There are so many types of rail transport used in the tourism industry. From high speed trains to funiculars, there are many different types of rail transport used around the world.
This article explains the main types of rail transport and gives examples of where they can be found around the world.
What is rail transport?
Early forms of rail transport date back to ancient Greece, in the 6th century BC. Rail transport is ever-evolving, and it remains one of the most important forms of land transport for both passengers and freight.
Rail transport refers to any means of transferring passengers and cargo on or in wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are located on tracks. Rail vehicles are guided by the tracks on which they run.
Types of rail transport
There are various types of rail transport, as outlined below.
Urban rail transport
Urban rail transport is one of the overarching types of rail transport, and it can be separated into several other types, outlined below.
Urban rail transport is the term used for different types of local rail systems which provide a passenger service in and around urban or suburban areas.
Urban rail transport includes trams, rapid transport trains, monorails, light rail, cable cars, funiculars and commuter rail.
Rapid transit
Rapid transit trains are high-capacity public transport trains.
Generally known as the metro, the subway, the underground, the tube or similar, they are electric railways which run on dedicated tracks separated from other traffic and pedestrians, often underground or on elevated sections.
The first rapid transit system in the world was London’s Metropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 as a conventional railway. Today, China has more metro systems than any other country, with more than 40 cities operating one, and Shanghai has the world’s longest metro network.
Rapid transit systems are mostly utilised by commuters and those travelling in (and in between) cities for leisure, education and shopping purposes. They are also used by tourists.
High-speed railways
HSRs (high-speed railways) run at a significantly faster speed than other types of rail transport.
HSRs use an integrated system of rolling stock and designated tracks; there is no single speed standard worldwide, but the International Union of Railways (UIC) generally defines high-speed rail as new lines with speeds of at least 250 km/h (around 155 mph), or upgraded lines with speeds of around 200 km/h (124 mph).
Japan’s ‘bullet train’, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, is one of the most well known. It began operations in 1964.
Many countries now have high-speed rail networks, including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the UK, South Korea and Turkey. China has by far the largest network in the world, with more than 45,000 km of high-speed lines – more than the rest of the world combined.
Commuter rail
Commuter rail is a similar system to rapid transit rail.
Commuter rail encompasses rail transport services within metropolitan areas, connecting commuters from towns and suburbs to cities for work purposes, first and foremost.
They are considered heavy rail, and use electric or diesel trains. British commuter rail services share tracks with other passenger trains and freight trains too.
Monorail
A monorail is a type of railway where the track has a singular beam or rail.
While the name does refer to the type of track, colloquially ‘monorail’ is used to refer to elevated rail vehicles.
Monorails are used for urban transport in cities such as Tokyo, Chongqing and Las Vegas, and can also be found in zoos and theme parks, such as Granby Zoo in Canada and Flamingo Land in the UK. This allows for ease of transport within the zoo or park, without the need to take up additional ground space.
The first monorail prototype was made in the 1820s, but they didn’t come into regular use until the 1900s – the Wuppertal Schwebebahn, a suspended monorail in Germany that opened in 1901, is still in operation today.
Elevated railways
Similarly to a monorail, elevated railways are a type of rail transport that run above ground level rather than at or below ground level.
Elevated railways are used predominantly in urban areas to avoid congestion and the need for level crossings.
The London and Greenwich Railway was the first elevated railway: built between 1836 and 1838, it was on a brick viaduct of 878 arches.
Trams and streetcars
A tram is a rail vehicle that runs on tramway tracks along public urban streets.
Trams have been referred to as ‘electric street railways’ in the past, which sums it up well.
They are short and light in comparison to main line or rapid transit trains; trams mostly use electric power from overhead lines, which means they produce no emissions at street level, unlike cars or buses which are often in the same road areas. Trams are also what we might call ‘light rail’.
In many European cities, such as Prague and Vienna, trams are a vital way of travelling around the main areas. In places like San Francisco, the cable car system, which dates back to 1873 and is the last manually operated cable car system in the world, is very popular with tourists. There are countless Instagram shots of people riding on the running boards of San Francisco’s cable cars.
Funiculars
A funicular is one of the most interesting types of rail transport.
Funiculars are powered by cable traction, and designed specifically for steep inclines. There are two counterbalanced passenger cars which move in concert – as one goes up, the other comes back down.
Funiculars are mostly tourist attractions now, offering a fun way to see new scenery when visiting a particular area, though some are used for commuting and general transport.
The Flying Dutchman funicular at Cape Point in South Africa is one of the best in the world. Alongside this, there are great funiculars to visit in Switzerland, Scotland and Italy.
The Fell mountain railway system
The Fell mountain railway system was the first third-rail system to be introduced.
It was for railways that were too steep to use just two running rails – a third, raised centre rail in between the two running rails provides extra traction and ease of braking.
Trains are fitted with extra brake shoes, meaning it is only specific trains which can be used on the Fell system.
This system was designed and developed in the 1860s by British engineer John Barraclough Fell.
It was first tested on the Cromford and High Peak Railway at Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, and first used commercially on the Mont Cenis Pass Railway between France and Italy in 1868. To this day, the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man still uses this system for emergency braking.
Mountain railway
As the name suggests, a mountain railway is a railway operating in a mountainous area.
Whether to provide transport to and from the summit or for sightseeing, mountain railways tend to use narrow gauge tracks due to tight curves caused by the contours of the mountain.
They often use steep grade railway technology, and provide a great opportunity to see mountain scenery without hiking.
The following countries are home to the most mountain railways, which are one of the most iconic types of rail transport:
- Germany
- Romania
- Switzerland
- The UK
- The US
Heritage railways
Heritage railways are one of the loveliest types of rail transport; they are pieces of living history.
Re-creating or preserving railway scenes from the past, they teach visitors about rail history. They are defined as ‘lines of local interest’, museum railways or tourist railways that have retained or assumed the character and appearance and operating practices of railways of former times. Several lines that operate in isolation provide genuine transport facilities, providing community links. Most lines constitute tourist or educational attractions in their own right. Much of the rolling stock and other equipment used on these systems is original and is of historic value in its own right. Many systems aim to replicate both the look and operating practices of historic former railways companies.
Heritage railways are often also known as ‘tourist railroads’ and can be found across the world.
The UK is home to many beautiful heritage railways. Some of these include the West Somerset Railway, Severn Valley Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
India, Argentina, the US, Canada and Slovakia also have many fantastic heritage railways and tourist railroads.
Plateway
A plateway is one of the early types of rail transport in the UK.
The rails were made from cast iron, and they were used for around 50 years between 1780 and 1830. Generally, plateways were horse-drawn and had L-shaped rails.
Plateways were popular in South Wales and Gloucestershire as well as Surrey, Derby and Cornwall at the time.
Plateways were first introduced by John Curr.
Rack railways
A rack railway, also known as a cog railway, is a type of steep grade railway.
A rack railway has a toothed rack rail, and the trains that run along these railways are fitted with a cog that meshes with this rack rail.
Mountain railways are often rack railways, as are some transit railways and tramways in steep urban areas.
The first rack railway was Middleton Railway in West Yorkshire, England. It was designed and patented by John Blenkinsop in 1811.
The first mountain rack railway was the Mount Washington Cog Railway in the US, which opened in 1868 and is still running today.
Wagonways
Wagonways are the earliest of all the types of rail transport.
Wagonway is the collective term for the horses, tracks and equipment used for hauling wagons before railways were introduced.
Evidence suggests that the first track system was at The Isthmus of Corinth, a narrow land bridge. In ancient Greek times this was known for separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. Historians say there was a trackway here, around 6 to 8.5 km long, which was used to transport boats across the Isthmus. The tracks were created by wheeled vehicles running grooves into limestone. This prevented wagons going off track as they followed the same route.
Evidence of wooden rail tracks can be found as far back as 1556, in Germany. Rail transport is ever-evolving, and history proves that.
Types of rail transport: To conclude
As this article has shown, there are many different types of rail transport. Whether commuting to work, heading off on holiday or taking a scenic train journey as a tourist experience in its own right, there are many different options to choose from.
Types of rail transport: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about the different types of rail transport.
What are the main types of rail transport?
The main types of rail transport include urban rail (such as metros, trams, light rail and commuter rail), high-speed rail, monorails, elevated railways, funiculars, mountain and rack railways, and heritage railways.
What counts as high-speed rail?
The International Union of Railways generally defines high-speed rail as new lines with speeds of at least 250 km/h (around 155 mph), or upgraded lines with speeds of around 200 km/h.
What was the first underground railway?
The world’s first underground railway was London’s Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863.
What is the difference between a funicular and a rack railway?
A funicular uses a cable to pull two counterbalanced cars up and down a steep slope, while a rack (or cog) railway uses a toothed rail and a cog wheel on the train to climb steep gradients.
Which country has the largest high-speed rail network?
China has by far the largest high-speed rail network in the world, with more than 45,000 km of high-speed lines.
Types of rail transport: Further reading
Recommended books on this topic:
- Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations
- The Times Golden Years of Rail Travel
- The Railways: Nation, Network and People
- Losing Track: An Insider’s Story of Britain’s Railway Transformation from British Rail to the Present Day
- Britain’s Railways Then And Now: LNER
If you found this article on the different types of rail transport useful, these articles may also be of interest:
- 50 types of transport from around the world
- 23 types of water transport
- 20 fascinating types of aircraft
- The 14 types of roadways around the world
- The history of transportation
