A train (from Old French trahiner, from Latin trahere, "to pull, to draw"[1]) is a series of connected

vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or
pushed by locomotives or railcars (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 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 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.
Since the 1970s, governments, 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 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. Monorails operate on a single rail,
while funiculars and rack railways are uniquely designed to traverse steep slopes. Experimental trains
such as high speed maglevs, which use magnetic levitation to float above a guideway, are under
development in the 2020s and offer higher speeds than even the fastest conventional trains. Trains
which use alternative fuels such as natural gas and hydrogen are another 21st-century development.