Editing Train (section)

{{Short description|Series of connected rail vehicles}}
{{About|the series of rail vehicles|the act of developing skills|Training|the vehicle that hauls trains|Locomotive|other uses}}
{{Broader|Rail transport}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2021}}
{{Multiple image
| image1 = Поезд на фоне горы Шатрище. Воронежская область.jpg
| caption1 = An [[electric locomotive]] pulling a passenger train in [[Rail transport in Russia|Russia]]
| image2 = Pilatus railway train.jpg
| caption2 = A [[rack railway]] in [[Rail transport in Switzerland|Switzerland]]
| image3 = New Zealand DX class locomotive. (24769239234).jpg
| caption3 = [[Diesel locomotive]]s pulling a freight train in [[Rail transport in New Zealand|New Zealand]]
| image4 = Wuppertaler Schwebebahn Westende 2019-10-06 06 (cropped).jpg
| caption4 = A suspended [[monorail]] in [[Rail transport in Germany|Germany]]
| image5 = Union Pacific 844, Painted Rocks, NV, 2009 (crop).jpg
| caption5 = A restored [[steam locomotive]] in the [[Rail transportation in the United States|United States]]
| image6 = Bangalore Metro Station, India (cropped).jpg
| caption6 = A [[rapid transit|metro]] train in [[Rail transport in India|India]]
| image7 = Zuerich-vbz-tram-2-swpsigbbc-880755.jpg
| caption7 = A [[tram]] in Switzerland
| image8 = Avg-858-02.jpg
| caption8 = A [[light rail]] train in Germany
| perrow = 2
| caption_align = center
| width = 200
}}{{train topics}}

A '''train''' (from [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|trahiner}}, from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|trahere}}, "to pull, to draw")<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of ''train (noun)'' in Compact OED |website=AskOxford.com |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |url=http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/train?view=uk |access-date=18 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050526072449/http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/train?view=uk |archive-date=26 May 2005}}</ref> is a series of connected [[vehicle]]s that run along a [[railway track]] and [[Passenger train|transport people]] or [[Rail freight transport|freight]]. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by [[locomotive]]s (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such as [[multiple unit]]s or [[Railcar|railcars]]. Passengers and cargo are carried in [[railroad car]]s, also known as wagons or carriages. Trains are designed to a certain [[Track gauge|gauge]], or distance between rails. Most trains operate on [[steel]] tracks with steel wheels, the low friction of which makes them more efficient than other forms of transport. Many [[Rail transport by country|countries use rail transport]].

Trains have their roots in [[wagonway]]s, which used railway tracks and were [[Horsecar|powered by horses]] or [[Cable railway|pulled by cables]]. Following the invention of the [[steam locomotive]] in the United Kingdom in 1802, trains rapidly spread around the world, allowing freight and passengers to move over land faster and cheaper than ever possible before. [[Rapid transit]] and [[tram]]s were first built in the late 1800s to transport large numbers of people in and around cities. Beginning in the 1920s, and accelerating following [[World War II]], [[Diesel locomotive|diesel]] and [[electric locomotive]]s replaced steam as the means of motive power. Following the development of [[car]]s, [[truck]]s, and extensive networks of [[highway]]s which offered greater mobility, as well as faster [[airplane]]s, trains declined in importance and market share, and many rail lines were abandoned. The spread of [[bus]]es led to the closure of many rapid transit and tram systems during this time as well.

Since the 1970s, governments, [[Environmentalism|environmentalists]], and train advocates have promoted increased use of trains due to their greater [[fuel efficiency]] and lower [[greenhouse gas emissions]] compared to other modes of land transport. [[High-speed rail]], first built in the 1960s, has proven competitive with cars and planes over short to medium distances. [[Commuter rail]] has grown in importance since the 1970s as an alternative to congested highways and a means to promote [[Transit-oriented development|development]], as has [[light rail]] in the 21st century. Freight trains remain important for the transport of bulk commodities such as coal and grain, as well as being a means of reducing road traffic congestion by freight trucks.

While conventional trains operate on relatively flat tracks with two rails, a number of specialized trains exist which are significantly different in their mode of operation. [[Monorail]]s operate on a single rail, while [[funicular]]s and [[rack railway]]s are uniquely designed to traverse steep slopes. Experimental trains such as high speed [[maglev]]s, which use [[magnetic levitation]] to float above a guideway, are under development since the 1970s and offer higher speeds than even the fastest conventional trains. Trains which use [[alternative fuel]]s such as [[Natural gas vehicle|natural gas]] and [[Hydrail|hydrogen]] are a 21st-century development.