Rail transport

Steam power

 In 1804, Richard Trevithick attached a steam engine to a carriage that ran

along a track.
 His locomotive, as it was called, pulled wagons that carried iron.
 Soon, other people began to use locomotives to transport heavy goods such
as coal and iron.
 In 1808, Trevithick began charging passengers to travel on a wagon pulled
by one of his locomotives.
Passenger locomotives

 The world’s first passenger railway opened in Britain in 1825.

 It ran a distance of 40 kilometres between two towns in the north of England.

 Soon there’s a network of railways all over Britain. From the 1830s, railway
started to spread throughout the world.
Impact of the locomotive

 People could work in the city but live in the country because the trains could
transport thousands of people everyday
 People and goods could be transported further and faster than ever before.
 Merchants and businesses used the railways to transport fresh food long
distances quickly.
 A growing railway created jobs and also made towns, cities, countries much
more connected with each other. For example the Trans-Siberian railway in
Russia is over 9289 km long and connects Moscow with Russia Mongolia, China
and North Korea.
 Letters and newspaper could be delivered much more quickly so news spread
faster.

 High speed travel meant that sports clubs could now play teams from other places.

 In Britain for example a journey between London and Edinburgh took 2 weeks by
road in 1745. By 1901, people could make the same journey in nine hours by rail.
New locomotive power

 By 1950s diesel engines were used more than steam engines in many countries.

 Diesel engines were easier to drive, quieter and cheaper to run than steam engines.

 Some of the fastest locomotives today are powered by electricity.

 There has been an increase in the number of locomotives powered by magnets,

particularly in Japan, Korea and China. They are called Maglevs and can travel at
hight speeds.