Wikipedia

Passenger train

For the train category, seepassenger train (category).

Apassenger trainis atrainused to transport people along a railroad line.[1][2]These trains may consist of unpoweredpassenger railroad cars(also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self propelled passenger trains are known asmultiple unitsorrailcars.Passenger trains stop atstations or depots,where passengers may board and disembark. In most cases, passenger trains operate on a fixedscheduleand have priority overfreight trains.

Amtrak'slocomotive-hauledNortheast Regionalin the United States
One ofJR East's commuterelectric multiple unitsin Japan
Aheritage trainin Denmark
Ahigh speed passenger trainin China

Passenger trains may be made up of a number of passenger cars hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be made up of self-propelledrailcars.Car design and the general safety of passenger trains have dramatically evolved over time, making travel by rail remarkably safe. Some passenger trains, both long-distance and short-distance, usebi-level (double-decker)cars to carry more passengers per train. Passenger trains hauled by locomotives are more expensive to operate than multiple units, but have a higher passenger capacity.[3]

Manyprestigious passenger train serviceshave been bestowed aspecial name,some of which have become famous in literature and fiction.[citation needed]

History

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Locomotion No. 1, the firstlocomotiveto carry passengers on a public railway

The first occasion on which a railway locomotive pulled a train carrying passengers was in theUnited Kingdomin 1804, atPenydarren IronworksinWales,when 70 employees of the ironworks were transported 9 miles by an engine designed byRichard Trevithick.[4][5]The first passenger train in regular service was a horse drawn train on theSwansea and Mumbles Railwaywhich opened in 1807.[6]In 1808, Trevithick ran a passenger-carrying exhibition train calledCatch Me Who Canon a small loop of track in London.[4]The exhibition, which ran for two weeks, charged passengers for rides.[4]

The first steam train carrying passengers on a public railway was hauled byLocomotion No. 1on theStockton and Darlington Railwayin1825,traveling at speeds up to 15 miles per hour.[7]

Travel by passenger trains in theUnited Statesbegan in the 1830s and became popular in the 1850s and '60s.[8][9]

In the United States,streamlinertrains, such as theCity of San Francisco,were developed beginning in the 1930s to reinvigorate passenger train services.

The first electric passenger train was exhibited at theBerlin Industrial Exposition 1879.[10]The first successful commercial electric passenger train, theGross-Lichterfelde Tramway,ran a year later inLichterfelde.[10]

Long-distance trains

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A long-distance night train at theOulu railway stationinOulu, Finland

Long-distance trains travel between many cities or regions of a country, and sometimes cross several countries. They often have adining caror restaurant car to allow passengers to have a meal during the course of their journey. Trains travelling overnight may also havesleeping cars.Currently, much of travel on these distances of over 500 miles (800 km) is done by air in many countries but in others long-distance travel by rail is a popular or the only cheap way to travel long distances.

High-speed rail

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TheShinkansen N700 SeriesNozomitravels betweenTokyoandOsakain around two and a half hours.[11]
Main article:High-speed rail

One notable and growing long-distance train category is high-speed rail, which generally runs at speeds above 200 km/h (120 mph) and often operates on a dedicated track that is surveyed and prepared to accommodate high speeds.[12]The first successful example of a high-speed passenger rail system was Japan'sShinkansen,colloquially known as the "bullet train", which commenced operation in October 1964.[13]Other examples include Italy'sLeFrecce,France'sTGV(Train à Grande Vitesse, literally "high speed train" ), Germany'sICE(Inter-City Express), and Spain'sAVE(Alta Velocidad Española).

In most cases, high-speed rail travel is time- and cost-competitive with air travel when distances do not exceed 500 to 600 km (310 to 370 mi), as airportcheck-inand boarding procedures can add at least two hours to the overall transit time.[14]Also, rail operating costs over these distances may be lower when the amount ofjet fuelconsumed by anairlinerduringtakeoffandclimboutis taken into consideration. Air travel becomes more cost-competitive as the travel distance increases because the fuel accounts for less of the overall operating cost of the airliner.

Some high-speed rail systems employtilting technologyto improve stability in curves. Examples of tilting trains are theAdvanced Passenger Train(APT), thePendolino,theN700 Series Shinkansen,Amtrak'sAcelaand the SpanishTalgo.Tilting is a dynamic form ofsuperelevation,allowing both low- and high-speed traffic to use the same trackage (though not simultaneously), as well as producing a more comfortable ride for passengers.

Inter-city trains

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TheElectric Tilt Train,the fastest train in Australia, operates betweenBrisbaneandRockhamptoninQueensland,a distance of 615 km.
Main article:Inter-city rail

"Inter-city" is a general term for any rail service that uses trains with limited stops to provide fast long-distance travel. Inter-city services can be divided into three major groups:

  • InterCity:using high-speed trains to connect cities, bypassing all intermediate stations, thus linking major population hubs in the fastest time possible
  • Express:calling at some intermediate stations between cities, serving largerurbancommunities
  • Regional:calling at all intermediate stations between cities, serving smaller communities along the route

The distinction between the three types of inter-city rail service may be unclear; trains can run as InterCity services between major cities, then revert to an express (or even regional) train service to reach communities at the furthest points of the journey. This practice allows less populous communities to be served in the most cost-effective way, at the expense of a longer journey time for those wishing to travel to theterminusstation.

Higher-speed rail

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Main article:Higher-speed rail

Higher-speed rail services operate at top speeds that are higher than conventional inter-city trains but below 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.

Short-distance trains

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See also:Regional railandUrban rail transit

Commuter trains

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Mumbai's suburban trainshandle 7.24 million commuters daily.[15]
Main article:Commuter rail

Many cities and their surrounding areas are served bycommuter trains(also known as suburban trains), which servecommuterswho live outside of the city they work in, or vice versa. More specifically, in the United States commuter rail service is defined as, "short-haul rail passenger transportation in metropolitan and suburban areas usually having reduced fare, multiple ride, and commuter tickets and morning and evening peak period operations".[16]Trains are very efficient for transporting large numbers of people at once, compared to road transport. While automobiles may be delayed bytraffic congestion,trains operate on dedicated rights-of-way which allow them to bypass such congestion.[17]

With the use ofbilevel cars,which are tall enough to have two levels of seating, commuter rail services can haul as many as 150 commuters per train car, and over 1,000 per train: much more than the capacity of automobiles and buses.[18][19]

Railcar

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Main article:Railcar
TheBombardier Talentarticulated regional railcar

InBritishandAustralianusage, a "railcar" is a self-propelledrailwayvehicledesigned to transport passengers. The term is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a singlepassenger car(carriage, coach) with a driver'scabat one or both ends. Some railways, e.g. theGreat Western Railway,used the term "railmotor".If the railcar is able to pull a full train, it is more likely to be called a"motor coach"or a" motor car ".[20]The term "railcar" is sometimes also used as an alternative name for the small types ofmultiple unitthat consist of more than one coach.

Rapid transit

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Main article:Rapid transit

Rapid transittrains are trains that operate in urban areas on exclusiverights-of-wayin that pedestrians and road vehicles may not access them.[21]

Light rail

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Main article:Light rail

Light rails are electrically powered urban passenger trains that run along an exclusive rights-of-way at ground level, raised structures, tunnels, or in streets. Light rail systems generally use lighter equipment that operate at slower speeds to allow for more flexibility in integrating systems into urban environments.[22]

Tram

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A tram inParis, France
Main article:Tram

Trams(also known as streetcars in North America) are a type of passenger train that runs atramway trackon or alongside public urban streets, often including segments ofright-of-wayfor passengers and vehicles.[23][24]

Heritage trains

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A British heritage passenger train hauled by the historicFlying Scotsman
Main article:Heritage railway

Heritage trains are often operated by volunteers, oftenrailfans,as a tourist attraction or as a museum railway.[25]Usually, the trains are formed from historic vehicles retired from national commercial operation that have retained or assumed the character, appearance, and operating practices of railways in their time. Sometimes lines that operate in isolation also provide transport facilities for local people. Much of the equipment used on these trains' systems is original or at least aims to replicate both the look and the operating practices of historic/former railways companies.[26]

Environmental impact

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Main article:Environmental effects of transport

Passenger rail is one of the modes of travel with the lowest carbon dioxide emissions. Rail travel emits much less carbon dioxide per mile thanair travel(2–27%) orcar travel(2–24%).[27]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toPassenger trains.

References

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  1. ^"Passenger train definition and meaning".Collins English Dictionary.Retrieved1 February2022.
  2. ^"Definition of PASSENGER TRAIN".merriam-webster.Retrieved1 February2022.
  3. ^Connecticut Department of Transportation (June 2005)."Final Report: New Haven Hartford Springfield Commuter Rail Implementation Study"(PDF).CT.gov.Retrieved9 November2021.
  4. ^abc"Local Heroes – Trevithick's steam locomotive demonstration of 1808," Catch Me Who Can "".Science Blog.British Library. 6 November 2019.Retrieved30 January2021.
  5. ^"Steam train anniversary begins".BBC.21 February 2004.Retrieved30 January2022.
  6. ^"Mumbles Train".swanseamuseum.co.uk.Swansea Museum.Retrieved3 February2021.
  7. ^"San Bernardino History & Railroad Museum – 1800–1849 – September 27, 1825 – World's First Passenger Train".sbdepotmuseum.Retrieved27 January2022.
  8. ^"Union Pacific Passenger Trains".up.Retrieved27 January2022.
  9. ^"First Passenger Trains In America: History, Facts, Photos".American-Rails.Retrieved27 January2022.
  10. ^ab"Making a New industry".Scientific American.112(23): 544–547. 5 June 1915.doi:10.1038/scientificamerican06051915-544.JSTOR26022230.Retrieved3 February2022.
  11. ^"Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Timetable"(PDF).JR Central.Retrieved2 April2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^"Intercity and High-Speed".International Union of Railways (UIC).Retrieved27 May2022.
  13. ^Brasor, Philip; Tsubuku, Masako (30 September 2014)."How the Shinkansen bullet train made Tokyo into the monster it is today".the Guardian.Retrieved12 November2021.
  14. ^Central Japan Railway (2006).Central Japan Railway Data Book 2006.p. 16.
  15. ^"Overview Of the existing Mumbai Suburban Railway".mrvc.indianrail.gov.in.Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation.Archived fromthe originalon 20 June 2008.Retrieved11 December2008.
  16. ^"Glossary and Acronyms"(PDF).Federal Railroad Administration.Retrieved2 November2021.
  17. ^Yates, Brock (1 August 2001)."A Commuter's Quandary: Take the Plane? The Train? The Car? Or 'Ride the Dog'?".Car and Driver.Retrieved2 November2021.
  18. ^Young, David (6 February 1994)."DOUBLE-DECKER TRAINS CHANGED COMMUTING".chicagotribune.Retrieved2 November2021.
  19. ^"Single-decker v double-decker trains: Barry O'Farrell's claim doubtful".ABC Online.14 April 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 11 April 2018.Retrieved10 August2020.
  20. ^"Light Railcars and Railbuses – Feature article".Parry People Movers.Archived fromthe originalon 6 January 2009.Retrieved9 June2008.
  21. ^"rapid transit".Britannica.Retrieved31 January2022.
  22. ^"Light rail and tramways".Office of Rail and Road.Retrieved27 January2022.
  23. ^"What is a tram?".TheTrams.co.uk.Retrieved31 January2022.
  24. ^"tram".The Free Dictionary.Retrieved31 January2022.
  25. ^"Types of Passenger Rail".States for Passenger Rail Coalition.Retrieved1 February2022.
  26. ^"Minor and Heritage Railways".orr.gov.uk.Office of Rail and Road. Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2018.Retrieved16 August2018.
  27. ^Ritchie, Hannah."Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint?".Our World in Data.Retrieved17 June2023.
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