First quote for metro / rapid transit on wikipedia:
Quote:
a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas.[1][2][3] Unlike buses, trams or light rail, rapid transit systems are electric railways that operate on an exclusive right-of-way, which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles of any sort,[4] and which is often grade separated in tunnels or on elevated railways.
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The free dictionary:
Quote:
An urban passenger transportation system using elevated or underground trains or a combination of both.
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Those are the first two definitions that pop up.
The ability for a rail system to operate automatically or not if wanted on its ROW is a huge discrepancy between systems.
Here, I will give you a parallel using roads.
Would you ever call a high capacity road with intersections a freeway? Nope! And correct maps will also make a clear distinction between highways (freeways) with full controlled access (interchanges) to those that don't (intersections, at grade crossings).
It is the same thing with urban rail.