Editing Rail transport (section)

==Trains==
{{Main|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 [[railroad engineer|engine driver]] (engineer in North America) controls the locomotive or other power cars, although [[people mover]]s and some rapid transits are under automatic control.

===Haulage===
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 motor]]s 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.

===Motive power===
[[File:Trains in Napoli Centrale-Garibaldi 18 55 44 221000.jpeg|thumb|An Italian [[InterCity]] electric train at [[Napoli Centrale railway station]]]]
[[Steam locomotive]]s are locomotives with a [[steam engine]] that provides adhesion. [[Coal]], [[petroleum]], or [[wood]] is burned in a [[firebox (steam engine)|firebox]], boiling water in the [[fire-tube boiler|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 [[crankshaft|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 railway]]s.

[[Electric locomotive]]s draw power from a stationary source via an [[overhead lines|overhead wire]] or [[third rail]]. Some also or instead use a [[battery (electricity)|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 [[electric motor|traction motors]] that power the wheels. Modern locomotives may use [[Electric motor#Three-phase AC induction motors|three-phase AC induction motors]] or [[direct current]] motors. Under certain conditions, electric locomotives are the most powerful traction.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} They are also the cheapest to run and provide less noise and no local air pollution.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} 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 locomotive]]s use a diesel engine as the [[prime mover (locomotive)|prime mover]]. The energy transmission may be either [[diesel–electric powertrain|diesel–electric]], diesel-mechanical or diesel–hydraulic but diesel–electric is dominant. [[Electro-diesel locomotive]]s are built to run as diesel–electric on unelectrified sections and as electric locomotives on electrified sections.

Alternative methods of motive power include [[maglev (transport)|magnetic levitation]], horse-drawn, [[funicular|cable]], gravity, [[pneumatics]] and [[gas turbine]].

===Passenger trains===
{{Main|Passenger train}}
[[File:Shenzhen Guangzhou high speed train new rolling stock China (37116926035).jpg|thumb|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 [[conductor (transportation)|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).<ref>STANDS4 LLC, 2020, [https://www.abbreviations.com/term/210500 TPH] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719155544/https://www.abbreviations.com/term/210500 |date=19 July 2020 }}, abbreviations.com, accessed 19 July 2020</ref> Passenger trains can usually 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).<ref name="AREMA. 2003. Practical Guide to Railway Engineering">American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association Committee 24{{Snd}} Education and Training. (2003). Practical Guide to Railway Engineering. AREMA, 2nd Ed.</ref>

[[Inter-city rail|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 car]]s. Some long-haul trains have been given a [[lists of named passenger trains|specific name]]. [[Regional rail|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 rail|Commuter trains]] serve suburbs of urban areas, providing a daily [[commuting]] service. [[Airport rail link]]s provide quick access from city centres to [[airport]]s.
[[File:Tampere - trail.jpg|thumb|The [[VR Class Sm3]] ''[[Pendolino]]'' high-speed train at the [[Tampere Central Station|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 {{convert|200|to|350|km/h|abbr=}}. High-speed trains are used mostly for long-haul service and most systems are in Western Europe and East Asia. [[Maglev (transport)|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. {{convert|20|hp/ST|disp=or}}); 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.<ref name="AREMA. 2003. Practical Guide to Railway Engineering" />

[[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 [[tram]]s can be used. [[Light rail]]s 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 [[track geometry|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 [[The Loop (CTA)|Loop]]. New Jersey's [[Port Authority Trans-Hudson|PATH]] has similar-sized cars to accommodate curves in the trans-Hudson tunnels. San Francisco's [[BART]] operates large cars on its routes.<ref name="AREMA. 2003. Practical Guide to Railway Engineering" />

===Freight trains===
{{Main|Rail freight transport|Freight train}}

[[File:Wagons 550.jpg|thumb|Bulk cargo of minerals on a train]]Freight trains carry [[cargo]] using [[goods wagon|freight cars]] specialized for the type of goods. Freight trains are very efficient, with economy of scale and high energy efficiency.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rail freight in the next decade: Potential for performance improvements? |url=https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/article/82922/rail-freight-next-decade-improvements/ |website=Global Railway Review |access-date=27 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=1 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201064926/https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/article/82922/rail-freight-next-decade-improvements/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/environmental-issues/| title=Environmental Issues| publisher=The Environmental Blog| date=3 April 2007| access-date=10 October 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111153436/http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/environmental-issues/| archive-date=11 January 2012}}</ref>

[[Containerization|Container trains]] have become widely used in many places for general freight, particularly in North America, where [[double-stack rail transport|double stacking]] reduces costs. Containers can easily be transshipped between other modes, such as ships and trucks, and at [[break of gauge|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 [[Goods van#Sliding wall wagons|sliding wall wagon]] has largely superseded the [[Goods van|ordinary covered wagons]]. Other types of cars include [[refrigerator car]]s, [[stock car (rail)|stock cars]] for livestock and [[autorack]]s for road vehicles. When rail is combined with road transport, a [[roadrailer]] will allow [[semi-trailer|trailers]] to be driven onto the train, allowing for easy transition between road and rail.

[[Bulk material handling|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 cargo|bulk]] much cheaper than by road. Typical bulk cargo includes coal, ore, grains and liquids. Bulk is transported in [[gondola (rail)|open-topped cars]], [[hopper car]]s and [[tank car]]

===Metros===
{{Main|Rapid transit}}
[[File:R160 E enters 42nd Street.jpg|thumb|The [[New York City Subway]] is the world's largest single-operator rapid transit system by number of [[metro station|stations]].]]
[[File:M4 San Babila appena inaugurata.jpg|thumb|[[Milan Metro]] is the largest rapid transit system in Italy in terms of length, number of stations and ridership; and the eighth longest in [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milanocittastato.it/trasporti/effetto-m4-la-metro-di-milano-entra-nella-top-europea/?fbclid=IwY2xjawF3U1dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXSpIbaPnyiu6v7H7zI_mDyWgUrPadrCjN6GDzfUhPP2dI-Mfj4jLYBecw_aem__7hUFLg35ygwuZipXbL1Vg#goog_rewarded|title=Effetto M4: la metro di Milano entra nella top europea|date=11 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024|language=it}}</ref>]]

[[Rapid transit]] or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail,<ref name="EnBr">{{cite web |title=Mass transit - Urban Mobility, Efficiency, Environment |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/mass-transit/The-benefits-of-urban-mass-transit |website=Britannica |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en |date=4 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="APTA">{{cite web |title=Fact Book Glossary |url=https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/transit-statistics/public-transportation-fact-book/fact-book-glossary/ |website=American Public Transportation Association |access-date=29 September 2024}}</ref> commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity [[public transport]] that is generally built in [[urban area]]s. A [[grade separation|grade separated]] rapid transit line below ground surface through a [[tunnel]] can be regionally called a subway, tube, metro or underground.<ref name="miriamwebster">{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapid%20transit|title=Rapid transit|publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]]|access-date=2013-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720025558/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapid%20transit|archive-date=2013-07-20|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IUTPMetro">{{cite web|url=http://ftp.uitfp.org/ftproot/euroteam/YVA/URP_Fundamental_Requirements_EN.pdf|title=Recommended basic reference for developing a minimum set of standards for voluntary use in the field of urban rail, according to mandate M/486|author=UITP|year=2011|access-date=2014-02-16|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140222133945/http://ftp.uitp.org/ftproot/euroteam/YVA/URP_Fundamental_Requirements_EN.pdf|archive-date=2014-02-22|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref name=aptaglossary>{{cite web|url=http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/Transit_Glossary_1994.pdf|title=Glossary of Transit Terminology|publisher=[[American Public Transportation Association]]|access-date=2013-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512230056/http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/Transit_Glossary_1994.pdf|archive-date=2013-05-12|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="mrt">{{cite journal |title=Mass rapid transit systems for cities in the developing world |year=2003 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0144164032000083095 |publisher=Taylor & Francis Online |doi=10.1080/0144164032000083095 |access-date=2 April 2023 |last1=Fouracre |first1=Phil |last2=Dunkerley |first2=Christian |last3=Gardner |first3=Geoff |journal=Transport Reviews |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=299–310 |s2cid=154931412 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> They are sometimes grade-separated on [[elevated railway]]s, in which case some are referred to as el trains – short for "elevated" – or skytrains. Rapid transit systems are usually [[electric railway|electric]] [[railway]]s, that unlike [[bus]]es or [[tram]]s operate on an exclusive [[right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]], which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/491506/rapid-transit|title=Rapid Transit|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|access-date=2014-11-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017033402/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/491506/rapid-transit|archive-date=2014-10-17|url-status=live}}</ref>

Modern services on rapid transit systems are provided on designated lines between [[metro station|stations]] typically using [[electric multiple unit]]s on [[railway track]]s. Some systems use [[rubber-tyred metro|guided rubber tires]], magnetic levitation (''[[maglev]]''), or [[monorail]]. The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside the trains, requiring custom-made trains in order to minimize gaps between train and platform. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same [[transit authority|public transport authorities]]. Some rapid transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines.<ref name="UrbanRail.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanrail.net/am/chic/chicago.htm|title=Chicago|access-date=2015-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416074705/http://www.urbanrail.net/am/chic/chicago.htm|archive-date=2015-04-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

The world's first rapid transit system was the partially underground [[Metropolitan Railway]] which opened in 1863 using [[steam locomotive]]s, and now forms part of the [[London Underground]].<ref name=150Anniv>{{Cite book |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1604.aspx |title=London Underground: History|author=Transport for London |isbn=978-0-904711-30-1 |access-date=2013-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116190701/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1604.aspx |archive-date=2013-01-16 |url-status=dead|year=1981|publisher=Capital Transport }}</ref> In 1868, New York opened the elevated [[IRT Ninth Avenue Line|West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway]], initially a cable-hauled line using [[stationary steam engine]]s.

{{As of|2021}}, [[China]] has the largest number of [[List of metro systems|rapid transit systems in the world]]{{snd}}40 in number,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-29|title=Luoyang and Ji'nan open metro lines|url=https://www.railjournal.com/regions/asia/luoyang-and-jinan-open-metro-lines/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=International Railway Journal|language=en}}</ref> running on over {{convert|4,500|km|abbr=on}} of track{{snd}}and was responsible for most of the world's rapid-transit expansion in the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.itdp.org/2018/07/30/china-drives-rapid-transit-growth/|title=China's Metro Boom Continues to Drive Rapid Transit Growth – Institute for Transportation and Development Policy|date=2018-07-30|work=Institute for Transportation and Development Policy|access-date=2018-11-20|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095357/https://www.itdp.org/2018/07/30/china-drives-rapid-transit-growth/|archive-date=2018-11-20|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Metro Data|url = http://metro-data.info/|website = metro-data.info|access-date = 2018-09-28|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180929000328/http://metro-data.info/|archive-date = 2018-09-29|url-status = usurped}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.itdp.org/2017/02/17/rapid-transit-trends/|title=Rapid Transit Trends Show Record Growth in 2016, with Huge Increases in China, Brazil – Institute for Transportation and Development Policy|date=2017-02-17|work=Institute for Transportation and Development Policy|access-date=2018-11-20|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023020236/https://www.itdp.org/2017/02/17/rapid-transit-trends/|archive-date=2018-10-23|url-status=live}}</ref> The world's longest single-operator rapid transit system by [[Network length (transport)|route length]] is the [[Shanghai Metro]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/shanghai-now-the-worlds-longest-metro.html|title=Shanghai now the world's longest metro|magazine=[[Railway Gazette International]]|date=4 May 2010|access-date=2010-05-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515130655/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/shanghai-now-the-worlds-longest-metro.html|archive-date=15 May 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Stephen J. |url=http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/new-starts-shanghai-metro-worlds-longest-panama-canal-drama-japans-maglev |title=New Starts: Shanghai Metro World's Longest, Panama Canal Drama, Japan's Maglev |newspaper=Next City |date=6 January 2014 |access-date=2014-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925160200/http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/new-starts-shanghai-metro-worlds-longest-panama-canal-drama-japans-maglev |archive-date=25 September 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The world's largest single rapid transit service provider by number of stations (472 stations in total)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/ |title=Facts – Subway and Bus Ridership |publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)]] |access-date=2014-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912073839/http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/ |archive-date=2014-09-12 |url-status=live }}</ref> is the [[New York City Subway]]. The [[List of metro systems|busiest rapid transit systems in the world]] by annual ridership are the Shanghai Metro, [[Tokyo subway|Tokyo subway system]], [[Seoul Metro]] and the [[Moscow Metro]].