This article is about the series of rail vehicles. For the act of developing skills, seeTraining. For the vehicle that hauls trains, seeLocomotive. For other uses, seeTrain (disambiguation).
Atrain (fromOld Frenchtrahiner, fromLatintrahere, "to pull, to draw")[1] is a series of connectedvehicles that run along arailway track and transportpeople orfreight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed bylocomotives (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such asmultiple units orrailcars. Passengers and cargo are carried inrailroad cars, also known as wagons or carriages. Trains are designed to a certaingauge, or distance between rails. Most trains operate onsteel tracks with steel wheels, the low friction of which makes them more efficient than other forms of transport. Manycountries use rail transport.
Trains have their roots inwagonways, which used railway tracks and werepowered by horses orpulled by cables. Following the invention of thesteam locomotive in the United Kingdom in 1802, trains rapidly spread around the world, allowing freight and passengers to move over land faster and cheaper than ever possible before.Rapid transit andtrams were first built in the late 1800s to transport large numbers of people in and around cities. Beginning in the 1920s, and accelerating followingWorld War II,diesel andelectric locomotives replaced steam as the means of motive power. Following the development ofcars,trucks, and extensive networks ofhighways which offered greater mobility, as well as fasterairplanes, trains declined in importance and market share, and many rail lines were abandoned. The spread ofbuses led to the closure of many rapid transit and tram systems during this time as well.
Since the 1970s, governments,environmentalists, and train advocates have promoted increased use of trains due to their greaterfuel efficiency and lowergreenhouse gas emissions compared to other modes of land transport.High-speed rail, first built in the 1960s, has proven competitive with cars and planes over short to medium distances.Commuter rail has grown in importance since the 1970s as an alternative to congested highways and a means to promotedevelopment, as haslight rail in the 21st century. Freight trains remain important for the transport of bulk commodities such as coal and grain, as well as being a means of reducing road traffic congestion by freight trucks.
While conventional trains operate on relatively flat tracks with two rails, a number of specialized trains exist which are significantly different in their mode of operation.Monorails operate on a single rail, whilefuniculars andrack railways are uniquely designed to traverse steep slopes. Experimental trains such as high speedmaglevs, which usemagnetic levitation to float above a guideway, are under development since the 1970s and offer higher speeds than even the fastest conventional trains. Trains which usealternative fuels such asnatural gas andhydrogen are a 21st-century development.
Trains can be sorted into types based on whether they haul passengers or freight (thoughmixed trains which haul both exist), by their weight (heavy rail for regular trains,light rail for lighter transit systems), by their speed (low speed andhigh speed), by their distance (short haul,long distance,transcontinental), and by what form of track they use. Conventional trains operate on two rails, but several other types of track systems are also in use around the world, such asmonorail.
Stockton and Darlington special inaugural train 1825: six wagons of coal, directors coach, then people in wagons.
Trains are an evolution of wheeled wagons running on stonewagonways, the earliest of which were built byBabylon circa 2,200 BCE.[10] Starting in the 1500s, wagonways were introduced to haul material from mines; from the 1790s, stronger iron rails were introduced.[10] Following early developments in the second half of the 1700s, in 1804 a steam locomotive built by British inventorRichard Trevithick powered the first ever steam train.[11] Outside of coal mines, where fuel was readily available, steam locomotives remained untried until the opening of theStockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. British engineerGeorge Stephenson ran a steam locomotive namedLocomotion No. 1 on this 40-kilometer (25-mile) long line, hauling over 400 passengers at up to 13 kilometers per hour (8 mph). The success of this locomotive, andStephenson's Rocket in 1829, convinced many of the value in steam locomotives, and within a decade thestock market bubble known as "Railway Mania" started across the United Kingdom.[12]
TheUnion Pacific Big Boy locomotives represented the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology and power.
News of the success of steam locomotives quickly reached theUnited States, where the first steam railroad opened in 1829.[13] American railroad pioneers soon started manufacturing their own locomotives, designed to handle the sharper curves and rougher track typical of the country's railroads.[14] The other nations ofEurope also took note of British railroad developments, and most countries on the continent constructed and opened their first railroads in the 1830s and 1840s, following the first run of a steam train inFrance in late 1829.[15] In the 1850s, trains continued to expand across Europe, with many influenced by or purchases of American locomotive designs.[15] Other European countries pursued their own distinct designs. Around the world, steam locomotives grew larger and more powerful throughout the rest of the century as technology advanced.[16]
Trains first entered service inSouth America,Africa, andAsia through construction byimperial powers, which starting in the 1840s built railroads to solidify control of their colonies and transport cargo for export.[17] InJapan, which was never colonized, railroads first arrived in the early 1870s. By 1900, railroads were operating on every continent besides uninhabited Antarctica.[18]
Even as steam locomotive technology continued to improve, inventors inGermany started work on alternative methods for powering trains.Werner von Siemens built the first train powered by electricity in 1879, and went on to pioneer electrictrams.[16] Another German inventor,Rudolf Diesel, constructed the firstdiesel engine in the 1890s, though the potential of his invention to power trains was not realized until decades later.[16] Between 1897 and 1903, tests of experimental electric locomotives on theRoyal Prussian Military Railway in Germany demonstrated they were viable, setting speed records in excess of 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph).[19]
TheEMD FT set the stage for diesel locomotives to take over from steam.
Early gas powered "doodlebug" self-propelled railcars entered service on railroads in the first decade of the 1900s.[20] Experimentation with diesel and gas power continued, culminating in the German "Flying Hamburger" in 1933, and the influential AmericanEMD FT in 1939.[21] These successful diesel locomotives showed that diesel power was superior to steam, due to lower costs, ease of maintenance, and better reliability.[22] Meanwhile, Italy developed an extensive network of electric trains during the first decades of the 20th century, driven by that country's lack of significant coal reserves.[19]
Dieselization and increased competition
World War II brought great destruction to existing railroads across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Following the war's conclusion in 1945, nations which had suffered extensive damage to their railroad networks took the opportunity provided byMarshall Plan funds (or economic assistance from theUSSR andComecon, for nations behind theIron Curtain) and advances in technology to convert their trains to diesel or electric power.[23]France,Russia,Switzerland, andJapan were leaders in adopting widespreadelectrified railroads, while other nations focused primarily ondieselization.[24] By 1980, the majority of the world's steam locomotives had been retired, though they continued to be used in parts of Africa and Asia, along with a few holdouts in Europe and South America.[25]China was the last country to fully dieselize, due to its abundant coal reserves; steam locomotives were used to haul mainline trains as late as 2005 inInner Mongolia.[26]
Trains began to face strong competition from automobiles and freight trucks in the 1930s, which greatly intensified following World War II.[27] After the war, air transport also became a significant competitor for passenger trains. Large amounts of traffic shifted to these new forms of transportation, resulting in a widespread decline in train service, both freight and passenger.[24] A new development in the 1960s washigh-speed rail, which runs on dedicated rights of way and travels at speeds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 mph) or greater. The first high-speed rail service was the JapaneseShinkansen, which entered service in 1964.[28] In the following decades, high speed rail networks were developed across much ofEurope and Eastern Asia, providing fast and reliable service competitive with automobiles and airplanes.[28] The first high-speed train in the Americas wasAmtrak'sAcela in theUnited States, which entered service in 2000.[29]
China operates an extensive high speed rail network.
To the present day
Towards the end of the 20th century, increased awareness of the benefits of trains for transport led to a revival in their use and importance. Freight trains are significantly more efficient than trucks, while also emitting far fewer greenhouse gas emissions per ton-mile; passenger trains are also far more energy efficient than other modes of transport. According to theInternational Energy Agency, "On average, rail requires 12 times less energy and emits 7–11 times lessGHGs per passenger-km travelled than private vehicles and airplanes, making it the most efficient mode of motorised passenger transport. Aside from shipping, freight rail is the most energy-efficient and least carbon-intensive way to transport goods."[30] As such, rail transport is considered an important part of achievingsustainable energy.[31]Intermodal freight trains, carryingdouble-stackshipping containers, have since the 1970s generated significant business for railroads and gained market share from trucks.[32] Increased use of commuter rail has also been promoted as a means of fightingtraffic congestion on highways in urban areas.[33][34]
Bogies, also known in North America as trucks, support the wheels and axles of trains. Trucks range from just one axle to as many as four or more. Two-axle bogies are the most common worldwide, as they decrease the impact of track irregularities, improve curve negotiation, and distribute heavy loads more effectively than single-axle bogies.[35]
Train vehicles are linked to one another by various systems of coupling. In much of Europe, India, and South America, trains primarily usebuffers and chain couplers. In the rest of the world,knuckle couplers are the most popular, with a few local variations persisting (such asWilson couplers in the former Soviet Union). On multiple units all over the world,Scharfenberg couplers are common.[36]
Because steel wheels on steel rails have a low coefficient of rolling resistance, trains rely on friction brakes applied to many or all wheels to achieve sufficient stopping force. Early trains used manually applied hand brakes: brakemen rode in brakeman’s cabins or atop cars to turn brake wheels as required on downhill grades. Since 1869, George Westinghouse’s automatic air brake has been nearly universally adopted; his system uses compressed air in a continuous train pipe to apply brakes simultaneously across all cars.[37]
Warning devices
This cab car includes a horn (top), a bell (top right), headlights (above the door), classification lights (red lights on side), and ditch lights (white lights on side).
For safety and communication, trains are equipped with horns and bells as mandatory audible devices under international and regional regulations—for example, EU Directive 2004/49/EC Annex I specifies “audible devices: bells, horns, klaxons, etc.” as part of level-crossing warning equipment[38]—and the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration defines and mandates locomotive audible warning devices (air horn, steam whistle or similar) under 49 CFR 229.129 (“locomotive horn”).[39] Steam locomotives traditionally use steam whistles rather than air horns. Visual warning lights include headlights,classification lights,Mars Light, and ditch lights.[40]
Schedule of train departure times inIndonesia stations
To prevent collisions or other accidents, trains are often scheduled, and almost always are under the control oftrain dispatchers.[43] Historically, trains operated based ontimetables; most trains (including nearly all passenger trains), continue to operate based on fixed schedules, though freight trains may instead run on an as-needed basis, or when enough freight cars are available to justify running a train.[44]
Simple repairs may be done while a train is parked on the tracks, but more extensive repairs will be done at amotive power depot.[45] Similar facilities exist for repairing damaged or defective train cars.[46]Maintenance of way trains are used to build and repair railroad tracks and other equipment.[47]
Crew
Train drivers, also known as engineers, are responsible for operating trains.[48]Conductors are in charge of trains and their cargo, and help passengers on passenger trains.[48]Brakeman, also known as trainmen, were historically responsible for manually applying brakes, though the term is used today to refer to crew members who perform tasks such as operating switches, coupling and uncoupling train cars, and setting handbrakes on equipment.[48] Steam locomotives require afireman who is responsible for fueling and regulating the locomotive's fire and boiler.[48] On passenger trains, other crew members assist passengers, such as chefs to prepare food, and service attendants to provide food and drinks to passengers. Other passenger train specific duties include passenger car attendants, who assist passengers with boarding and alighting from trains, answer questions, and keep train cars clean, and sleeping car attendants, who perform similar duties insleeping cars.[48] Some trains can operate withautomatic train operation without a driver directly present.[49]
Around the world, varioustrack gauges are in use for trains. In most cases, trains can only operate on tracks that are of the same gauge; where different gauge trains meet, it is known as abreak of gauge.Standard gauge, defined as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in) between the rails, is the most common gauge worldwide, though bothbroad-gauge andnarrow-gauge trains are also in use.[50] Trains also need to fit within theloading gauge profile to avoid fouling bridges and lineside infrastructure with this being a potential limiting factor on loads such asintermodal container types that may be carried.[51]
Safety
Most derailments, such as this one inSwitzerland, are minor and do not cause injuries or damage.Trains carryinghazardous materials display information identifying their cargo and hazards. Thistank car carryingchlorine displays, among other markings, aU.S. DOT placard showing aUN number that identifies the hazardous substance.[52]
Train accidents sometimes occur, includingderailments (when a train leaves the tracks) andtrain wrecks (collisions between trains). Accidents were more common in the early days of trains, whenrailway signal systems,centralized traffic control, and failsafe systems to prevent collisions were primitive or did not yet exist.[53] To prevent accidents, systems such asautomatic train stop are used; these are failsafe systems that apply the brakes on a train if it passes a red signal and enters an occupiedblock, or if any of the train's equipment malfunctions.[54][obsolete source] More advanced safety systems, such aspositive train control, can also automatically regulate train speed, preventing derailments from entering curves or switches too fast.[55]
Modern trains have a very good safety record overall, comparable with air travel.[56] In the United States between 2000 and 2009, train travel averaged 0.43 deaths per billion passenger miles traveled. While this was higher than that of air travel at 0.07 deaths per billion passenger miles, it was also far below the 7.28 deaths per billion passenger miles of car travel.[57] In the 21st century, several derailments of oil trains caused fatalities, most notably the CanadianLac-Mégantic rail disaster in 2013 which killed 47 people and leveled much of the town ofLac-Mégantic.[58]
The vast majority of train-related fatalities, over 90 percent, are due to trespassing on railroad tracks, or collisions with road vehicles atlevel crossings.[59] Organizations such asOperation Lifesaver have been formed to improve safety awareness at railroad crossings, and governments have also launched ad campaigns. Trains cannot stop quickly when at speed; even an emergency brake application may still require more than a mile of stopping distance. As such, emphasis is on educating motorists to yield to trains at crossings and avoid trespassing.[60]
The first trains were rope-hauled, gravity powered or pulled by horses.[10]
Steam
Steam locomotives work by burning coal, wood or oil fuel in a boiler to heat water into steam, which powers the locomotive's pistons which are in turn connected to the wheels.[61] In the mid 20th century, most steam locomotives were replaced by diesel or electric locomotives, which were cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable.[62] Steam locomotives are still used inheritage railways operated in many countries for the leisure and enthusiast market.[63][globalize]
Diesel
Diesel locomotives are powered with a diesel engine, which generates electricity to drive traction motors. This is known as adiesel–electric transmission, and is used on most larger diesels.[64] Diesel power replaced steam for a variety of reasons: diesel locomotives were less complex, far more reliable, cheaper, cleaner, easier to maintain, and more fuel efficient.[62]
Electric trains receive their current viaoverhead lines or through athird rail electric system, which is then used to power traction motors that drive the wheels.[65] Electric traction offers a lower cost per mile of train operation but at a higher initial cost, which can only be justified on high traffic lines. Even though the cost per mile of construction is much higher, electric traction is cheaper to operate thanks to lower maintenance and purchase costs for locomotives and equipment.[65] Compared to diesel locomotives, electric locomotives produce no direct emissions and accelerate much faster, making them better suited to passenger service, especially underground.[65][66]
Some trains also operateusing energy from a battery, which removes the need for overhead lines, but results in a limited range.[67]
Various other types of train propulsion have been tried, some more successful than others.
In the mid 1900s,gas turbine locomotives were developed and successfully used, though most were retired due to high fuel costs and poor reliability.[68]
In the 21st century, alternative fuels for locomotives are under development, due to increasing costs for diesel and a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from trains. Examples includehydrail (trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells) and the use of compressed orliquefied natural gas.[69][70]
Early train cars were small and light, much like early locomotives, but over time they have become larger as locomotives have become more powerful.[71]
A passenger train is used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpoweredpassenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages)hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self propelled passenger trains are known asmultiple units orrailcars. Passenger trains travel betweenstations or depots, where passengers may board and disembark. In most cases, passenger trains operate on a fixedschedule and have priority overfreight trains.[74] InEurope, passenger trains are assigned to differenttrain categories.
Passenger trains can be divided into short and long distance services.
Long distance passenger trains travel over hundreds or even thousands of miles between cities. The longest passenger train service in the world is Russia'sTrans-Siberian Railway betweenMoscow andVladivostok, a distance of 9,289 kilometers (5,772 mi).[75] In general, long distance trains may take days to complete their journeys, and stop at dozens of stations along their routes. For many rural communities, they are the only form of public transportation available.[76]
Short distance trains
Short distance orregional passenger trains have travel times measured in hours or even minutes, as opposed to days. They run more frequently than long distance trains, and are often used by commuters. Short distance passenger trains specifically designed for commuters are known ascommuter rail.[77]
The first high speed train was the JapaneseShinkansen, which entered service in 1964.[78] Since the 1990s, services such as the FrenchTGV and GermanIntercity Express have become competitive with airlines in travel time over short to medium distances.[79]
The lower threshold for the high-speed category is generally 200 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour). These trains operate at cruising speeds up to 355 kilometres per hour (221 miles per hour).[80] Such a speed is incompatible with that of conventional trains, so high speed trains usually run on their own separate tracks – although they may run more slowly when they are deployed on conventional-speed feeder lines on some systems.
"Higher speed trains" is the category between conventional and high speed trains, which travel at speeds between the two. Examples include theNortheast Regional (excluding theAcela) in the United States, theGatimaan Express in India, and theKTM ETS in Malaysia.
Luxury trains provide permium rail services on their journey, either within a given country or across country borders. Some use refurbished classic rail cars.
Urban rail transit
A number of types of trains are used to provide transit tourban areas. These are distinct from traditional passenger trains in that they operate more frequently, typically do not share tracks with freight trains, and cover relatively short distances. Many different kinds of systems are in use globally.[81]
Rapid transit
Rapid transit use trains that operate in tunnels below ground, onelevated structures like viaducts or bridges above the ground, often on top of city streets or on surface level with an independent alignement from pedestrians or other types of traffic.[82] In many systems, two or even all three of these types may exist on different portions of a network. Alternative terms for these systems are subway, underground, metro, or heavy rail, the latter indicating higher investment costs and passenger loads compared to light rail.
Trams, also known in North America as streetcars, typically operate on or parallel to streets in cities, with frequent stops and a high frequency of service.[83] Trams emerged in the USA in the 1830s and became popular from the 1860s in Europe and later in other regions as well. Originally tramcars werepulled by horses, alternative propulsion like steam power and cables gained success until the arrival of electric trams.[84] Since the 1990s low-floor trams have become common.
Light rail is a umbrella term for a variety of systems, which use tram technology, but with more separate right-of-ways and often a longer distance between stops.[85] The term was coined in the USA in 1972 to refer to modernised tram systems. Since 2021, the number of light rail systems (including trams) have grown to over 400 worldwide.[86] Despite the name,diesel light rail transit (DLRT) uses mainline railway technology.
Specialized trains
There are a number of specialized trains which differ from the traditional definition of a train as a set of vehicles which travels on two rails.
Monorails consist of a train running either mounted on a single rail or suspended under a girder, typically elevated.[87] Most lines meetmedium-demand traffic in urban transit (mostly in Japan), others are used in theme parks and zoos.[88] Monorails represent a small proportion of the train systems in use worldwide. First examples appeared in the 19th century and an early line that's still in use since 1901, is the suspendedSchwebebahn inWuppertal.
Maglev technology uses magnets to levitate the train above the track, reducing friction and allowing higher speeds.[89] The first commercial maglev train was anairport shuttle introduced in 1984 atBirmingham Airport in England.[90]
TheShanghai maglev train, opened in 2002, is the fastest commercial train service of any kind, operating at speeds of up to 431 km/h (268 mph).[91] Japan'sL0 Series maglev holds the record for the world's fastest train ever, with a top speed of 603.0 kilometers per hour (374.7 mph).[92] Maglev has not yet been used for inter-citymass transit routes, with only a few examples in use worldwide as of 2019[update].[91]
Mine trains are operated in large mines and carry both workers and goods. They are usually powered by electricity, to prevent emissions which would pose a health risk to workers underground.[93][globalize]
While they have long been important in transporting troops and military equipment, trains have occasionally been used for direct combat. Armored trains have been used in a number of conflicts, as have railroad based artillery systems.[94][95]Railcar-launched ICBM systems have also been used by nuclear weapon states.[96]
For climbing steep slopes, specialized rack railroads are used. In order to avoid slipping, arack and pinion system is used, with a toothed rail placed between the two regular rails, which meshes with a drive gear under the locomotive.[97]
Funiculars are also used to climb steep slopes, but instead of a rack use a rope, which is attached to two cars and a pulley.[98] The two funicular cars travel up and down the slope on parallel sets of rails when the pulley is rotated. This design makes funiculars an efficient means of moving people and cargo up and down slopes.[99] The earliest funicular railroad, theReisszug, opened around 1500.[99]
Rubber tire trains, or rubber-tired metro systems, employ rubber tires for traction and guidance, offering advantages like better acceleration and reduced noise. However, they come with disadvantages, including higher costs for installation and maintenance, faster tire wear, and complex tire inflation mechanisms that require regular upkeep. Nonetheless, these systems are utilized in many urban rapid transit networks worldwide, enhancing passenger comfort and urban transportation efficiency.
Freight trains are dedicated to the transport of cargo (also known as goods), rather than people, and are made up offreight cars or wagons. Longer freight trains typically operate betweenclassification yards, while local trains provide freight service between yards and individual loading and unloading points along railroad lines.[100] Major origin or destination points for freight may instead be served byunit trains, which exclusively carry one type of cargo and move directly from the origin to the destination and back without any intermediate stops.[101]
Under the right circumstances, transporting freight by train is less expensive than other modes of transport, and also more energy efficient than transporting freight by road. In the United States, railroads on average moved a ton of freight 702 kilometers (436 mi) per gallon of fuel, as of 2008, an efficiency four times greater than that of trucks.[102][103] TheEnvironmental and Energy Study Institute estimates that train transportation of freight is between 1.9 and 5.5 times more efficient than by truck, and also generates significantly less pollution.[65] Rail freight is most economic when goods are being carried in bulk and over large distances, but it is less suited to short distances and small loads.[103] With the advent ofcontainerization, freight rail has become part of anintermodal freight network linked with trucking andcontainer ships.[104]
The main disadvantage of rail freight is its lack of flexibility and for this reason, rail has lost much of the freight business toroad competition. Many governments are trying to encourage more freight back on to trains because of the community benefits that it would bring.[105]
From the dawn of railroading, trains have had a significant cultural impact worldwide. Fast train travel made possible in days or hours journeys which previously took months. Transport of both freight and passengers became far cheaper, allowing for networked economies over large areas.[106] Towns and cities along railroad lines grew in importance, while those bypassed declined or even becameghost towns.[106][107] Major cities such asChicago became prominent because they were places where multiple train lines met.[108] In the United States, the completion of thefirst transcontinental railroad played a major role in the settling ofthe western part of the nation by non-indigenous migrants and its incorporation into the rest of the country.[109] The RussianTrans-Siberian Railway had a similar impact by connecting the vast country from east to west, and making travel across frozenSiberia possible.[110]
^"Rake".Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived fromthe original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved19 October 2014.
^Classification of on-track equipment. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety. 1978. p. 107. Retrieved2 October 2023.
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