Regional rail

This article is about non-commuter regional rail. For commuter and suburban railways, see commuter rail. For the former British Rail division, see Regional Railways. For the system in Philadelphia, see SEPTA Regional Rail. For the short-line railroad operator, see Regional Rail, LLC.

Clockwise from top left:

• A Northern Trains Class 156 at Dewsbury station, England
• A V/Line VLocity at Sunshine station, Australia
• An Ferrovie del Sud Est Pesa Atribo at Martina Franca station, Italy
• A Deutsche Bahn DBpzfa double-decker carriage at Falkenberg (Elster) station, Germany
• An Indian Railways WAG-5P arrives at Odela station, India
• A West Japan Railway 521-100 series passing between Nose and Unoke, Japan

Regional rail is a public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connecting smaller cities and towns.

"Regional rail" is sometimes used as a synonym for "commuter rail", while in other contexts "commuter rail" refers to systems that primarily or only offer service during rush hour while "regional rail" refers to systems that offer all-day service. In Europe, regional trains have their own category, often abbreviated to R (RB in Germany) or L (for local train).