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In rail transport, a train is a vehicle or (more frequently) a string of vehicles capable of being moved along a continuous line of rails or other guideway for the purpose of conveying freight or passengers between points on a predetermined route. The train may be hauled or propelled by one or more vehicles designed exclusively for that purpose (locomotives) or may be driven by a number of motors incorporated in all or several of the vehicles (multiple units).

As of 2018^[update], there are approximately 1,052,000 kilometres (654,000 mi) of railway track in use worldwide. (World Bank (via Archive.org))

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Selected article of the week

A freight train on the Meråker Line in 2008 at Være by Trondheim, Norway

The Meråker Line (Norwegian: Meråkerbanen) is a railway line which runs from Hell, outside Stjørdal, through the municipality of Meråker, in Norway, to Storlien, in Sweden. On the Swedish side it continues as Mittbanan to Sundsvall. The line originally went from Trondheim Central Station to Storlien, but the owner, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, has since recategorized the line from Trondheim to Hell as part of the Nordland Line, thus cutting the Meråker Line's distance from 106 to 70 kilometres (66 to 43 mi). Planning of the line started in 1870, and the route was preferred over a railway via Verdal and via Røros. The first section was finished in 1879, when the first train ran. The line was officially opened by King Oscar II on 22 July 1882. Construction cost 8.9 million kr, and the line gave an economic boost to the communities along the valley. The line has been upgraded several times to increase the axle load. During World War II, the line was the scene of both the Hommelvik train disaster and the Meråker train disaster. Steam trains were in use until 1971, following the introduction of diesel locomotives in 1961. While the Swedish section of the line is electrified, the Norwegian section is not, though proposals for electrification have existed since the 1940s. The line is now served by the regional train Mittnabotåget, operated by Norges Statsbaner, which runs trains all the way to Östersund, using Class 92 diesel multiple units. There are two services in each direction each day. There are also freight trains operated by CargoNet. Most of the cargo is lumber bound for the lumber mill Norske Skog Skogn and the port at Hommelvik. Previously, Elkem Meraker used the line to haul carbide, and later microsilica, to the port at Muruvik. Six stations remain in use, while seven have been closed.

Recently selected: Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal - NSB Gjøvikbanen - 2008 Chatsworth train collision

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Selected image of the week

A snowplow train in operation in Hokkaidō, Japan. The train has a Russell snowplow at each end facing opposite directions and a single DE15 class locomotive between them. The snowplows are facing opposite directions so the train does not have to be turned to clear snow in either direction of travel.

Recently selected: Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge advertisement - Australian diesel and steam locomotives - BR 92220 Evening Star

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Did you know...

...that the opening ceremonies of the Galway to Clifden railway were very sparsely attended because the event date was a strict church holiday and was reserved for attending church services?
...that following heavy damage to the Galveston Island Trolley track and cars from Hurricane Ike in 2008, substitute service with replica buses was operated until service resumed in October 2021?
...that although the former Santa Fe Railway's Galesburg station was demolished after regular passenger service to the station ended in 1996, the site is still used if derailments cause trains to use the Chillicothe Subdivision instead of the Mendota Subdivision?
...that the Fuzhou–Xiamen railway, which opened in 2010, was so heavily used that it reached capacity in 2015, spurring construction on the parallel Fuzhou–Xiamen high-speed railway for CRH passenger train services?

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Selected anniversaries

June 3

Wreckage in the Eschede train disaster

1864 – The first revenue trains operate over the Central Pacific Railroad between Sacramento and Newcastle, California.
1908 – Robert Gillespie Reid, builder of many Canadian railway bridges as well as the Newfoundland Railway, dies (b. 1842).
1984 – Electrification is commissioned between Wyee and Newcastle allowing the introduction of electric interurban trains between Sydney and Newcastle, Australia, and also the electric operation of freight services on this line.
1998 – The Eschede train disaster (pictured), the worst railroad accident in German history since World War II, occurs when a wheel on the high speed InterCityExpress breaks; the derailed train's forward momentum caused it to slam into a bridge pier which increased the damage to the train and caused a higher injury toll than would otherwise have occurred.

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Train News

Santa Fe No. 2926 at Albuquerque, New Mexico
July 24, 2021 – Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe No. 2926, a 4-8-4 steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1944, moves under its own power for the first time since Christmas Eve of 1953, after nearly twenty-two years of being rebuilt by volunteers. The locomotive will be put into mainline excursion service. (NMSL&RHS, Trains Magazine on Facebook)
Big Boy No. 4012 at Steamtown National Historic Site
May 5, 2021 – Steamtown National Historic Site completes thorough cosmetic overhaul on Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4012, which is moved back on static display before National Train Day. (NEPA Scene)
The derailed Taroko Express trainset, as seen from outside the entrance to the tunnel
April 2, 2021 – 2021 Hualien train derailment – A Taroko Express train operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) derails at the north entrance of Qingshui Tunnel in Heren Section, Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan, killing 49 people and injuring at least 200 others. North of Hualien City a construction truck had fallen down a slope onto the tracks. The eight-carriage train derailed after colliding with the truck, and then came to a rest in the tunnel, with severe damage and many casualties. (Bloomberg, CNN, CNA, New York Times, Financial Times)

The preserved C&O 1309 at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in October 2009

December 31, 2020 – Following a complete restoration, Chesapeake and Ohio 1309, a 2-6-6-2 Mallet locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1949, the last steam locomotive built by Baldwin for the North American market, is operated under its own power for test runs. When returned to service on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, it will be the largest steam locomotive in regular scheduled service in the United States and take 2-8-0 No. 734’s place as the largest active steam locomotive in the state of Maryland. (Trains.com Newswire)

An Avelia Liberty train on a test run in Delaware in May 2020

September 28, 2020 – Amtrak operates a test run using one of the 28 new Avelia Liberty trains manufactured by Alstom along the full length of the Northeast Corridor to Boston South Station. Previous test runs had occurred from Washington, D.C., only as far north as New Jersey and Delaware. Barring any problems, the trains are expected to enter regular service on the route in 2021. (Universal Hub)

Berryessa/North San José station on the first day of service

June 13, 2020 – The Bay Area Rapid Transit Silicon Valley BART extension opened its stations in Milpitas and North San Jose. (San Jose Spotlight, SF Gate)

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General images

The following are images from various train-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Garratt locomotives in Zimbabwe (from Train)
Image 2A China Railways HXD1D electric locomotive in China (from Locomotive)
Image 3Yard for Amtrak equipment, located next to the Los Angeles River. The two tracks on the left are the mainline. (from Rail yard)
Image 4A British Rail Class 150 in the United Kingdom (from Railroad car)
Image 5Variety of rolling stock in rail yard (from Rolling stock)
Image 6A coach yard in Shanghai, China (from Rail yard)
Image 7A wooden toy train set from Swedish manufacturer Brio (from Train)
Image 8A narrow gauge battery-electric locomotive used for mining (from Locomotive)
Image 9A narrow gauge train in Austria (from Train)
Image 10Pacific National diesel locomotives in Australia showing three body types, cab unit (front), hood unit (middle) and box cab (rear) (from Locomotive)
Image 11The New Orleans Streetcar System is one of the oldest in the world. (from Train)
Image 12Trains carrying hazardous materials display information identifying their cargo and hazards. This tank car carrying chlorine displays, among other markings, a U.S. DOT placard showing a UN number that identifies the hazardous substance. (from Train)
Image 13Various types of railroad cars in a classification yard in the United States (from Train)
Image 14The EMD FT set the stage for diesel locomotives to take over from steam. (from Train)
Image 15A Metropolitan line S8 Stock at Amersham in London (from Railroad car)
Image 16Typical American extended vision caboose (from Railroad car)
Image 17A passenger car of the China Railway, 2011 (from Railroad car)
Image 18A Victorian Railways R class steam locomotive in Australia (from Locomotive)
Image 19Southern Railway (UK) 20002 was equipped with both pantograph and contact shoes (from Locomotive)
Image 20Workington stabling point in 1981, with locomotives from Classes 25, 40 and 47 parked between duties. (from Rail yard)
Image 21An interior of a Circle line S7 Stock in London (from Railroad car)
Image 22Bombardier ALP-45DP at the Innotrans convention in Berlin (from Locomotive)
Image 23Armored train Hurban located in Zvolen, Slovakia (from Railroad car)
Image 24A freight car (boxcar type) for the South Australian Railways, 1926 (from Railroad car)
Image 25A Union Pacific freight train; high clearances enable double-stacked containers to be carried in well cars. (from Train)
Image 26A Tokyo Monorail train (from Train)
Image 27China operates an extensive high speed rail network. (from Train)
Image 28A number of maintenance vehicles at work on Metro-North Railroad (from Train)
Image 29An early Diesel-mechanical locomotive at the North Alabama Railroad Museum (from Locomotive)
Image 30The 1887 Daimler draisine (from Locomotive)
Image 31Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare, by Claude Monet, 1877, Art Institute of Chicago (from Train)
Image 32The "hump" of a hump yard. Railcars travel past retarders, which control their speed, and are directed onto tracks to be assembled into new trains. The control tower operates the retarders. (from Rail yard)
Image 33Werner von Siemens experimental DC electric train, 1879 (from Locomotive)
Image 34Stockton and Darlington special inaugural train 1825: six wagons of coal, directors coach, then people in wagons (from Train)
Image 35US-style railroad truck (bogie) with journal bearings (from Train)
Image 36Most derailments, such as this one in Switzerland, are minor and do not cause injuries or damage. (from Train)
Image 37A London Underground battery-electric locomotive at West Ham station used for hauling engineers' trains (from Locomotive)
Image 38Union Pacific 18, a gas turbine-electric locomotive preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum (from Locomotive)
Image 39Electric train on Djursholmsbanan in Stockholm in the 1890s. (from Train)
Image 40A preserved armored train (from Train)
Image 41Škoda Artic light rail train near the cathedral in Tampere, Finland (from Train)
Image 42Inside a modern-day car from Finland (from Railroad car)
Image 43Second-class compartment of a China Railways CRH1A-A train (from Train)
Image 44A large Amtrak and Metra coach yard just south of Chicago Union Station. About 25 percent of all rail traffic in the United States travels through the Chicago area. (from Rail yard)
Image 45The Japanese 0 Series Shinkansen pioneered high speed rail service. (from Train)
Image 46World's first useful diesel locomotive (a diesel-electric locomotive) for long distances SŽD Eel2, 1924 in Kyiv (from Locomotive)
Image 47A gas turbine locomotive operated by the Union Pacific Railroad (from Train)
Image 48This map of Cedar Hill Yard in Connecticut shows a variety of different facilities, including receiving yards, departure yards, classification yards, and a repair yard. (from Rail yard)
Image 49British Rail Mark 3 coach, an all-steel car from the 1970s (from Railroad car)
Image 50A prototype of a Ganz AC electric locomotive in Valtellina, Italy, 1901 (from Locomotive)
Image 51Baltimore & Ohio electric engine, 1895 (from Locomotive)
Image 52A German DB Class V 200 diesel-hydraulic locomotive at Technikmuseum, Berlin (from Locomotive)
Image 53The 1902 Maudslay Petrol Locomotive (from Locomotive)
Image 54This 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). (from Train)
Image 55The Union Pacific Big Boy locomotives represented the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology and power. (from Train)
Image 56Soviet RT-23 Molodets ICBM launch train, in the St Petersburg museum (from Railroad car)