Top 10 longest trains in the world with a record number of cars

The length of a regular train can be different, each country has its own standards. In Russia, a standard passenger train has about 20 wagons, and a freight train has about 350 axles, i.e. 87 wagons. But these numbers are subject to change. Much depends on the power of the locomotive. The number of wagons can be reduced or, on the contrary, increased.

They also set their own records. The longest trains in the world have gone down in history forever. It is quite difficult to use them all the time, because. there is a high probability of an accident, you need to control the acceleration and deceleration system. But many transport companies successfully cope with this problem.

10 «Ghan», Australia, 1096 m

This train crosses Australia regularly from north to south.

Why exactly «Purpose»? Once the center of Australia was little explored. Great help in its development at that time was provided by the famous Afghan camel drivers. In honor of them, the railway line that connected Adelaide and Alice Springs back in 1929 was decided to be named “Afghan Express”. This name was soon shortened to “Afghan”, and then all the way to “Steel”. They got used to it so much that the train was officially called “Ghan”.

Once its route was 1420 km long, but in 2003 the construction of a new branch was completed, which led from Alice Springs to the northern port of Darwin. The total length of the railway became 2979 km.

Now this train is a visiting card of Australia. It runs once a week, all year round. The break happens during the hottest time of the year. Since the train is a record holder in length, buses have to transport people along the platform. It has 44 wagons and 2 locomotives. This is a record length if we talk about modern passenger trains.

9. Maruti freight train, India 1400 m

This train holds the record in India. It was launched in 2011. AT freight train “Maruti” 118 cars, they are driven by four locomotives, 2 of which are in front and the remaining 2 are in the middle. It can carry up to 9-10 thousand tons of cargo at a speed of about 50 km/h.

The creators of the train wanted to make it even longer, but for safety reasons they decided to reduce the number of cars. Sharp turns, as well as unsafe slopes, can provoke an accident, which they decided to prevent in this way.

8. Rio Tinto Railway Service, Australia up to 2400 m

In 2018, the company became known all over the world “Rio Tinto”. This is one of the world’s largest mining and metallurgical companies producing gold, copper, iron ore, uranium, diamonds, etc.

This corporation has been working on the creation of a fully automated railway complex for more than 10 years, having spent 916 million dollars on this. The system serves 14 mines, delivering ore to 4 port terminals.

Trains can independently monitor the condition of the rails, they can conduct self-diagnosis themselves, revealing malfunctions in the coupler or wheels. They are operated by remote employees who are located at a distance of 1,5 km from the mines.

Thanks to these innovations, the longest trains, which have 226 cars each, can not stop to change drivers. On average, each of them travels a distance of 800 km, transports up to 30 thousand tons of cargo.

On average, it takes about 40 hours to load, transport and unload. Thanks to such automation, it was possible to increase the production of ore by 20 million tons. Trains move at a speed of 20 km/h.

7. Mauritanian Mining Railway, Mauritania up to 2500 m

This is only 1 line, the length of which is 704 km. It was opened in 1963. The length of ordinary trains reaches up to two and a half kilometers, they are pulled by three or four diesel locomotives. In total, from two hundred to two hundred and ten wagons, in which there are 84 tons of cargo and there are also several additional wagons.

These trains are attractions Mauritania, they are depicted on the 5-thousand note. About 4-5 trains depart a day, one of which is connected to a passenger car. Nobody knows the exact time of its departure. Therefore, most passengers prefer to ride on the roof or in freight cars, sitting right on the ore.

6. Daqing Railways, China up to 3200 m

It was built in 1984. Length Daqing Railways – 653 km, they are necessary for the transportation of coal. At first, one path appeared, later an additional one was added.

The trains have two hundred and ten cars, which are pulled by powerful locomotives. These trains can carry up to 20 thousand kilotons, which is a record carrying capacity for the country.

5. Freight trains in Carajas, Brazil 3300 m

Brazil has huge reserves of iron ore, about 48 billion tons, 18 billion of which are in the mountain range Karajas. To connect the ore mining sites in Carajas and the port of Ponta de Madeiro, a railway was launched in 1982, it stretched for 892 km.

It still remains one of the most profitable, because. about 350 thousand passengers travel on it. 120 million tons of ore are also transported there. More than thirty-five types of trains pass through it. There is a special one among them. It has three hundred and thirty wagons, it stretches for 3300 m.

4. American Highways Association S-400 train, USA up to 3659 m

America’s railroads are among the largest in the world, stretching for 230 km. It was thanks to them that the economy boomed, because. they were able to bridge vast distances.

Association of American Highways S-400 train – record holder. He has 180 wagons. To prevent accidents, it is equipped with a variety of safety devices that prevent the carriages from derailing when the train passes sharp curves.

3. Radio Distribution Energy Trains, South Africa 3780 m

In South Africa, there is an 861 km long ore carrying line connecting the mines where ore is mined in Xishen and the port of Saldan.

In 2018, they launched the largest train in the history of the country. This is a freight train, it has 375 wagons, it can carry 22,5 thousand tons of manganese ore.

2. Double-decker container trains, Canada 4200 m

The Canadian Railway is one of the largest networks in North America, established in 1019. The total length of its canvas is 30 thousand kilometers.

They ride on it double-deck container trainsthat pull multiple locomotives. Once their maximum length was 1500 m. But now they produce trains up to 4 thousand meters long, they carry up to 18 thousand tons. The longest freight train from Canada is 4200 m, but on average, freight trains stretch up to 3 thousand m, and freight trains up to 3700 m.

1. BHP Billitron mining train, Australia, 7350 m

BHP Billitron owns the Mount Newman railway line. It is used to transport minerals. It appeared in 1969, connects the cities of Newman and Port Hendland. On average, the entire journey takes about 8 hours. The train consisted of 250 wagons, it stretched for 2,5 km.

But in 2001 a record was set. On the way, a train was launched, it had 682 cars, and its total length was 7,3 km. He was able to transport 82 tons of ore. It was pulled by 8 locomotives. To optimize traction and braking power, diesel locomotives were distributed along the entire length of the train, thanks to which it moved smoothly along the rails. This record has not yet been broken, although more than 18 years have passed.