End of the single track, unelectrified line at Bad Radkersburg, Styria, Austria, quite close to the Slovenian border.

Rail transport is the transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. A typical railway (or railroad) track consists of two parallel steel (or in older networks, iron) rails, generally anchored perpendicular to beams (termed sleepers (Commonwealth except Canada) or railroad ties (U.S. and Canada) of timber, concrete, or steel to maintain a consistent distance apart, or gauge. The rails and perpendicular beams are usually then placed on a foundation made of concrete or compressed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast to prevent the track from buckling (bending out of its original configuration) as the ground settles over time beneath and under the weight of the vehicles passing above. The vehicles travelling on the rails are arranged in a train; a series of individual powered or unpowered vehicles linked together, displaying markers. These vehicles (referred to, in general, as cars, carriages or wagons) move with much less friction than on rubber tires on a paved road, and the locomotive that pulls the train tends to use energy far more efficiently as a result. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Bad Radkersburg (Slovenia Radgona) is a city in the southeast of the Austrian state of Styria and capital of the district of Radkersburg. ... Styria redirects here. ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Rail can mean: Rail tracks Rail transport For the group of birds called rails, see Rallidae For the Mayfair Games board games, see Crayon Rails For rail in electronics, see . ... Perpendicular is a geometric term that may be used as a noun or adjective. ... A statically determinate beam, bending under an evenly distributed load. ... Ferroconcrete sleepers A variant fastening of rails to wooden sleepers A railroad tie, cross tie, or sleeper is an oblong object used as a base for railroad tracks. ... Commonwealth English is a collective term for the perceived standard English language used in the Commonwealth of Nations1, applying in theory to Australian English, British English, Caribbean English, Canadian English, Hiberno-English (Irish English)2, Hong Kong English3, Indian English (includes Pakistani English), formal Malaysian English, New Zealand English, formal... Ferroconcrete sleepers A variant fastening of rails to wooden sleepers A railroad tie, cross tie, or sleeper is an oblong object used as a base for railroad tracks. ... American English (AmE) is the dialect of the English language used mostly in the United States of America. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... Pouring a concrete floor for a commercial building, (slab-on-grade) Installing rebar in a floor slab during a concrete pour For other uses, see Concrete (disambiguation). ... The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... Soil is the material on the surface of a lithosphere subject to weathering, and especially the earthy portion of that material. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ... In engineering, buckling is a failure mode of a structural member characterised by a failure to react to the bending moment generated by a compressive load. ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ...

General

Boxcars transport bulk loads of freight.

Rail transport is an energy-efficient and capital-intensive means of mechanised land transport. Rails provide very smooth and hard surfaces on which the wheels of the train may roll with a minimum of friction. As an example, a typical wagon can hold up to 125 tons of freight on two four-wheel bogies (termed "trucks" in North America). Fully loaded, the contact between each wheel and the rail is the space of about one U.S. ten-cent piece. This can save energy compared with other forms of transportation, such as road transport which depends on rubber tires on pavement. Trains also have a small frontal area in relation to the load they are carrying, which cuts down on air resistance and thus energy usage. In all, under the right circumstances, a train needs 50-70% less energy to transport a given tonnage of freight (or given number of passengers), than does road transport. Furthermore, the rails and sleepers distribute the weight of the train evenly, allowing significantly greater loads per axle / wheel than in road transport, leading to less wear and tear on the permanent way. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1016x723, 86 KB) Summary Photo by William Grimes Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1016x723, 86 KB) Summary Photo by William Grimes Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... A boxcar (the American term; the British call this kind of car a goods van) is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to hold freight. ... In physics and engineering, including mechanical and electrical engineering, energy efficiency is a dimensionless number, with a value between 0 and 1 or with times 100 given in percent. ... Capital intensity is the term in economics for the amount of fixed or real capital present in relation to other factors of production, especially labor. ... A driving wheel on a steam locomotive. ... It has been suggested that Frictional force be merged into this article or section. ... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ... A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. ... For a solid object moving through a fluid or gas, drag is the sum of all the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces in the direction of the external fluid flow. ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ... A road ascends a mountainside using hairpin bends in the French Alps. ... An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. ... Disruptions in organized traffic flow can create delays lasting hours. ...

An intercity passenger train (left) and freight train (right) in England

Rail transport makes highly efficient use of space: a double-track rail line can carry more passengers or freight in a given amount of time than a four-lane road. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1100x622, 268 KB)A Virgin Trains Pendolino and an EWS freight train pass each other on the West Coast Main Line near Shilton in Warwickshire, England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1100x622, 268 KB)A Virgin Trains Pendolino and an EWS freight train pass each other on the West Coast Main Line near Shilton in Warwickshire, England. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004...

As a result, rail transport is a major form of public transport in many countries. In Asia, for example, many millions use trains as regular transport in India, South Korea, Japan, China, and in European countries. However, outside New York City, rail transport as a form of public transit in the United States is rare. Few major U.S. cities other than New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia can lay claim to any significant use of local rail-based passenger transport; Amtrak is the only nationwide passenger rail system in the country. In Canada, the government-owned VIA Rail system provides a limited level of intercity service at prices that are usually higher than air travel or bus service, however Vancouver's SkyTrain light rail network receives millions of riders every year. Skytrain Bangkok. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Big Apple Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ... A taxi serving as a bus Public transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... Boston is a town and small port c. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... VIA Rail Canada (also referred to as VIA Rail and VIA; pronounced vee-ah) is an independent Crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. ... Vancouver (pronounced ) is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. ... SkyTrain or Skytrain can refer to: The name of the metro system in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ...

Commercially, world rail transport has had a mixed record. Most rail systems, including urban rapid transit (metro/subway) systems, are highly subsidized and have never or rarely been profitable; however, their indirect benefits are often great. Passenger rail in nearly all countries is dependent on government subsidies. As a result levels of rail transport have in some times and places been reduced in order to save money.^{[citation needed]} This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Conversely, US freight railways have consolidated and become more efficient in their progress toward profitability. The four largest US railways (Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX and Norfolk Southern) all reported profits of over $1 billion in 2005 [1]. The East Japan Railway Company has taken an innovative and creative marketing stance and have achieved profitability as a result. The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (AAR reporting mark BNSF) (NYSE: BNI), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and established as a result of a 1995 merger between the parent companies of the Burlington Northern Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, is one of the largest... Categories: Companies traded on NYSE | Railway companies of the United States | Alabama railroads | Connecticut railroads | Delaware railroads | Florida current railroads | Georgia railroads | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Kentucky railroads | Louisiana railroads | Maryland railroads | Massachusetts railroads | Michigan railroads | Mississippi railroads | New Jersey railroads | New York railroads | North Carolina railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania... Norfolk Southern Corporation (AAR reporting mark NS) NYSE: NSC is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Yamanote Line, Tokyo JR Yamanote Line train in Tokyo, Japan Above Yurakucho in Tokyo East Japan Railway Company (東日本旅客鉄道 Higashi-Nihon Ryokyaku Tetsudo or JR東日本; JR Higashi-Nihon) (TYO: 9020) is a Japanese private railroad company, the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven JR companies. ...

Like other forms of public transport, many railways are having to make considerable capital investment in order to meet new requirements for security in the face of recent terrorism incidents, for instance the Madrid train bombings of 11 March 2004. Securing railways is often more difficult than for other modes of transport because stations are designed with easy access and high capacity rather than security as their primary goals; most trains make many stops, rendering any sort of passenger screening difficult; and securing the tracks as they run through cities and the countryside is impractical. Capital has a number of related meanings in economics, finance and accounting. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Terrorism refers to a strategy of using violence, or threat of violence to generate fear, cause disruption, and ultimately, to bring about compliance with specific political, religious, ideological, and personal demands. ... The 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks (also known as 11/3, 3/11, M-11 and 11-M) were a series of coordinated terrorist bombings against the commuter train system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004, which killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mode of transport is a general term for the different kinds of transportation of people or cargo: Car Truck Ship Aircraft ...

It is difficult to make a complete and accurate comparison of the economics of various modes of transport as all modes benefit from substantial government, as well as private, spending. For example, public highways, aircraft manufacturers, airports and sea ports all typically receive very large capital subsidies.

Operations

Main article: Rail transport operations

A rail transport system consists of two necessary elements: infrastructure such as tracks, rolling stock and stations; and a traffic control system consisting on a centralized dispatching system to control train spacing and, on single tracks, train meetings in sidings. A rail transport or railroad system is a complex synergy of components which may be classified into two groups: extrinsic factors and intrinsic factors. ...

Depending on how much traffic they carry, railways can be built with a varying number of tracks. Rail lines that carry little traffic are often built with a single track used by trains in both directions; on rail lines like these, "crossovers", "passing loops" or "passing sidings", which consist of short stretches of double track, are provided along the line to allow trains to pass each other, and travel in opposite directions. Alternatively, there may be longer sections of the line that are double track. Effective timetabling and traffic control can allow train travel up and down a partially double-track line equivalent to travel on full double tracks. Conversely, double tram track is sometimes interlaced at narrow passages (see tram tracks). Single-track lines are cheaper to build, but can handle only a limited amount of traffic and are consequently used mainly on branch lines, except in Canada, where the four transcontinental lines are still predominantly single-track. A branch line is a relatively minor railway line which branches off a more important through route. ...

On busier lines two or more tracks are provided, one or more for each direction of travel. On very busy lines as many as eight tracks (four tracks in each direction) are used to handle large amounts of traffic.

With the advent of containerized freight in the 1960s, rail, truck and ship transportation have become an integrated network that moves bulk goods very efficiently with a very low labor cost. An example is that goods from East Asia that are bound for Europe will often be shipped across the Pacific and transferred to trains to cross North America and be transferred back to a ship for the Atlantic crossing.^{[citation needed]} Containerization is a system of intermodal cargo transport using standard ISO containers (also known as isotainers) that can be loaded sealed and intact onto container ships, railroad cars and trucks. ... The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the earths surface. ...

Major cities often have metro and/or light rail/tram systems. For a tram on the road the terms streetcar track, tram track or tramway tend to be used, rather than railway or railroad. Metro is: a general term, synonymous with rapid transit, subway or underground, for an urban underground rail public transit system (see list of rapid transit systems); any of several specific public transport systems, including: Bi-State Development Agency in Missouri and Illinois, d/b/a Metro since 2003 Buffalo Metro... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... TW2000 car in Hanover Volkswagen Cargo-Tram in Dresden on a section of grassed track. ...

Level

Railways are always built to stand above surrounding terrain to prevent track flooding, erosion of the bed and decay of the ties. In hilly and mountainous terrain, to avoid large slopes, the railway is at some places elevated, on an embankment or bridge/viaduct, and at some places in a cutting (ditch/trench) or tunnel. The same are also used for non-level crossings. In the case of many crossings, such as in a city, a longer stretch may be elevated or underground. Embankment can be: An artificial slope which can be made out of earth, stones or bricks, or a combination of these. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... Look up cutting in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A ditch is a small trench or depression usually created to drain water from low lying areas, alongside roadways or fields. ... A trench is a long narrow ditch. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ...

Safety and railway disasters

Train wreck, 1907, in Canaan, New Hampshire

Trains can travel at very high speed, are heavy, are unable to deviate from the track and require a great distance to stop. Possibilities for accidents include jumping the track (derailment), head-on collision with another train coming the opposite way and collision with an automobile at a level crossing (also called a grade crossing). Level crossing collisions are relatively common in the United States where there are several thousand each year killing about 500 people - although the comparable figures in the United Kingdom are 30 and 12 (collisions and casualties, respectively). For information regarding major accidents, see List of rail accidents. Rail operations also generate sound intensities capable of inducing noise health effects. Image File history File links Train_Wreck,_Canaan,_NH.jpg Train wreck, 1907, in Canaan, New Hampshire; from an old postcard. ... Image File history File links Train_Wreck,_Canaan,_NH.jpg Train wreck, 1907, in Canaan, New Hampshire; from an old postcard. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Notable historic train accidents: 1830s September 15, 1830 – William Huskisson becomes first ever passenger train death. ... Standard wrong-way sign package used on all freeway off-ramps in California (and since copied by Georgia and Virginia). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The list includes some terrorist bombings. ... Environmental noise can produce irreversible hearing loss Noise health effects, the collection of health consequences of elevated sound levels, constitute one of the most widespread public health threats in industrialized countries. ...

The most important safety measures are railway signalling and gates at level crossings. Train whistles warn others of the presence of a train, while trackside signals maintain the distances between trains. In the United Kingdom, vandalism is thought responsible for about half of rail accidents. It has been suggested that Railway signal be merged into this article or section. ... A train whistle, or train horn, is a audiable signaling device on a train, locomotive, or the like, which produces a loud sound to warn that a train is approaching, and to communicate with rail workers. ... A caricature of Gustave Courbet taking down a Morris column, published by Le Père Duchêne illustré magazine Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement destruction of a structure or symbol against the will of the owner/governing body. ...

Railroad lines are zoned or divided into blocks guarded by combinations of block signals, operating rules, and automatic-control devices so that at most one train may be in a block at any time . Such traffic control is done in a similar way to air traffic control.

Compared to road travel, railways remain relatively safe. Annual death rates on roads are over 40,000 in the United States & about 3000 in the United Kingdom, compared with 1,000 rail-related fatalities in the United States and under 20 in the UK. (Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation and U.K. Health & Safety Executive). However, a true comparison needs to take account of the number of people using each mode.

History

Main articles: History of rail transport and Heritage railway See also Timeline of railway history

The Diolkos was a 6-km long railway that transported boats across the Corinth isthmus in Greece in the 6th century BC. Trucks pushed by slaves ran in grooves in a limestone track. The Diolkos ran for over 1300 years, until 900 AD. Horse drawn railway coach, late 18th century See main article Rail transport The history of rail transport dates back nearly 500 years, and includes systems with man or horse power and rails of wood or stone. ... A scene on a heritage railway. ... This is a timeline of rail transport history. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America. ... Events Persian scientist, Rhazes, distinguished smallpox from measles in the course of his writings. ...

The first horse-drawn wagonways appeared in Greece, Malta, and parts of the Roman Empire at least 2000 years ago, using cut-stone track. Wagonways are the horses, equipment, and tracks used for hauling wagons which preceded steam powered railways. ... Octavian, widely known as Augustus, founder of the Roman empire The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ...

They began reappearing in Europe from around 1550, usually operating with wooden track. The first railways in Great Britain (also known as wagonways) were built in the early 17th century, mainly for transporting coal from the mine to the water side where it could be loaded on to a boat. These had wooden rails and flanged wheels, as on a modern railway. However, the rails were liable to wear out and have to be replaced. In 1768, the Coalbrookdale Company laid cast iron plates on such wooden rails to provide a more durable bearing surface. World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Coal (previously referred to as pitcoal or seacoal) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... Map sources for Coalbrookdale at grid reference SJ668047 Coalbrookdale, a settlement in Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, was one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. ... Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ...

In the late 18th century iron rails began to appear: British civil engineer William Jessop designed edge rails (which have the flange on the rail, used with plain wheels) for use on a scheme from Loughborough, Leicestershire in 1789 and in 1790 was one of the partners who established an iron-works at Butterley, Derbyshire to produce rails (and other goods). In 1802, Jessop opened the Surrey Iron Railway in south London - arguably the world's first public railway, albeit horse-drawn. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The term civil engineer refers to an individual who practices civil engineering. ... William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ... Map sources for Loughborough at grid reference SK536195 Loughboroughs carillon Loughborough (pronounced LUFF-burra or LUFF-bruh) is the largest town in Leicestershire, England (the City of Leicester excluded). ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Butterley is a village in the English county of Derbyshire (grid reference SK401517) near to Ripley. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, and boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... --69. ... The Surrey Iron Railway (SIR) linked Wandsworth in south London and Croydon in Surrey via Mitcham. ... London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous city in the European Union. ...

The first steam locomotive to operate on rails was built by Richard Trevithick, and was tried out in 1804 at Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. This was not a success, partly because the engine was so heavy that the rails broke under it. In 1806 a horse-drawn railway was built between Swansea and Mumbles. In 1807 this railway started carrying fare-paying passengers - the first in the world to do so. Great Western Railway No. ... Richard Trevithick. ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Merthyr Tydfil (Welsh: Merthyr Tudful) is a town and county borough in the traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales, with a population of about 55,000. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location relative to most of the British Isles (other parts of the UK shown on the map are in pink). ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Swansea (Welsh: , mouth of the Tawe) is a city and county in South Wales in the United Kingdom, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula. ... Mumbles village, Wales Mumbles (otherwise The Mumbles – Welsh Y Mwmbwls) is an extremely large village and adjacent headland stretching into Swansea Bay. ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1811 John Blenkinsop designed the first successful and practical railway locomotive[2]. He patented (No 3431), a system of moving coals by a rack railway worked by a steam locomotive, and a line was built connecting the Middleton Colliery to Leeds. The locomotive was built by Matthew Murray of Fenton, Murray and Wood. The Middleton Railway was the first railway to successfully use steam locomotives on a commercial basis. John Blenkinsop (1783-1831), a mining engineer and an inventor in the area of steam locomotives, who designed the first practical railway locomotive. ... The Middleton Railway is the worlds oldest working railway. ...

Blenkinsop's engine had double-acting cylinders and, unlike the Trevithick pattern, no flywheel. The cylinders drove a geared wheel which engaged under the engine with the rack. This design was quickly superseded following the discovery of railroad traction properties by George Stephenson during construction of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English mechanical engineer who designed a famous and historically important steam-powered locomotive named Rocket and is known as the Father of British Steam Railways. The Victorians considered him a great example of diligent application and thirst for... The Stockton and Darlington railway (S&DR), which opened in 1825, was the first railway to use steam locomotives and carry passengers. ...

The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in northern England in the 1825. This was soon followed by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which proved the viability of rail transport, with Stephenson's famous Rocket steam locomotive. Railways soon spread throughout the United Kingdom and through the world, and became the dominant means of land transport for nearly a century, until the invention of aircraft and automobiles, which prompted a gradual decline in railways. The Stockton and Darlington railway (S&DR), which opened in 1825, was the first railway to use steam locomotives and carry passengers. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (LMR) was the worlds first intercity passenger railway operated solely by steam locomotives. ... George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English mechanical engineer who designed a famous and historically important steam-powered locomotive named Rocket and is known as the Father of British Steam Railways. The Victorians considered him a great example of diligent application and thirst for... In the Science Museum, London Stephensons Rocket was an early steam locomotive, built by George and Robert Stephenson in 1829. ... Airbus A380 An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) used for the Stockton and Darlington railway became known as "standard gauge" and is used by about sixty per cent of the world's railways. Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

Two SD70 diesel locomotives of the Union Pacific refueling at Dunsmuir, California.

The first railroad in the United States may have been a gravity railroad in Lewiston, New York in 1764. The Leiper Railroad in Pennsylvania was the first permanent railroad, opened in 1810, and the Granite Railroad in 1826 may have been the first to evolve through continuous operations into a common carrier. The Baltimore and Ohio, opened in 1830, was the first to evolve into a major system. In 1867 the first elevated railroad was built in New York. Union Pacific (UP) Railroad diesels refueling at Dunsmuir, California photographed on April 29, 2004 by Eric Guinther. ... Union Pacific (UP) Railroad diesels refueling at Dunsmuir, California photographed on April 29, 2004 by Eric Guinther. ... Categories: Rail stubs | EMD locomotives ... Dunsmuir is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. ... A gravity railroad is a railroad on a steep slope, usually serving a mine at the top. ... Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, USA. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. ... 1764 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The incline section of the Granite Railway, photograph taken in 1934. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A common carrier is an organization that transports a product or service using its facilities, or those of other carriers, and offers its services to the general public. ... The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad or B&O was a 19th century railroad which operated in the east coast of the United States and was the first railroad to offer commercial transportation of both people and freight. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Further information: Oldest railroads in North America

The use of overhead wires conducting electricity, invented by Granville T. Woods in 1888, amongst several other improvements, led to the development of electrified railways, the first of which in the United States was operated at Coney Island from 1892. Diesel and electric trains and locomotives replaced steam in many countries in the decades after World War II. Several railroads have been called the oldest in the United States or North America. ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Image of Coney Island, located in the middle left of the picture, taken by NASA. The peninsula to the right is Rockaway, Queens. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Diesel or Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used as fuel in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel. ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France/Free France, United States, China, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, Norway, Honduras, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma, Slovakia Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military...

Many countries since the 1960s have adopted high-speed railways. The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... Japanese Shinkansen trains began the development of modern high-speed railways (shown here: West Japan Railway Company 500 Series Shinkansen at Kyoto) French-Belgian-Dutch Thalys train at Paris InterCity 125 or HST, see High Speed Train. ...

On 24 August 2005 the Qingzang Railway became the highest railway line in the world, when track was laid through the Tanggula Mountain Pass at 5072 meters above sea level. [3] August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of the railway The Qingzang railway, Qinghai–Xizang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway (Simplified Chinese: 青藏铁路; Traditional Chinese: 青藏鐵路; pinyin: Qīngzàng Tiělù), is a railway which connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Tanggula Mountain Pass in Tibet is a mountain pass which rises as high as 5,072 m (16,640 ft) above sea level. ...

Terminology

Rail tracks

Main article: Rail terminology

In the United Kingdom and most other Commonwealth of Nations countries, the term railway is used in preference to railroad, while in the United States the reverse is true. In Canadian speech, railway and railroad are interchangeable, although in law railway is the usual term. Railroad was used in the United Kingdom concurrently with railway until the 1850s when railway became the established term. A number of American companies have railway in their names instead of railroad, the BNSF Railway being the pre-eminent modern example. Railway tracks. ... Railway tracks. ... track Rail tracks are used on railways (or railroads), which, together with railroad switches (or points), guide trains without the need for steering. ... Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as the Commonwealth, is an association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting mark BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is comparable in size). ...

Further information: Usage of the terms railroad and railway

In the United Kingdom, the term railway often refers to the whole organisation of tracks, trains, stations, signalling, timetables and the operating companies that collectively make up a coordinated railway system, while permanent way or p/way refers to the tracks alone. The terms railroad and railway generally describe the same thing, a guided means of land transport, designed to be used by trains, for transporting both passengers and freight. ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street station in 1865. ... Railway signalling is a safety system used on railways to prevent trains from colliding. ... A timetable is an organized list or schedule, usually set out in tabular form, providing information about a series of arranged events: in particular, the time at which it is planned these events will take place. ... The permanent way refers to the rails and sleepers of a railway line. ...

Subways, metros, elevated lines, trolley lines, and undergrounds are all specialized railways. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and previously consisted of Great Britain and the whole of Ireland. ... Subway redirects here; for the restaurant named Subway, see Subway (restaurant). ... This article refers to the mass transit vehicle running on rails. ... The nickname the Tube comes from the circular tube-like tunnels through which the small-profile trains travel. ...

Further information: International railroad terminology

Further reading

• John H. Armstrong. Railroad: What It Is, What It Does 4th Edition (1998)
• Rainer Fremdling, "Railways and German Economic Growth: A Leading Sector Analysis with a Comparison to the United States and Great Britain," The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 37, No. 3. (Sep., 1977), pp. 583-604.
• Leland H. Jenks, "Railroads as an Economic Force in American Development," The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 4, No. 1 (May, 1944), 1-20.
• O . S. Nock, ed. Encyclopedia of Railways (London, 1977), worldwide coverage, heavily illustrated
• Patrick O’Brien. Railways and the Economic Development of Western Europe, 1830-1914 (1983)
• Jack Simmons and Gordon Biddle, (editors). The Oxford Companion to British Railway History: From 1603 to the 1990s (2nd ed 1999)
• Skelton, Oscar D. (1916). The Railway Builders. Glasgow, Brook, & Company, Toronto.
• John Stover, American Railroads (2nd ed 1997)

Rail transport by country

Main article: Rail transport by country

Of 236 countries and dependencies, 143 have rail transport (including several with very little), of which about 90 have passenger services. This page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Railroad

Trains Portal

Rail transport
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Modelling Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Image File history File links Portal. ... Railway tracks. ... A rail transport or railroad system is a complex synergy of components which may be classified into two groups: extrinsic factors and intrinsic factors. ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street station in 1865. ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... Not to be confused with railcar. ... Horse drawn railway coach, late 18th century See main article Rail transport The history of rail transport dates back nearly 500 years, and includes systems with man or horse power and rails of wood or stone. ... Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. ... This page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country. ... Model railroading (US) or Railway modelling (UK) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modeled at a reduced scale, or ratio. ...
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• Aérotrain
• Arrangements between railroads
• Economy of Earth (Transportation section)
• Freighthopping
• High-speed rail
• Hillclimbing (railway)
  • Cog railway
  • Funicular
  • Gravity railroad
  • Rack and pinion railway
  • Spiral (railway)
  • Zig Zag (railway)
• History of rail transport
• Intermodal freight transport
• Intermodal passenger transport
• Land speed record for railed vehicles
• List of heritage railways
• List of named passenger trains
• List of railway companies
• List of suburban and commuter rail systems
• Magnetic levitation train
• Northern Africa Railroad Development
• Private railroad
• Private transport
• Public transport
• Rail adhesion
• Rail gauge
• Rail transport in fiction
• Railpage Australia
• Railroad cars (all types)
• Railroad ecology
• railroad-related periodicals
• Railway electrification system
• Railway ferry
• Railway Mail Service
• Railway signal
• Railway signalling
• Rapid transit
• Subway
• Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends A fictional railway
• Tycoons, Inventors, and Other Famous Railroad-related People
• Underground railway
• Vactrain

Rail usage statistics by country Passenger rail Passenger-km of rail transport by country, in billion/year: China 405 India 404 Japan 241 Russia 141 Germany 73 Egypt 68 France 67 Ukraine 48 USA 42 Italy 41 South Korea 30 UK 29 Poland 26 Pakistan 19 Spain 18 Indonesia 16... List of countries by rail transport network size These figures include routes which are not used for passenger services. ... Aérotrain prototype #02 The Aérotrain was a hovercraft train developed in France from 1965 to 1977. ... Railroad companies can interact with and control others in many ways. ... The world economy can be represented various ways, and broken down in various ways. ... Freighthopping is the act of surreptitiously hitching a ride on a railroad freight car. ... Japanese Shinkansen trains began the development of modern high-speed railways (shown here: West Japan Railway Company 500 Series Shinkansen at Kyoto) French-Belgian-Dutch Thalys train at Paris InterCity 125 or HST, see High Speed Train. ... While railways have a great ability to haul very heavy loads, this advantage only really applies when the tracks are fairly level. ... The rack rail on a cog railway. ... Angels Flight, Los Angeles, California with gantlet track configuration Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with full length parallel tracks The Gütschbahn in Lucerne, Switzerland – from an 1893 guidebook A funicular, also called funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or, in the United Kingdom, a cliff railway, is a system of... A gravity railroad is a railroad on a steep slope, usually serving a mine at the top. ... The rack rail on a cog railway. ... A spiral is a hill climbing technique for railways when the topography rises faster than the train can climb. ... A railway zig zag is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. ... Horse drawn railway coach, late 18th century See main article Rail transport The history of rail transport dates back nearly 500 years, and includes systems with man or horse power and rails of wood or stone. ... An intermodal train carrying both shipping containers and highway semi-trailers in piggyback service, on flatcars, passes through the Cajon Pass in February, 1995. ... One of the challenges of intermodal transport is changing between modes. ... Determining the fastest railed veichle in the world is difficult, because of the wide variety of designs. ... List of heritage railways is a link page for any heritage railway anywhere. ... The following is a list of named passenger trains and some summary information about them. ... This is a list of the worlds railway operating companies listed alphabetically by continent and country. ... This is an alphabetical listing of countries and cities which have commuter or suburban railways. ... Transrapid at the Emsland test facility Transrapid maglev in Shanghai Magnetic levitation transport, or maglev, is a radically new form of transportation that suspends, guides and propels vehicles via electro-magnetic energy. ... Northern Africa Railroad Development started in the 1850s. ... A private railroad is a railroad run by a private corporation. ... Private transport, as opposed to public transport, is transport in ones own vehicle (e. ... Skytrain Bangkok. ... The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the train and thus it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. ... Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... Some examples of railways in fiction include: Spoiler warning: The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (book, film) The Railway Series featuring Thomas the Tank Engine and friends by Rev. ... // Overview Railpage Australia is a free web-based portal service providing an indepth overview of railways within Australia and Oceania. ... Not to be confused with railcar. ... Railroad ecology is a term used to refer to the study of the ecological community growing along railroad tracks. ... Railroad-related periodicals include: Australia Australian Railway History ARHS Digest Motive Power Queensland Sunshine Express New Zealand Rails United Kingdom Modern Railways Rail Railways Illustrated - started in about 2002. ... Overhead wire in Coventry, England Overhead wire and its suspension system in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA A railway electrification system is a way of supplying electric power to electric locomotives and multiple units. ... A railway ferry is a kind of ship which carries a train. ... The United States Postal Services Railway Mail Service was a significant mail transportation service in the US during the from the mid-19th century until the mid-20th century. ... A signal is a mechanical or electrical device that indicates to train drivers information about the state of the line ahead, and therefore whether he or she must stop or may start, or instructions on what speed the train may go. ... It has been suggested that Railway signal be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article describes subways as mass transit lines. ... Thomas & Friends (formerly Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends) is a British childrens television series which was first broadcast in 1984. ... Famous Railroaders Casey Jones – Illinois Central engineer whose death in a 1900 train wreck was made famous in song and legend Railroad Tycoons & Businessmen Erastus Corning – Formed the nucleus of what would become the great New York Central Railroad Charles Crocker – One of the Big Four co-founders of the... Metro is: a general term, synonymous with rapid transit, subway or underground, for an urban underground rail public transit system (see list of rapid transit systems); any of several specific public transport systems, including: Bi-State Development Agency in Missouri and Illinois, d/b/a Metro since 2003 Buffalo Metro... A vactrain is an exotic, as-yet-unbuilt proposal for future high-speed railroad transportation. ...

External links

• The Railway History of Towcester
• iRail - UK / Ireland Model Railway & Railway Web Directory Index of all railway and model railway related websites in the UK and Ireland.
• Railroad History annotated guide to historical sources on www
• The Future of Rail: - A one day conference and exhibition in the UK - 25th May 2006 at the Birmingham International Convention Centre
• Railpage Australia and New Zealand- A huge resource for railways and railway information in Australia and New Zealand
• Railways of the Commonwealth of Australia- detailed history and rolling stock of the Australia Commonwealth railways
• Indian Railways Under British rule
• Indian Railways Fan Club
• Channel tunnel rail crossing
• RailServe.com: The Internet Railroad Directory - directory of 10,000+ rail-related sites
• Trainorders.com - Focus on North American railroads
• V/LineCars.com - Operations and Carriages Information/Enthusiast Website for V/Line, the InterUrban and InterCity passenger railway operator in the state of Victoria, Australia
• Railway pictures - published on Usenet stored with optional search function.
• http://www.northrail.co.nr - defending rail services and jobs in the north of England
• http://bueker.net/trainspotting/maps.php - maps of European railway networks
• http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2121.html - rail transport by country
• http://www.bahn.de/pv/uebersicht/die_bahn_international_guests.shtml - travel planner of German Railways (covers Europe and the Trans-Siberian railway)
• http://www.railpassengers.org.uk/News/OtherPublications/Council/Railfuture_NRIS - National Railcard International Survey - survey of national rail discount cards in various European countries
• Barraclou.com - Rail
• The Granite Railway and its Associated Enterprises, by Robert E. Scholes, copyright 1968 (not the first railroad in the United States)
• RTD Flexible Railway Passenger Car Concepts For Efficient And Attractive Passenger Transportation
• Indian Railways
• Steel Wheels AF Garnett- This book is about the evolution of the railways and about the engineers and architects who made them possible
• California High-Speed Rail Authority
• Railways Online - A resource for railways in Great Britain
• Railpage was set up in 1992. It is currently Australia's biggest rail related site.
• Middleton Railway, Leeds
• IMB International Maglev Board
• Railroad Collections Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
• Maglev World Forum
• Campaign Against New Beeching Report
• Railways: History, Signaling, Engineering [4]
• Trains At A Glance Indian Railway Time Table
• Railfanning.org: U.S.-based Web site about railroads
• U.S. Railroad Industry Employment Statistics Tracks industry trends from 1947 to present
• Railfaneurope.net, major European rail-related site with extensive picture archive and lists of rolling stock