22 Facts About Railway Travel That Will Make You a Small Talk Guru

that will make you a small talk guru

22 factsabout railway travel

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hello traveller


Traveling by train may not be the fastest way to get from one place to another but it surely is one of the most romantic and comfortable one. There is something almost magical about the railway. The nearly meditational rythm of all the sounds that surround you, the landscape behind the window passing just slowly enough to observe and enjoy the view. The legends of the Orient Express and the Transsyberian Railways make the experience a lot more inspiring than just flying or driving a car.

Trains are great way to discover not only the country but to make friends and get great insights into the culture of a country you visit. We’ve collected some interesting facts about this way of moving around. Chances are you were rather oblivious to most of them. Enjoy and share!



early ancestors of railway


The earliest evidence of a wagonway, a predecessor of the railway, found so far was the 6 to 8.5 km long Diolkos wagonway, which transported boats across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece since around 600 BC. Wheeled vehicles pulled by men and animals ran in grooves in limestone, which provided the track element, preventing the wagons from leaving the intended route. The Diolkos was in use for over 650 years, until at least the 1st century AD. The first horse-drawn wagonways also appeared in ancient Greece, with others to be found on Malta and various parts of the Roman Empire, using cut-stone tracks. They fell into disuse as the Roman Empire collapsed.



the steepest railtrack


The steepest Cogwheel railway in the world is in Switzerland. It has a gradient of 48%. The steepest cog railway in the world (maximum gradient 48%) climbs to Pilatus Kulm and the romantic Hotel Pilatus-Kulm, built in 1890, with its sun terrace and panoramic views of the Alps.



the longest straight stretch


The longest straight stretch of railway is in Australia. The part without any curves is 478km (301 miles) long. The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. It includes the world's longest stretch of dead-straight railway track, a 478 kilometre (297 mi) length between the 797 km post west of Ooldea and the 1275 km post west of Loongana.



straight to the volcano top


The only railway to go to the top of a volcano was built on Mount Vesuvius in Italy, in 1880.Vesuvius funicular was the only plant in the world clambering up on an active volcano, at that time. Only plant in the world climbing up on an active volcano at that time, transported tourists on the top of Mt. Vesuvius comfortably sitting, from 1880 to 1944



the world largest station


The world's largest station by number of platforms is Grand Central Terminal, Park Avenue and 42nd Street, New York City, USA, built from 1903–13 which has 44 platforms. They are situated on two underground levels with 41 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. The station covers 19 ha (48 acres), and on average some 660 Metro North trains and 125,000 commuters use it every day.



secret platform in NYC


There is also a secret platform below the Waldorf Astoria hotel, next door to Grand Central Station. The belief is that this was used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to leave the hotel (after giving a speech) in his wheelchair, but hidden from view. This abandoned platform was never used in regular service, but as a loading point, coincidentally under the hotel.



the heaviest train ever


The heaviest train in the world was a freight train in Australia in 2001. It was 7.3km (4.6 miles) long and weighed 95,000 tonnes. That is as heavy as 2.8 million ten-year-olds or more than 27,000 elephants



the fastest train ever


The top dog in the world of fast trains is China, which broke the 300 mph barrier with the CRH380A. The 302 mph top speed makes this the fastest legal way to travel by land.



the people who travel


In average of 3.5 million passengers travel by train daily in Great Britain making it one of the busiest railways in Europe.



the longest station seat


The longest station seat in the world is at Scarborough station. It is 139m long. Scarborough railway station, formerly called Scarborough Central, serves the seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. It lies 42 miles (68 km) east of York and is one of the eastern termini on the North TransPennine route operated by First TransPennine Express. The station is also at the northern end of the Yorkshire Coast Line, and has the longest station seat in the world at 152 yards (139 m) in length.



the longest tunnel ever


In 1988 the 53.850 km (33.461 mi) long Seikan Tunnel in Japan was completed under the Tsugaru Strait, linking the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. It is the longest railway tunnel in the world. The track level is about 140 metres (460 ft) below the seabed and 240 m (790 ft) below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait — connecting Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island Honshu and the island Hokkaido — as part of the Kaikyo Line of Hokkaido Railway Company. The name Seikan comes from combining the on'yomi readings of the first characters of Aomori (青森?) and Hakodate (函館?), the

nearest major city on the Hokkaido side.



first steam locomotive


The first full-scale working railway steam locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick in the United Kingdom and, on 21 February 1804, the world's first railway journey took place as Trevithick's unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway from the Pen-y-darren ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon in south Wales



first publicly subscribed


The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) in north-eastern England was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. Opened in 1825, it was built between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington and connected to several collieries near Shildon. 26 miles (40 km) long, it was also the world's longest railway line at the time.



not willing to give up


Other forms of transportation have come (and some go) yet trains still remain an important way of transporting goods. Today 40% of world’s freight cargo is transported via trains, and that number continues to grow with each year.



first underground train


First underground railway was also made in London. This small network of tunnels had problems with steam engine smoke, but its popularity never wavered.



about railway travel


First underground railway was also made in London. This small network of tunnels had problems with steam engine smoke, but its popularity never wavered.



Across america


East and West coast of North America was linked with railway network on May 10, 1866 by uniting Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads. This 3000 miles long railroad enabled people to travel from New York to California in mere days, instead of weeks and months.



trains in england


Currently England has over 15 thousand kilometers of working railways, with 14353 used for passenger trains. Those trains go over 40 thousand bridges and tunnels.



the longest route in the world


The longest route for one train can be made between Moscow and Vladivostok on Trans-Siberian Express railway line that is 9,297 kilometers long! The Trans-Siberian Railway (Russian: Транссибирская магистраль Transsibirskaya Magistral') is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway line in the world. There are connecting branch lines into Mongolia, China and North Korea. It has connected Moscow with Vladivostok since 1916 and is still expanded.



environmentaly friendly


Trains are one of the most eco-friendly ways you can travel.



speed demons


Current speed record for trains is held by French TGV bullet train. He reached the speed of 584km per hour and then braked for 16 kilometers before it managed to stop. First commercial steam train (Stephenson’s “Rocket”) managed to reach the speed of 96 kilometers per hour in 1830.



speed demons


Maglev trains can reach speeds of over 550 km/h, but by the year 2020 they will most probably come close to 800 km/h.Current speed record for trains is held by French TGV bullet train. He reached the speed of 584km per hour and then braked for 16 kilometers before it managed to stop. First commercial steam train (Stephenson’s “Rocket”) managed to reach the speed of 96 kilometers per hour in 1830.



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