Longest Freight Train in the World
Have you ever wondered how long was the longest Freight train in the world or the longest goods train in the world in history of Railways 2022. Longer trains can be created with the help of distributed power units which can considerably stretch the length of the Train to truly astonishing dimensions.


Longest Freight Train in The World



    Here we don't just have list of largest railway network in the world even the longest train ever in the world. So let's Find out how much is the longest train length. 

    RIO TINTO RAILWAY

    RIO TINTO RAILWAY
    Rio Tinto the Hamersley and Rogue River Railway owned by the Rio Tinto group is a private rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for the purpose of carrying iron ore.

    It is our first longest goods train in the world in this list.

    The largest railway network is larger than any other Australian heavy freight rail network and private ownership having a total length of about 1,300 kilometres.
    Rio Tinto iron ore train consists of up to 236 wagons each having a load capacity of up to 160 tons.

    Trains are up to 2,400 meters long and fully loaded weigh approximately twenty nine thousand five hundred tonnes having an average cycle time of 28 hours.

    The trains are powered by two different types of locomotives each producing 4400 horsepower in this largest train ever.

    Rio Tinto's rolling stock consists of over 200 locomotives and around 12,000 wagons enabling them to run around 50 train units.

    MAURITANIA RAILWAY

    MAURITANIA RAILWAY
    The Mauritania railway is the national railway is world longest goods train of Mauritania consisting of a single 704 kilometre longest railway line linking the iron mining centre of Zurich with the port of Nouadhibou.

    This longest goods train is owned and controlled by the National mining and industrial company.

    The amazing Mauritania Railway boasts some of the longest and heaviest trains in the world measuring around 3,000 meters.

    The trains can have up to 4 EMD diesel locomotives pulling over 200 fully laden or wagons weighing over 17,000 tons.

    The locomotives have been specially adapted to cope with extreme heat and desert conditions.

    Sometimes the trains also carry passengers who travel atop the train to transport food and supplies to remote Saharan communities.

    CARAJAS RAILWAY

    Longest Freight Train in the World
    Created in 1985 the carajás railway is responsible for the operation of the largest freight train in latin america which measures around 3,000 meters and has 330 wagons.

    This one of the longest railway in the world is 892 kilometers long and links carajás iron ore mines in the state of Para to ponta da matta airport terminal in the state of maranhão.
    Its longest railway network is integrated into the logistics structure formed by two railways eight ports coastal shipping service and warehouses.

    In addition to iron ore carajás railway which has 12,000 wagons and 200 locomotives also transports iron manganese copper fuels coal among others.


    That is why this is in our list of 10 Longest Freight Train in the World or longest goods train in the world.

    DAQIN RAILWAY

    DAQIN RAILWAY
    Daqin railway also known as the DAC in line is a 653 kilometres coal transport railway in North China. Also a longest running train.

    The electrified double track line serves as a major transportation unit for moving coal produced in Shanxi and Inner Mongolia - can you act out. 

    China's largest coal exporting seaport from where coal is shipped to South China and other countries in Asia by their longest freight train in the world.

    Bulk freight trains operating on the Daken line can carry up to 20,000 metric tons the largest carrying capacity in China and measure around 3,200 metres.

    In 2018 a total 451 million tons of coal were transported through DAC and line bringing the accumulated volumes to 6 billion tons since commissioning.

    BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE RAILWAY 

    BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE RAILWAY
    The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is the largest freight railroad network in North America.

    Operating on three trans continental routes that provide rail connections between the western and eastern United States. Probably the longest continental railway.

    BNSF trains traveled over 272 million kilometres in 2010 more than any other North American railroad. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway reports the results of continuing tests of longer train lengths.

    An initiative begun in mid 2007 on July 10 2009 an intermodal train operated between Los Angeles and Clovis New Mexico toddled.

    Some 3,600 metres in length powered by seven locomotives and carrying 458 container units this was a new BNSF record by this longest goods train ever in the world.

    The previous record said in January 2009 was a train carrying 435 units and about 3000 meters in length.

    CANADIAN NATIONAL & PACIFIC

    Longest Freight Train in the World
    Up until the 1990s the average freight train in Canada was about 1540 metres long and weighed 7,000 tonnes. Makes it one of the world longest train.

    Now the maximum allowed length for general cargo freight train is 3,700 meters although some runs are still operated with 4200 meter long trains that pull double stack container cars waiting in total 18,000 tons.

    The big change was distributed power units really just putting slave diesel electric locomotives.

    In the middle of trains an innovation which required some computerization and decent wiring harnesses.

    While Canadian national is comfortable sticking with the size of its longest trains now & need a longest train services management system fot this longest goods train.

    Canadian Pacific continues to push the boundaries of how long it can build. 

    Its trains by developing some of the industry's most cutting-edge technology in recent years to help it do longest cargo train.

    UNION PACIFIC


    Union Pacific is a freight hauling railroad that operates eight thousand three hundred locomotives over 50 1800 kilometers routes in 23 US states west of Chicago and New Orleans.


    On January 2010 an apparently unprecedented super freight train consisting of 296 container cars and hold by nine diesel electric locomotives.

    Having a total length of 5,500 metres rolled from a terminal in Texas to Los Angeles makes it Longest Freight Train in the World.

    Catching state regulators off-guard and prompting concerns about potential safety risks and traffic delay.

    Union Pacific mentioned that the test was part of an effort to explore ways to improve the rail traffic.

    Such trains reduce the chances of derailment because locomotive power is distributed along the Train reducing stress on couplers and other equipment.

    NORFOLK & WESTERN RAILWAY

    NORFOLK & WESTERN RAILWAY
    The Norfolk and Western Railway was a u.s. class-1 railroad formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982.

    Now a days they operate as Norfolk Southern Railway after merging with Southern Railway longest freight train ever.

    on November 15 1967 the Norfolk and Western Railway operated the world's longest and heaviest freight train at that time between eager West Virginia and Portsmouth Ohio.

    The train was 6,500 meters long with 500 coal cars pulled by six three thousand six hundred horsepower diesel engines in largest train in world.

    The train waited 48,000 170 tons and covered a distance of 256 kilometers with an average speed of 42 km/h.

    Earlier in the fall Norfolk and Western had moved long trains including a 450 car coal train as practice for operating maximum tonnage trains having satisfactory results.

    SISHEN SALDANAHA RAILWAY

    SISHEN SALDANAHA RAILWAY
    The session saldanha railway line also known as the or export line is an 861 kilometers long heavy haul longest freight train ever line in South Africa.

    It connects iron ore mines near sition in the northern cape with the port at saldanha bay in the western cape. It is used primarily to transport iron ore and does not carry passenger traffic.

    It held for almost 12 years since August 1989 the record of the longest and heaviest train in the world.

    The Train comprised of 660 wagons and 16 locomotives measuring 7,302 meters and having a total weight of 71,765 tonnes.

    Average trains running on this route are around 3,780 metres long and are formed of eight locomotives and 342 wagons waiting in total 41,400 tonnes making them the longest production trains in the world.

    In 2011 37 million tonnes of iron ore were exported by combi from saldanha Bay to customers in countries and regions around the world.

    MOUNT GOLDSWORTHY OF BHP BILLITON 

    MOUNT GOLDSWORTHY OF BHP BILLITON
    bhp billiton is the second largest iron ore mining company in the Pilbara region behind Rio Tinto producing approximately 41 million tonnes of iron ore per year.

    The Guinness world record for the longest and heaviest freight train was set on 21st of June 2001 in Western Australia between Newman and Port Hedland. 

    Becomes the longest train in the world at that time & also in our top 10 Longest Freight Train in the World.

    By a train consisting of 682 loaded iron ore wagons and eight locomotives measuring an astonishing 7,352 metres and having a combined 50 thousand horsepower.

    The train named Mount Goldsworthy had a total weight of almost 100,000 tonnes and finished the transport in about ten hours by this largest train in world.

    For the unfortunates who were waiting to pass at railroad crossings it was a long six minutes wait but at least they had an awesome sight during this time.

    The Train is operating in pole bara region North Western Australia and as part of the Goldsworthy and Mount Newman railway.

    So this was our list of the top 10 longest freight train in the world or you can say the longest goods train in the world.

    You can checkout our Table to know the longest freight train ever.



    Train NameLenght (m)
    RIO TINTO RAILWAY2,400
    MAURITANIA RAILWAY3,000
    CARAJAS RAILWAY3,000
    DAQIN RAILWAY3,200
    BNSF RAILWAY3,600
    CANADIAN NATIONAL & PACIFIC3,700
    UNION PACIFIC5,500
    NORFOLK & WESTERN RAILWAY6,500
    SISHEN SALDANAHA RAILWAY7,302
    MOUNT GOLDSWORTHY OF BHP BILLITON 7,352



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