819:
676:, computers are used to calculate a 'safe zone', behind each moving train, which no other train may enter. The system depends on precise knowledge of where each train is and how fast it is moving. With moving block, lineside signals are not provided, and instructions are passed directly to the trains. It has the advantage of increasing track capacity by allowing trains to run much closer together. The system is only used on very few independent networks such as underground lines.
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140:
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986:, locomotives are cleaned, inspected for wear, repaired, updated, or otherwise improved. Decommissioned locomotives with steam generation capacities were sometimes positioned in semi-permanent locations and their boiler capacity was used to provide steam to heat facilities, power machinery, warm passenger cars, or snow and ice clearing activities such as defrosting
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Railroad equipment that is considered obsolete by being outdated or inefficient when compared to newer equipment, or by being worn to a point that is un-repairable, may be taken out of railroad service. These pieces of equipment may have usable parts removed by the railroad company for reuse on other
998:
and is usually sold to be taken away and dismantled for recycling of the raw materials. If the process of salvage or scrapping is financially unrecoverable, the equipment may be left in place until it becomes possible to do so. In some cases a significant or desirable piece of equipment will be
1032:
The presence of a work train on a given section of track will temporarily decrease the capacity of the route. The normal method in such operations is to cease other traffic altogether during the track 'occupation'. Services may be diverted by an alternative route, if available; alternatively,
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poses operational problems, because of the different demands of freight operators and public transport. In many smaller countries passenger operations are done during the day, while freight trains operate mostly during the night. Dedicated tracks have been assigned to some operations.
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Most blocks are 'fixed' blocks, i.e. they delineate a section of track between two defined points. On timetable, train order, and token-based systems, blocks usually start and end at selected stations. On signalling-based systems, blocks usually start and end at
1103:
of its region. This may be flat or mountainous, may include obstacles such as water and mountains. These determine, in part, the intrinsic nature of the system. The slope at which trains run must also be calculated correctly. In this stage, it is decided where
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machines, or may be sold as complete units for reconditioning and reuse by another user. If the equipment is considered completely un-serviceable, and it is financially unwise to attempt to make it so, the entire machine may be declared
654:
The lengths of blocks are designed to allow trains to operate as frequently as necessary. A lightly used branch line might have blocks many kilometres long, whilst a busy commuter railway might have blocks a few hundred metres long.
962:(also called a block train), which carries a block of cars all of the same origin and destination, does not get sorted in a classification yard, but may stop in a freight yard for inspection, engine servicing and/or crew changes.
1120:) may be founded by a railroad passing through. Historically, when a station has been built outside the town or city it is intended to serve, that town has expanded to include the station, or buildings (especially
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Ownership and operation of these two components varies by location. In some places (notably, most of North
America) private railway companies own and operate both the infrastructure and rolling stock (for example,
1037:. It is therefore more economically viable to plan such track occupations for periods of reduced usage (e.g. 'off-peak', overnight or holiday times) to minimise the impact on normal services and revenue.
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A disadvantage of fixed blocks, is that: the faster trains are permitted to run, the longer the stopping distance, and therefore the longer the blocks need to be. This decreases a line's capacity.
684:
Most rail systems serve a number of functions on the same track, carrying local, long-distance and commuter passenger trains, and freight trains. The emphasis on each varies by country. Some
883:
Some passenger cars, especially in long-distance high-speed trains, have a restaurant or bar. These need to be catered. In recent times, train catering has been diminished somewhat by
947:
to sort cars and assemble trains for their final destinations, as well as for equipment maintenance, refueling, and crew changes. Within a freight yard, trains are composed in a
696:
systems are isolated from the national system in the cities they serve. Some freight lines serving mines are also isolated, and these are usually owned by the mine company. An
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sense or eventually close. From this, each has a particular role or roles. These may change with time but they affect the specifications of each particular system.
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Rail transport systems are often used for purposes they were not designed for, but have evolved into due to changes in human geography.
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Inactive locomotives may be housed in a locomotive depot (UK term) or engine house, also known as an engine shed or roundhouse (US). In
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The operation of the railway is through a system of control, originally by mechanical means, but nowadays more usually electronic and
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Small grain silos in railyard - truck and train loading/unloading (rail transfer left side foreground now not in use by trains)(2016)
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rail and bus lines, and may be controlled through the use of ticket barriers at entrances, especially in larger stations, or
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603:, both the infrastructure and rolling stock are owned and operated directly or indirectly by the national government.
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The permanent way trails through the physical geography. The tracks' geometry is limited by the physical geography.
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Signalling systems used to control the movement of traffic may be either of fixed block or moving block variety.
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the passengers validate the tickets themselves (by perforating it, for instance) which is randomly checked by a
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terminals (also called container freight stations or freight terminals), and at customer locations (e.g.
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checks all persons on the train for valid tickets and devaluate them, so they cannot be used again.
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while rolling stock is largely owned and operated by private railway companies. In countries with
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at
Cardiff Queen Street station in the United Kingdom. Both trains were operated by
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are the day-to-day operations of a railway. A railway has two major components: the
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802:. Modern passenger trains sometimes are pushed/pulled by a tail and head unit (see
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Steam locomotives were frequently housed in a circular train depot, known as a
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allow unprofitable, but socially desirable, railways to continue to operate.
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in multiple traction are frequently used in freight trains. Railroad cars or
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Rail transport systems affect the human geography. Large cities (such as
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567:, tracks, stations, freight facilities, viaducts, tunnels, etc.) and the
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587:). In the United Kingdom, the infrastructure is owned and maintained by
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When not in use, passenger cars are stored, maintained and repaired in
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Combining freight and passenger operations on a single track with
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can play a large part in decisions about railways, such as the
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Each transport system represents a contribution to a country's
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There are generally speaking two ways of validating a ticket:
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is a specialized rail system used inside factories or mines.
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who live in a town or village and so cause it to become a
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purchased for preservation. There units may be placed in
943:. Along their routes, freight trains are routed through
1172:, building or rebuilding a railway usually requires an
704:are usually isolated, with special safety systems.
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
935:). Intermodal freight transport uses standardized
1099:of a system must pass through the geography and
810:with motors mounted beneath the passenger cars.
1033:passenger services may be maintained using a
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8:
1202:. General Railway Signal Company. June 1979.
955:or shunter locomotives help the composing.
919:or cargo trains are loaded and unloaded in
1075:Rail transport systems are built into the
864:. This method is sometimes referred to as
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
16:Railway rolling stock and infrastructure
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708:Permanent way and railroad construction
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887:in the train station or on the train.
7:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
837:passenger operations happen in the
826:is one of the busiest stations of
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1041:Background factors (feasibility)
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1152:may have similar consequences.
1136:was a large factor in American
1083:(hills, valleys, etc.) and the
775:units. Two or more locomotives
34:needs additional citations for
1007:groups or private collectors.
1:
1199:Elements of Railway Signaling
1022:Maintenance of way operations
329:Passenger traffic terminology
990:in cold weather conditions.
824:Secunderabad Railway Station
868:and is used extensively on
58:"Rail transport operations"
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1146:China's railroad expansion
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984:traction maintenance depot
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1134:transcontinental railroad
759:but are now operated but
557:Rail transport operations
442:List of high-speed trains
1063:, and as such must make
761:Transport for Wales Rail
1052:await unloading in the
1035:replacement bus service
1003:or may be purchased by
939:, which are handled by
845:. The passenger buys a
659:Moving block signalling
344:Railway nationalization
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750:British Rail Class 143
638:Fixed block signalling
452:Longest train services
334:Named passenger trains
1176:. In many countries,
1079:, including both the
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974:Locomotive operations
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718:Railroad construction
595:rail systems such as
467:Platform screen doors
1005:railway preservation
814:Passenger operations
702:Steep grade railways
680:Types of rail system
520:Transport portal
472:Railway speed record
43:improve this article
949:classification yard
757:Arriva Trains Wales
447:List of train songs
324:High-speed railways
277:Couplers by country
126:Part of a series on
1156:Historical factors
1091:Physical geography
1081:physical geography
1057:
1014:that surrounded a
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898:Freight operations
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698:industrial railway
686:urban rail transit
630:Railway signalling
282:Coupler conversion
1174:Act of Parliament
1071:Extrinsic factors
988:railroad switches
980:engine facilities
862:ticket controller
647:. Alternatively,
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99:December 2022
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
48:
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38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
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1166:Beeching Axe
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1138:colonization
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804:top and tail
789:freight cars
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740:Railroad car
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674:moving block
671:
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665:Moving block
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613:computerized
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593:nationalized
589:Network Rail
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577:freight cars
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234:Service and
120:
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1216:|work=
892:coach yards
841:and in the
783:consist of
767:Trains are
482:Terminology
427:Attractions
414:Miscellanea
250:Locomotives
208:Track gauge
201:Maintenance
1184:References
1028:Work train
1012:roundhouse
960:unit train
945:rail yards
937:containers
921:intermodal
773:locomotive
736:Locomotive
694:light rail
624:Signalling
432:By country
383:Interurban
378:Light rail
223:Dual gauge
174:Management
69:newspapers
1218:ignored (
1208:cite book
1168:. In the
1126:commuters
1077:landscape
1016:turntable
933:factories
877:conductor
607:Operation
457:Modelling
437:Companies
422:Accidents
245:Operating
179:Rail yard
1234:Category
1162:Politics
1065:economic
953:Switcher
800:cabooses
579:, etc.)
504:Vactrain
294:Wheelset
1140:of the
1118:Nairobi
1106:tunnels
1101:geology
982:, or a
917:Freight
797:America
795:and in
777:coupled
645:signals
477:Suicide
462:Museums
393:History
371:History
349:Freight
151:History
83:scholar
1132:. The
1108:pass.
941:cranes
847:ticket
738:, and
601:France
400:Maglev
262:Trains
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
1150:Tibet
1148:into
996:scrap
925:mines
833:Most
732:Train
672:With
597:China
571:(the
563:(the
405:Urban
90:JSTOR
76:books
1220:help
1122:Inns
1095:The
851:fare
822:The
753:DMUs
748:Two
716:and
692:and
599:and
366:Tram
189:list
62:news
853:).
45:by
1236::
1212::
1210:}}
1206:{{
1170:UK
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958:A
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894:.
875:a
791:,
787:,
734:,
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498:UK
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494:NZ
492:,
490:NA
488:,
486:AU
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