Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways (or railroads). Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth. Rail transport is capable of high capacity and is energy efficient, but lacks flexibility and is capital intensive.

It consists of trains running along a permanent way, consisting of steel track on ties and ballast. Alongside is a signalling system and sometimes an electrification system. The rolling stock, fitted with metal wheels, moves with low frictional resistance when compared with road vehicles. The operation is carried out by a railway company, providing transport between train stations. Power is prived by a steam engine, diesel engine or electrical transmission. Rail is the safest land transport.

The oldest, man-hauled railways date to the 6th century BCE. With the development of the steam engine, it was possible to construct mainline railways, that were a key component of the industrial revolution. In the 1880s, electric trains were launched, and the first tramways and rapid transit systems came into use. Following the 1940s, unelectrified railways in developed countries replaced steam with diesel. In the 1960s, high-speed rail was launched. Since, trains have become more accessible, and some are now driverless.

History

main: History of rail transport

Pre-steam

The earliest evidence of a railway was a Diolkos wagonway, which transported boats across the Corinth isthmus in Greece during the 6th century BCE. Trucks pushed by slaves ran in grooves in limestone, which provided the track element. The Diolkos ran for over 1300 years.

Railways began reappearing in Europe after the Dark Ages. The earliest known record of a railway in Europe from this period is a stained-glass window in the Minster of Freiburg im Breisgau dating from around 1350. In 1515, Cardinal Matthäus Lang wrote a description of the Reiszug, a funicular railway at the Hohensalzburg Castle in Austria. The line originally used wooden rails and a hemp haulage rope, and was operated by human or animal power. The line still exists, albeit in updated form, and is probably the oldest railway still to operate.

By 1550, narrow gauge railways with wooden rails were common in mines in Europe. By the 17th century, wooden wagonways were common in the United Kingdom for transporting coal from mines to canal wharfs for transshipment to boats. In 1764, the first wagonway was built in the United States.