1 Trains[edit]

Main article: Train

A train is a connected series of rail vehicles that move along the track. Propulsion for the train is
provided by a separate locomotive or from individual motors in self-propelled multiple units. Most
trains carry a revenue load, although non-revenue cars exist for the railway's own use, such as
for maintenance-of-way purposes. The engine driver (engineer in North America) controls the
locomotive or other power cars, although people movers and some rapid transits are under
automatic control.
2 Haulage[edit]
Traditionally, trains are pulled using a locomotive. This involves one or more powered vehicles
being located at the front of the train, providing sufficient tractive force to haul the weight of the
full train. This arrangement remains dominant for freight trains and is often used for passenger
trains. A push–pull train has the end passenger car equipped with a driver's cab so that the
engine driver can remotely control the locomotive. This allows one of the locomotive-hauled
train's drawbacks to be removed, since the locomotive need not be moved to the front of the train
each time the train changes direction. A railroad car is a vehicle used for the haulage of either
passengers or freight.
A multiple unit has powered wheels throughout the whole train. These are used for rapid transit
and tram systems, as well as many both short- and long-haul passenger trains. A railcar is a
single, self-powered car, and may be electrically propelled or powered by a diesel engine.
Multiple units have a driver's cab at each end of the unit, and were developed following the ability
to build electric motors and other engines small enough to fit under the coach. There are only a
few freight multiple units, most of which are high-speed post trains.
3 Motive power[edit]
Steam locomotives are locomotives with a steam engine that provides
adhesion. Coal, petroleum, or wood is burned in a firebox, boiling water in the boiler to create
pressurized steam. The steam travels through the smokebox before leaving via the chimney or
smoke stack. In the process, it powers a piston that transmits power directly through
a connecting rod (US: main rod) and a crankpin (US: wristpin) on the driving wheel (US main
driver) or to a crank on a driving axle. Steam locomotives have been phased out in most parts of
the world for economical and safety reasons, although many are preserved in working order
by heritage railways.
Electric locomotives draw power from a stationary source via an overhead wire or third rail. Some
also or instead use a battery. In locomotives that are powered by high-voltage alternating current,
a transformer in the locomotive converts the high-voltage low-current power to low-voltage high
current used in the traction motors that power the wheels. Modern locomotives may use three-
phase AC induction motors or direct current motors. Under certain conditions, electric
locomotives are the most powerful traction.[citation needed] They are also the cheapest to run and
provide less noise and no local air pollution.[citation needed] However, they require high capital
investments both for the overhead lines and the supporting infrastructure, as well as the
generating station that is needed to produce electricity. Accordingly, electric traction is used on
urban systems, lines with high traffic and for high-speed rail.
Diesel locomotives use a diesel engine as the prime mover. The energy transmission may be
either diesel–electric, diesel-mechanical or diesel–hydraulic but diesel–electric is
dominant. Electro-diesel locomotives are built to run as diesel–electric on unelectrified sections
and as electric locomotives on electrified sections.
Alternative methods of motive power include magnetic levitation, horse-drawn, cable,
gravity, pneumatics and gas turbine.
4 Passenger trains[edit]
Main article: Passenger train
 Interior view of a high-speed bullet train, manufactured in
China
A passenger train stops at stations where passengers may embark and disembark. The
oversight of the train is the duty of a guard/train manager/conductor. Passenger trains are part of
public transport and often make up the stem of the service, with buses feeding to stations.
Passenger trains provide long-distance intercity travel, daily commuter trips, or local urban transit
services, operating with a diversity of vehicles, operating speeds, right-of-way requirements, and
service frequency. Service frequencies are often expressed as a number of trains per hour (tph).
[53]
Passenger trains can usually can be into two types of operation, intercity railway and intracity
transit. Whereas intercity railway involve higher speeds, longer routes, and lower frequency
(usually scheduled), intracity transit involves lower speeds, shorter routes, and higher frequency
(especially during peak hours).[54] Intercity trains are long-haul trains that operate with few stops
between cities. Trains typically have amenities such as a dining car. Some lines also provide
over-night services with sleeping cars. Some long-haul trains have been given a specific
name. Regional trains are medium distance trains that connect cities with outlying, surrounding
areas, or provide a regional service, making more stops and having lower speeds. Commuter
trains serve suburbs of urban areas, providing a daily commuting service. Airport rail
links provide quick access from city centres to airports.

The VR Class Sm3 Pendolino high-speed train at

the Central Railway Station of Tampere, Finland
High-speed rail are special inter-city trains that operate at much higher speeds than conventional
railways, the limit being regarded at 200 to 350 kilometres per hour (120 to 220 mph). High-
speed trains are used mostly for long-haul service and most systems are in Western Europe and
East Asia. Magnetic levitation trains such as the Shanghai maglev train use under-riding
magnets which attract themselves upward towards the underside of a guideway and this line has
achieved somewhat higher peak speeds in day-to-day operation than conventional high-speed
railways, although only over short distances. Due to their heightened speeds, route alignments
for high-speed rail tend to have broader curves than conventional railways, but may have steeper
grades that are more easily climbed by trains with large kinetic energy.
High kinetic energy translates to higher horsepower-to-ton ratios (e.g. 20 horsepower per short
ton or 16 kilowatts per tonne); this allows trains to accelerate and maintain higher speeds and
negotiate steep grades as momentum builds up and recovered in downgrades (reducing cut and
fill and tunnelling requirements). Since lateral forces act on curves, curvatures are designed with
the highest possible radius. All these features are dramatically different from freight operations,
thus justifying exclusive high-speed rail lines if it is economically feasible.[54]
Higher-speed rail services are intercity rail services that have top speeds higher than
conventional intercity trains but the speeds are not as high as those in the high-speed rail
services. These services are provided after improvements to the conventional rail infrastructure
to support trains that can operate safely at higher speeds.
Rapid transit is an intracity system built in large cities and has the highest capacity of any
passenger transport system. It is usually grade-separated and commonly built underground or
elevated. At street level, smaller trams can be used. Light rails are upgraded trams that have
step-free access, their own right-of-way and sometimes sections underground. Monorail systems
are elevated, medium-capacity systems. A people mover is a driverless, grade-separated train
that serves only a few stations, as a shuttle. Due to the lack of uniformity of rapid transit systems,
route alignment varies, with diverse rights-of-way (private land, side of road, street median)
and geometric characteristics (sharp or broad curves, steep or gentle grades). For instance,
the Chicago 'L' trains are designed with extremely short cars to negotiate the sharp curves in
the Loop. New Jersey's PATH has similar-sized cars to accommodate curves in the trans-
Hudson tunnels. San Francisco's BART operates large cars on its routes.[54]
5 Freight trains[edit]
Main article: Rail freight transport

Bulk cargo of minerals on a train

Freight trains carry cargo using freight cars specialized for the type of goods. Freight trains are
very efficient, with economy of scale and high energy efficiency.[55] However, their use can be
reduced by lack of flexibility, if there is need of transshipment at both ends of the trip due to lack
of tracks to the points of pick-up and delivery. Authorities often encourage the use of cargo rail
transport due to its efficiency and to reduce road traffic.[56]
Container trains have become widely used in many places for general freight, particularly in
North America, where double stacking reduces costs. Containers can easily be transshipped
between other modes, such as ships and trucks, and at breaks of gauge. Containers have
succeeded the boxcar (wagon-load), where the cargo had to be loaded and unloaded into the
train manually. The intermodal containerization of cargo has revolutionized the supply
chain logistics industry, reducing shipping costs significantly. In Europe, the sliding wall
wagon has largely superseded the ordinary covered wagons. Other types of cars
include refrigerator cars, stock cars for livestock and autoracks for road vehicles. When rail is
combined with road transport, a roadrailer will allow trailers to be driven onto the train, allowing
for easy transition between road and rail.
Bulk handling represents a key advantage for rail transport. Low or even zero transshipment
costs combined with energy efficiency and low inventory costs allow trains to handle bulk much
cheaper than by road. Typical bulk cargo includes coal, ore, grains and liquids. Bulk is
transported in open-topped cars, hopper cars and tank cars.

6 Infrastructure[edit]
 Map of world railway network as of
2022
7 Right-of-way[edit]
Main article: Right-of-way (property access)
Railway tracks are laid upon land owned or leased by the railway company. Owing to the
desirability of maintaining modest grades, in hilly or mountainous terrain rails will often be laid in
circuitous routes . Route length and grade requirements can be reduced by the use of
alternating cuttings, bridges and tunnels – all of which can greatly increase the capital
expenditures required to develop a right-of-way, while significantly reducing operating costs and
allowing higher speeds on longer radius curves. In densely urbanised areas, railways are
sometimes laid in tunnels to minimise the effects on existing properties.
8 Track[edit]
Main article: Track

Left: Railway turnouts; Right: Chicago Transit Authority control box guides elevated Chicago 'L' north and
southbound Purple and Brown lines intersecting with east and westbound Pink and Green lines and the
looping Orange line above the Wells and Lake street intersection in the loop at an elevated right of way.

Track consists of two parallel steel rails, anchored perpendicular to members

called sleepers (ties) of timber, concrete, steel, or plastic to maintain a consistent distance apart,
or rail gauge. Other variations are also possible, such as "slab track", in which the rails are
fastened to a concrete foundation resting on a prepared subsurface.
Rail gauges are usually categorized as standard gauge (used on approximately 70% of the
world's existing railway lines), broad gauge, and narrow gauge.[57] In addition to the rail gauge, the
tracks will be laid to conform with a loading gauge which defines the maximum height and width
for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other
structures.
The track guides the conical, flanged wheels, keeping the cars on the track without active
steering and therefore allowing trains to be much longer than road vehicles. The rails and ties are
usually placed on a foundation made of compressed earth on top of which is placed a bed
of ballast to distribute the load from the ties and to prevent the track from buckling as the ground
settles over time under the weight of the vehicles passing above.
The ballast also serves as a means of drainage. Some more modern track in special areas is
attached directly without ballast. Track may be prefabricated or assembled in place.
By welding rails together to form lengths of continuous welded rail, additional wear and tear on
rolling stock caused by the small surface gap at the joints between rails can be counteracted; this
also makes for a quieter ride.
On curves, the outer rail may be at a higher level than the inner rail. This is called superelevation
or cant. This reduces the forces tending to displace the track and makes for a more comfortable
ride for standing livestock and standing or seated passengers. A given amount of superelevation
is most effective over a limited range of speeds.
Points and switches – also known as turnouts – are the means of directing a train onto a
diverging section of track. Laid similar to normal track, a point typically consists of
a frog (common crossing), check rails and two switch rails. The switch rails may be moved left or
right, under the control of the signalling system, to determine which path the train will follow.
Spikes in wooden ties can loosen over time, but split and rotten ties may be individually replaced
with new wooden ties or concrete substitutes. Concrete ties can also develop cracks or splits,
and can also be replaced individually. Should the rails settle due to soil subsidence, they can be
lifted by specialized machinery and additional ballast tamped under the ties to level the rails.
Periodically, ballast must be removed and replaced with clean ballast to ensure adequate
drainage. Culverts and other passages for water must be kept clear lest water is impounded by
the trackbed, causing landslips. Where trackbeds are placed along rivers, additional protection is
usually placed to prevent streambank erosion during times of high water. Bridges require
inspection and maintenance, since they are subject to large surges of stress in a short period of
time when a heavy train crosses.
9 Gauge incompatibility[edit]
Main article: Break of gauge
The use of different track gauges in different regions of the world, and sometimes within the
same country, can impede the movement of passengers and freight. Often elaborate transfer
mechanisms are installed where two lines of different gauge meet to facilitate movement across
the break of gauge. Countries with multiple gauges in use, such as India and Australia, have
invested heavily to unify their rail networks. China is developing a modernized Eurasian Land
Bridge to move goods by rail to Western Europe.
10 Train inspection systems[edit]
Main article: Train inspection system

A Hot bearing detector with dragging equipment unit

The inspection of railway equipment is essential for the safe movement of trains. Many types
of defect detectors are in use on the world's railroads. These devices use technologies that vary
from a simplistic paddle and switch to infrared and laser scanning, and even ultrasonic audio
analysis. Their use has avoided many rail accidents over the 70 years they have been used.
11 Signalling[edit]

Bardon Hill box in England (seen here in 2009) is

a Midland Railway box dating from 1899, although the original mechanical lever frame has
been replaced by electrical switches.
Main article: Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely to prevent trains from colliding.
Being guided by fixed rails which generate low friction, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision
since they frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop quickly or within the
driver's sighting distance; road vehicles, which encounter a higher level of friction between their
rubber tyres and the road surface, have much shorter braking distances. Most forms of train
control involve movement authority being passed from those responsible for each section of a rail
network to the train crew. Not all methods require the use of signals, and some systems are
specific to single track railways.
The signalling process is traditionally carried out in a signal box, a small building that houses
the lever frame required for the signalman to operate switches and signal equipment. These are
placed at various intervals along the route of a railway, controlling specified sections of track.
More recent technological developments have made such operational doctrine superfluous, with
the centralization of signalling operations to regional control rooms. This has been facilitated by
the increased use of computers, allowing vast sections of track to be monitored from a single
location. The common method of block signalling divides the track into zones guarded by
combinations of block signals, operating rules, and automatic-control devices so that only one
train may be in a block at any time.
12 Electrification[edit]
Main article: Railway electrification system
The electrification system provides electrical energy to the trains, so they can operate without a
prime mover on board. This allows lower operating costs, but requires large capital investments
along the lines. Mainline and tram systems normally have overhead wires, which hang from
poles along the line. Grade-separated rapid transit sometimes use a ground third rail.
Power may be fed as direct (DC) or alternating current (AC). The most common DC voltages are
600 and 750 V for tram and rapid transit systems, and 1,500 and 3,000 V for mainlines. The two
dominant AC systems are 15 kV and 25 kV.