Types of trains

Passenger trains

Passenger trains have passenger cars. Passenger trains travel between stations; the distance between stations may vary from under 1 km to much more.

Very fast trains sometimes tilt, like the Pendolino. Tilting is a system where the passenger cars automatically lean into curves, reducing the centrifugal forces acting on passengers and permitting higher speeds on curves in the track with greater passenger comfort.

For trains connecting cities, we can distinguish inter-city trains, which do not halt at small stations, and trains that serve all stations, usually known as local trains or "stoppers" (and sometimes an intermediate kind, see also limited-stop).

For shorter distances many cities have networks of commuter trains, serving the city and its suburbs. Some carriages may be laid out to have more standing room than seats, or to facilitate the carrying of prams, cycles or wheelchairs. Some countries have some double-decked passenger trains for use in conurbations. Double deck high speed and sleeper trains are becoming more common in Europe.

Passenger trains usually have emergency brake handles (or a "communication cord") that the public can operate. Abuse is punished by a fine.

A light one- or two-car rail vehicle running through the streets is not called a train but a tram, trolley, or streetcar, but the distinction is not strict.

The term light rail is sometimes used for a modern tram, but it may also mean an intermediate form between a tram and a train, similar to metro except that it may have level crossings. These are often protected with crossing gates. They may also be called a trolley.

Maglev trains and monorails represent minor technologies in the train field.

The term rapid transit is used for public transport such as commuter trains, metro and light-rail.

See also

• people mover
• liberalization in train transport
• Passenger train human waste disposal.

Freight trains

Much of the world's freight is transported by train. In the USA the rail system is used mostly for transporting freight (or cargo).

Under the right circumstances, transporting freight by train is highly economic, and also more energy efficient than transporting freight by road. Rail freight is most economic when freight is being carried in bulk and over long distances, but is less suited to short distances and small loads.

The main disadvantage of rail freight is its lack of flexibillity. For this reason, rail has lost much of the freight business to road competition. Many governments are now trying to encourage more freight onto trains, because of the environmental benefits that it would bring.

This type of freight train has largely superseded the traditional "box wagon" type of freight train, whereby the cargo had to be loaded or unloaded manually.

In some countries "piggy back" trains are used whereby trucks can drive straight onto the train and drive off again when the end destination is reached. A system like this is used on the Channel Tunnel between England and France. Piggy back trains are the fastest growing type of freight trains in the United States, where they are also known as 'trailer on flat car' or TOFC trains. There are also some "inter-modal" vehicles, which have two sets of wheels, for use in a train, or as the trailer of a road vehicle.

There are also many other types of wagon, such as "low loader" wagons for transporting road vehicles. There are refrigerator wagons for transporting food. There are simple types of open-topped wagons for transporting minerals and bulk material such as coal and tankers for tranporting liquids and gases.

Freight trains are sometimes illegally boarded by passengers who do not wish, or do not have the money, to travel by ordinary means. This is referred to as "Hopping" and is considered by some communities to be a viable form of transport. Most hoppers sneak into train yards and stow away in boxcars. More bold hoppers will catch a train "on the fly", that is, as it is moving, leading to occasional fatalities, some of which go unrecorded.

Famous train routes

Main article: Famous trains

Famous historical train services include the:

• Orient Express in Europe.
• Trans-Siberian in Russia.
• Blue Train in South Africa.
• Train-de-Luxe from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls.
• Chihuahua al Pacifico in Mexico.
• Palace on Wheels in Rajasthan, India.
• Frontier Mail and Grand Trunk Express, India.
• The Canadian in Canada.
• 20th Century Limited in the USA.
• California Zephyr in the USA.
• The Indian-Pacific and The Ghan in Australia (long-distance rail)
• Puffing Billy and The Gulflander in Australia (heritage and touring)