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

As of 2018^[update], there are approximately 1,051,767.605 kilometres (653,538.091 mi) of railway track in use worldwide. (World Bank (via Archive.org))

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The East West line (EWL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line operated by SMRT, running from Pasir Ris station in the east to Tuas Link station in the west, with an additional branch between Changi Airport and Tanah Merah stations. It is the second Mass Rapid Transit line to be built in Singapore. The 57.2 kilometres (35.5 mi) line is the longest on the MRT network (this title will be given to the Cross Island line upon its complete opening by the 2040s), with 35 stations, 8 of which (from Lavender to Tiong Bahru and Changi Airport stations) are underground. Constructed and opened as part of the North South line (NSL) in the early stages of development, the East West line is formed after the opening of the eastern extension to Tanah Merah in 1989. Nevertheless, both lines used identical signalling equipment and rolling stock. The East West Line signalling systems have been upgraded along with the North South Line and is the second line to have its signalling upgraded completely, converting it from semi-automatic to fully automated operations.

Recently selected: East Midlands Parkway railway station - E353 series - East Anglia franchise

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Workers load pitch into a string of V skip wagons in Trinidad. Small wagons like this were often used in mining and were manually propelled (the workers would push or pull them).

Recently selected: unused pillars along the SRT - TAZARA passenger train - locomotives at Changhua Roundhouse

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Did you know...

...that line T1 of the Dijon tramway carried 36,000 passengers per day during its first two months in service in 2012, which was 6,000 more than even the highest forecasts had projected?
...that the Digha–Sonpur Bridge, which opened in 2016, is only the second bridge to carry railway tracks across the Ganges in the Indian state of Bihar?
...that the Dickabram Bridge, which opened in Queensland, Australia, in 1889, replaced two other bridges that were both swept away in floods and itself was submerged by flood waters only once during the 1893 floods?
...that special trains were run on the Devon Valley Railway to carry curling sportsmen in first class carriages and their stones in fish wagons at the rear of the train?

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Selected anniversaries

December 13

1889 – Franklin B. Gowen (pictured), president of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad 1866–1883, dies of a gunshot wound in Washington, D.C. (b. 1836); questions remain as to whether this was a suicide or a revenge killing by members of the Molly Maguires.
1994 – The Interstate Commerce Commission grants Union Pacific Railroad authority to exercise management control over the Chicago and North Western Railway.
2004 – Bombardier president and former Canadian National Railway president Paul Tellier announces his retirement.

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Train News

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

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

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

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

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General images

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

Image 1The Italian ETR 200 (from High-speed rail)
Image 2A replica of Trevithick's engine at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea (from History of rail transport)
Image 3Baltimore & Ohio electric engine (from History of rail transport)
Image 4The FS Frecciarossa 1000 (from High-speed rail)
Image 5Cast iron rails of the Alexandrovsky plant railway in Russia. 1788. (from History of rail transport)
Image 6Taiwan high-speed rail, derived from the Shinkansen (from High-speed rail)
Image 7Chinese CRH380A high speed train (from High-speed rail)
Image 8Mexican railway bridge, an example of engineering that overcame geographical barriers and allowed efficient movement of goods and people. (from History of rail transport)
Image 9A typical U.S. classification yard in Denver, Colorado. Intermodal terminal is on the right. (from Rail freight transport)
Image 10Swiss & German co-production: world's first functional diesel–electric railcar 1914 (from History of rail transport)
Image 11A maglev train on the Yamanashi Test Track, November 2005 (from High-speed rail)
Image 12A German high-speed line being built along a highway (from High-speed rail)
Image 13Catholic priests bless a railway engine in Calais, 1848 (from History of rail transport)
Image 14Historic steam on the Rigi Railways, the oldest rack railway in Europe (from List of heritage railways)
Image 15High-speed line on a viaduct to avoid ramp and road-crossing, with a British Rail Class 373 from Eurostar in old livery crossing it. (from High-speed rail)
Image 16The Spanish AVE AVE Class 102 "Pato" (duck) (from High-speed rail)
Image 17Map of first Mexican rail line between Veracruz and Mexico City (from History of rail transport)
Image 18V150 train, modified TGV, conventional world speed record holder (574.8 km/h or 357.2 mph) (from High-speed rail)
Image 191907 map showing the projected Chicago–New York Electric Air Line Railroad (from High-speed rail)
Image 20The German DB Class 103 (from High-speed rail)
Image 21The original 0 series Shinkansen train. Introduced in 1964, it reached a speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). (from High-speed rail)
Image 22The Locomotion at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum (from History of rail transport)
Image 23Old type of steam-hauled freight train in 1964 (from Rail freight transport)
Image 24L0 Series Shinkansen, unconventional world speed record holder (603 km/h or 374.7 mph) (from High-speed rail)
Image 25Cepu Forest Railway – Du Croo & Brauns locomotive (from List of heritage railways)
Image 26Mixed freight running downhill in Caliente, California (from Rail freight transport)
Image 27Grand Trunk's Bonaventure Station, Montreal, 1900s (from History of rail transport)
Image 28E6 and E5 series Shinkansen models (from High-speed rail)
Image 29The BB 9200 hauled Le Capitole at 200 km/h. (from High-speed rail)
Image 30A map of the world showing regions by principal rail track gauge. (from Rail freight transport)
Image 31The German ICE 1 (from High-speed rail)
Image 32Rail Passengers in Great Britain from 1829–2021, showing the rapid rise in passenger numbers in the 19th century (from History of rail transport)
Image 33Cast iron fishbelly edge rail manufactured by Outram at the Butterley Company ironworks for the Cromford and High Peak Railway (1831). These are smooth edgerails for wheels with flanges. (from History of rail transport)
Image 34The British Salamanca locomotive, 1812 (from History of rail transport)
Image 35Ventspils narrow-gauge railway (from List of heritage railways)
Image 36The German Fliegender Hamburger (from High-speed rail)
Image 37The Frecciarossa ETR 1000 at the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. (from High-speed rail)
Image 38A German high-speed line, with ballastless track (from High-speed rail)
Image 39The TGV Sud-Est, at the Gare de Lyon, in 1982 (from High-speed rail)
Image 40The Korean-developed KTX Sancheon (from High-speed rail)
Image 41Burlington Zephyr passenger train (from High-speed rail)
Image 42Freight trains wait for departure in Zhengzhou, China (from Rail freight transport)
Image 43Coal awaiting shipment to an electric generating plant in Germany (from Rail freight transport)
Image 44Train in Arizona, with 20-, 40- and-53 foot containers double stacked in well cars (from Rail freight transport)
Image 45Iron ore train in Mauritania (from Rail freight transport)
Image 46The First Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869. (from History of rail transport)
Image 47Map of Russian railroads in 1916 (from History of rail transport)
Image 48Development of the network up to 1860 (from History of rail transport)
Image 49A prototype of a Ganz AC electric locomotive in Valtellina, Italy, 1901 (from History of rail transport)
Image 500-Series Shinkansen, introduced in 1964, triggered the intercity train travel boom. (from History of rail transport)
Image 51The French CC 7100, 1955 record holder (from High-speed rail)
Image 52One power-car of the gas-turbine prototype "TGV 001" (from High-speed rail)
Image 53The Old Patagonian Express (from List of heritage railways)
Image 54Diagram of Priestman Oil Engine from The Steam engine and gas and oil engines (1900) by John Perry (from History of rail transport)
Image 55Lichterfelde tram, 1882 (from History of rail transport)
Image 56Freight train in Rostov Oblast, Russia (from Rail freight transport)
Image 57The Acela Express (from High-speed rail)
Image 58A container train passing through Jacksonville, Florida, with 53 ft (16.15 m) containers used for shipments within North America (from Rail freight transport)
Image 59Variety of rolling stock in rail yard (from Rolling stock)
Image 60A long grain train of the Union Pacific Railroad crossing a bridge in Washington state, United States (from Rail freight transport)
Image 61Map of railways of the Iberian peninsula (1921) (from History of rail transport)
Image 62The German 1903 record holder (from High-speed rail)
Image 63Fond de Gras railway station, Luxembourg (from List of heritage railways)
Image 64First railway line by country (from History of rail transport)
Image 65A container train in Germany (from Rail freight transport)
Image 66Friedrich List's concept for a German railway net from 1833 (from History of rail transport)
Image 67Bulk freight car scales at the MMA Mack Point yard, Searsport, Maine (from Rail freight transport)
Image 68The TGV at 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) in 2007 (from High-speed rail)
Image 69The Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed line in Japan, with Mount Fuji in the background. The Tokaido Shinkansen, which connects the cities of Tokyo and Osaka, was the world's first high-speed rail line. (from High-speed rail)
Image 70Spanish high speed services (from High-speed rail)
Image 71A replica of a "Little Eaton Tramway" wagon, the tracks are plateways. (from History of rail transport)
Image 72Freight train on the Suihua–Jiamusi Railway in Yichun, Heilongjiang (from Rail freight transport)
Image 73Metroliner trains developed in the U.S. for rapid service between New York and Washington, DC (from High-speed rail)
Image 74A replica of the Planet, which ran on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway from 1830 (from History of rail transport)
Image 75Minecart shown in De Re Metallica (1556). The guide pin fits in a groove between two wooden planks. (from History of rail transport)
Image 76Károly Zipernowsky (from High-speed rail)
Image 77Peak Tram of Hong Kong (from List of heritage railways)
Image 78Polish locomotive Pm36-1 (140 km/h) dated 1937. (from History of rail transport)
Image 79Russian railroads construction by year 1837–1989 (from History of rail transport)
Image 80The 1909 map of railways in India (from History of rail transport)
Image 81Reisszug, as it appears today (from History of rail transport)
Image 82The Odakyu 3000 series SE (from High-speed rail)
Image 83Tren a las Nubes (from List of heritage railways)

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Trains (Shortcut: WP:TWP)

WikiProject Stations (WP:STA)
WikiProject Streetcars (WP:TRAM)
WikiProject Rapid transit (WP:RTPJ) inactive
By region:
- WikiProject Metros of the former Soviet Union (WP:SOVMETRO) inactive
- WikiProject Indian railways (WP:INRW)
- WikiProject Trains in Japan (WP:TJ)
- WikiProject New Zealand Railways (WP:NZR)
- WikiProject Pakistan Railways (WP:PKR) inactive
- United Kingdom
  - WikiProject UK Railways (WP:Rail)
  - WikiProject UK Trams (WP:UKTrams)
  - WikiProject London Transport (WP:LT/WP:TUBE)
- United States
  - WikiProject New York City Public Transportation (WP:NYCPT)
Fictional rail transport topics:
- WikiProject Thomas & Friends (WP:THOMAS)