In 

rail transport, a train is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport

people or freight. The word train comes from the Old French trahiner, derived from
the Latin trahere meaning "to pull, to draw".[1] Trains are typically pulled or pushed
by locomotives (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such as multiple
units. Passengers and cargo are carried in railroad cars, also known as wagons. Trains are
designed to a certain 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.
Trains have their roots in wagonways, which used railway tracks and were powered by
horses or pulled by cables. Following the invention of the steam locomotive in the United Kingdom in
the early 1800s, trains rapidly spread around the world, allowing freight and passengers to move
over land faster and cheaper than ever possible before. Rapid transit and trams 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 and electric locomotives replaced steam as the means of
motive power. Following the development of cars, trucks, and extensive networks of highways which
offered greater mobility, as well as faster airplanes, trains declined in importance and market share,
and many rail lines were abandoned. The spread of buses led to the closure of many rapid transit
and tram systems during this time as well.