Longest trains
Conventional freight trains can average nearly 2,000 metres.[1] Freight trains with a total length of three or four times that average are possible with the advent of DPUs (distributed-power units), or additional locomotive engines between or behind long chains of freight cars (referred to as a "consist"). These DPUs enable much longer, heavier loads without the increased risks of derailing that stem from the stress of pulling very long chains of train-cars around curves. The length of a train may be measured in number of wagons (for bulk loads such as coal and iron ore) or in metres for general freight. Train lengths and loads on electrified railways, especially lower voltage 3000 V DC and 1500 V DC, are limited by traction power considerations. Drawgear and couplings can be a limiting factor, tied in with curves, gradients and crossing loop lengths.
Bulk cargo
- 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) except where shown.
- Australia
- Rio Tinto—29,500 tonnes of iron ore—2.4 km, three locomotives
- BHP Billiton Iron Ore typically 336 cars, 44,500 tonnes of iron ore, over 3 km long, six to eight locomotives including intermediate remote units.
- Leigh Creek coal - 2.8 km, 161 wagons and 2 locos.[2]
- Brazil
- China
- Mauritania—3 km[4]—iron ore from Zouérat
- Indonesia (proposed)
- Muara Wahau coal to Bengalon port - 2196m [5]
General cargo
- United States are limited by air brake capability.
- Canada
- double stack container trains reaching 4200 m are regularly operated by Canadian National Railway system wide with distributed power locomotives. General cargo trains are limited to 3700 m, and bulk trains are limited to 3000 m but up to 20,700 tonnes
- 1800 m – Australia—Parkes–Perth–Adelaide–Darwin—(limited by 1800 m crossing loops)
- 1500 m – Australia—Adelaide–Melbourne–Sydney–Brisbane—(limited by 1500 m crossing loops; some loops to be extended to 1800m)
- 1500 m – UIC standard double length train
- 1222 m -The Bangalore-Dharamawaram Goods Train (India)[7] - The train runs from Bangalore-Dharamawaram almost every day. There is no stop for this train, and there is no railway station on this route which can accommodate the whole train on a single track or platform. So all the Superfast, Express trains including the longest passenger train the 31-coacher Gomti express is sent to loop line.
Indian Railways term this as increased vehicle length (IVL). This reduces the traffic in this single-lined region; two goods train attached back to back, each train is led by two locomotives. The hardest thing is to get the whole train in one frame.
Soviet Union The longest and heaviest freight train ran on February 20, 1986 from Ekibastuz to the Urals, was carried out with the coal train. The composition consisted of 439 wagons and several diesel locomotives distributed along the train. The mass of is 43,400 tonnes and the total length of 6.5 km (4.03 mi).
- 1000 m
- the Netherlands–Germany—trial trains of this length[8]
- Saudi Arabia 1000m double stack [9]
- Germany, trials, up from 750 m and 850 m between Hamburg and Ringsted in Denmark.[10] (mostly double track, short single track sections. Crossing between 1000 m trains must be avoided on single track)
- 800 m - RVR in East Africa (Kenya–Uganda) to introduce longer trains, which needs longer crossing loops.
- 750 m – Normal for mainlines in several countries in Europe.
- 750 m – UIC standard single length train
- 400 m – New South Wales steam era, where lengths also limited by practical length of crossing loops mechanically operated from signal boxes.
Passenger
- India – 24 coaches (approximately 480 m)
- the Netherlands - 12 bilevel coaches (2 NS VIRM trains combined)
- Sweden – 17 coaches (26.7 m each plus two Rc locomotives at 15.4 m) – 484 m between Stockholm and Luleå
- Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands – 2 ICE 3 trains combined – 402 m
- United Kingdom, Belgium, France – Eurostar / British Rail Class 373 (20 cars multiple unit) – 394 m
- United States — Auto Train between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida — total of 42 coaches, including 15 passenger coaches and 27 auto carriers.
The length of passenger trains generally has to match the length of platforms, especially high-level platforms. These platforms cannot always be extended to suit extended train lengths due to bridges, tunnels, pointwork, narrowing track centres and stabling yards, though "selective door opening" can help long trains stop at short platforms.
Special test runs
(These are one-off to set records)
Ore
- BHP Run on 21 June 2001, comprising 682 wagons and hauled by eight 6000 hp General Electric AC6000CW diesel-electric locomotives controlled by a single driver with a total length of 7.353 km on the 275 km iron ore railway to Port Hedland in Western Australia – total weight 99,734 tons [11]
- Sishen–Saldanha Run on 26–27 August 1989, comprising 660 railcars, 7.3 kilometres (4.5 mi) long and weighing 69,393 tons, excluding the 16 locomotives (9 50 kV AC electric and 7 diesel-electric).[12][13]
General cargo
- Union Pacific Run from 8 to 10 January 2010, consisting of 296 container wagons and hauled by nine diesel-electric locomotive spread through the train with a total length of 18,000 feet (3.4 mi; 5.5 km), from a terminal in Texas to Los Angeles. Around 618 double-stacked containers were carried at speeds up to 70 mph/112 km/h. 14,059 t.[14][15]
Passenger
- Kijfhoek–Breda Run on 19 February 1989, as a test and publicity stunt what would become the longest passenger train in the world. The train was pulled by one 1500 V DC locomotive and had 60 passenger cars, of which only the first 14 cars held actual passengers during the run.[17]
- Ghent–Oostende On 27 April 1991, one electric loco and 70 passenger cars (totalling 1733 m and 2786 ton, excluding locomotive) held a charity run for the Belgian Cancer Fund, thereby exceeding the Dutch record.[17]
See also
References