History of Train Travel

The interior of a modern train is desiged with efficiency and comfort in mind.

A train is a series of passenger or cargo cars pulled along by one or more sources of power. The history of traveling by train starts centuries ago, and it continues to be made today.

Ancient Pre-Railway

The earliest known form of train is the Diolkos wagon way in Corinth, Greece. Though not a mechanized kind of train, animal drawn carriages drove along grooved "tracks" in stone, which kept the wheels in place. This early form of train travel was in use from around 600 B.C. until the first century A.D.. Other such wagon ways were also in use in Rome as well as the island of Malta.

Early Railway

Richard Trevithick,is credited with developing the first steam-powered railway locomotive in 1804. Later, the first public fare railway in the world is established in 1807, in Wales.

Modern Railway

The first, electric streetcar system was built in 1888 in Richmond, Virginia.

In 1964, the first high-speed passenger train was opened in Japan. It runs from Osaka to Tokyo.

References

• "The Story of Ireland"; Brian Igoe; 2009
• The Old Times: History of Locomotives
• Time: A Brief History of High-Speed Rail
• ThinkQuest: Start Your Engines
• The Trevthick Society: List of Trevithick's patents

Resources

• National Railway Museum