Different forms of railway transport have been present since prehistoric times. In fact, the oldest tracks known today can be dated all the way back to 3838 BC! However, what we are going to focus on today is the modern history of trains, dating back to the first locomotive. We are speaking of trains that move due to mechanical inventions rather than muscle force. So now, let us embark on a journey through time and have a brief look at some of the most significant events in the history of trains!

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The early locomotives

We can not talk about trains as we know them today, without of course mentioning the Industrial Revolution. Starting in the mid 1700s and lasting until sometime between 1820 and 1840, the Industrial Revolution was the transitional period into machine manufacturing with numerous mechanical inventions being brought to life. Before spreading to the rest of the world, this change started in Britain, and it is here we also find the very first locomotive. 

Though an initial model was developed as early as 1784, the first full scale steam locomotive was built by the British engineer Richard Trevithick in 1804. But it was not until the Salamanca, built by Matthew Murray in 1812, that the steam locomotive became a commercial success. Back then, the locomotive transported coal cheaply between the Middleton colliery into the city of Leeds and the river, and this railway, called the Middleton Railway is still the world’s oldest continuously working railway, though today it is a heritage railway run by volunteers. The first ever locomotive to pull passenger carriages, however, was the Locomotion No. 1, built by George and Robert Stephenson in 1825, almost twenty years after Trevithivk’s locomotive. 

The first locomotives were, as mentioned, what we call steam locomotives. They functioned by burning coal, and sometimes oil or wood, to heat up water, which created the steam. The steam was then led into cylinders which moved metal bars, called pistons, that were attached to the wheels to make them turn. 

Greater distances & improved comfort

Despite some early hesitation, shortly after the Locomotion was put in action, public passenger trains became a huge success, not only in Britain, but across the world, connecting small towns with cities, and even whole continents together. However, taking a journey with some of the earliest trains was not a particularly pleasant experience. The carriages were small, fitted with hard wooden benches, and the rides could be bumpy. As railway travel became more popular, and covering greater distances, the comfort on trains developed quickly, and already by the end of the 1830s sleeping carriages had been introduced on both British and American railways. 

As the comfort on trains continued to increase, railway owners realised how much more they could charge, and thus the concept of the luxury train was introduced. George Pullman, an American engineer, began building his first luxury sleeping carriage, the Pioneer,  in 1865. This success initiated the start of the Pullman Company, which essentially owned and operated almost all sleeping carriages in America for decades. Back in Europe, the first and probably also most well known luxury train was the Orient Express, which began operating in 1883 between Paris and Vienna. Shortly after other such luxury trains appeared across the continent, and these luxury trains were fitted with plush seats, chandeliers, toilets, private sleeping compartments and even restaurant carriages. 

The introduction of electric & diesel trains

Going slightly back in time again, to 1837, when Scottish chemist and inventor Robert Davidson built what is known as the first ever electric locomotive. This locomotive was powered by batteries, however due to the low capacity of the batteries back then, the train could not run very far and was therefore not deemed fit for public use. Other inventors across the world also experimented with electric locomotives in the following years, but it was not until 1879 that the first electric train carried passengers. This train was built by the German electrical engineer Werner von Siemens and carried passengers around a 300 meter circular track, at a maximum speed of 13 km/h. Siemens’ train was powered by a third rail in between the tracks, supplying the train with electricity through a contact roller installed under the train. After this train’s successful four month test period, Siemens then built what would become the world’s first electric tram line, the Gross-Lichterfelde Tramway, when it opened in Lichterfelde near Berlin in 1881. Shortly after, other electric city tramlines opened across both Europe and America.

A key factor to the development of the electric trains was the increase in the use of tunnels, especially in urban areas. The first fully underground railway opened in between Paddington and Farringdon in central London in 1863, and it became an immediate success. However, as underground trains swiftly gained popularity across Europe, the toxicity of the smoke within the tunnels became a great concern, which led to the desire for a less toxic option. The first electric underground line, the City and South London Railway, opened in 1890, and thereafter electricity became the preferred power source for most urban underground trains. 

Trains through the 20th century & today

In 1912, the first ever diesel powered locomotive was finished, after Rudolf Diesel himself together with fellow German engineer Adolf Klose and Swiss engine manufacturing company Gebrüder Sulzer had gone together to begin the process of building such a locomotive six years earlier. Throughout the 20th century, engineers continued to develop different types of diesel locomotives, and given how diesel became a cheaper option than steam in the long run, the diesel locomotives thus took over as the most popular amongst railway companies. Today, a majority of long distance railways still run on diesel, however the percentage of electrified railways are growing each year. 

Since the mid 20th century, Japan has played an important role in a wide range of fields within research and technological development. And when it comes to trains, already in 1964 the very first high-speed railway, the Tokaido Shinkansen, opened, running between Tokyo and Shin-Okasa. Though high-speed trains have since been developed and operated in other places in the world, particularly throughout Asia and Europe, the Tokaido Shinkansen is still one of the most heavily used high-speed railways in the world today.

One of the most recent developments in train technology is maglev, a shortened form of magnetic levitation, which uses magnets to repel and lift the train off the tracks and move the elevated train forwards. Though the maglev technology itself was first engineered elsewhere, and many countries attempted to develop maglev trains throughout the late 20th century, the most successful maglev powered railways can be found in Japan. These trains can reach much higher speeds than the electric high-speed trains, though with such high speeds, the safety and comfort of the passengers becomes a new concern. 

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Trains have in many ways shaped our world, and continue to be the first choice for many, whether they are embarking on a cross continent journey, or just a few stops with the tube. Although steam locomotives are not to be found in many places today, both electric and diesel trains are still popular. But with the world having to move towards a greener future, it is perhaps likely that the diesel trains will soon become history as well. How long will the electric trains as we know them today last, and is maglev the future or will other new technologies take over? Only time will tell!