Railway Technologies

A Nostalgic Look at the Rail Service – Its Beginning and Future
Traveling through the countryside by train was once a part of the Jamaican experience for many. The rails cut through parishes to connect families, or even workers to their places of employment. Sadly, the rail service is no longer in existence. Attempts to revive it have seen life occasionally. The Jamaica Railway Corporation’s long history practically begs for a true rebirth. The Jamaican railway was the first in the British colonies.
The Early Years of the Jamaican Railway
The rail service in Jamaica was the brainchild of brothers, William and David Smith. The pair presented a proposal to Britain’s House of Assembly in 1843 for the development of a railway service in the British colony. Read the rest of this entry »

Every year, the Grand Canyon Railway transports thousands of visitors to the south rim of the Grand Canyon from Williams, Arizona. At holiday time, the Grand Canyon Railway operates The Polar Express, transporting children and adults alike to the magical world of Santa Claus and the North Pole. The Grand Canyon Railway started The Polar Express in 2001.
All Aboard The Polar Express
The Polar Express departs the Williams Depot and heads to the North Pole, where a winter wonderland awaits. During the journey, passengers will be served hot chocolate and cookies, while listening to The Polar Express, the popular children’s story by Chris Van Allsburg.
When the train arrives at the North Pole, guests are greeted by Santa and his elves. Each child on board will receive his or her own special gift from Santa. Read the rest of this entry »

n 2007, Canada had a total of 72,212 km (44,870 mi)[29] of freight and passenger railway, of which 31 km (19 mi) is electrified.[citation needed] While intercity passenger transportation by rail is now very limited, freight transport by rail remains common. Total revenues of rail services in 2006 was $10.4 billion, of which only 2.8% was from passenger services. The Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway are Canada’s two major freight railway companies, each having operations throughout North America. In 2007, 357 billion tonne-kilometres of freight were transported by rail, and 4.33 million passengers travelled 1.44 billion passenger-kilometres (an almost negligible amount compared to the 491 billion passenger-kilometres made in light road vehicles). 34,281 people were employed by the rail industry in the same year.[30]
Nation-wide passenger services are provided by the federal crown corporation Via Rail. Three Canadian cities have commuter rail services: in the Montreal area by AMT, in the Toronto area by GO Transit, and in the Vancouver area by West Coast Express. Smaller railways such as Ontario Northland, Rocky Mountaineer, and Algoma Central also run passenger trains to remote rural areas.
In Canada railways are served by standard gauge, 4 ft 81?2 in (1,435 mm), rails.
Canada has rail links with the lower 48 US States, but no connection with Alaska other than a train ferry service from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, although a line has been proposed.[31] There are no other international rail connections.

Unless you’re touring the countryside, trains are the best way to travel around Europe. You can pick and choose from an astonishing variety of trains–from folksy, friendly local trains in rural areas to high-speed TGVs that whisk you between cities at speeds up to 300 km/h (186 mph). Best of all, you’ll see Europeans at close range when you travel by train, instead of viewing the backs of their heads through a bug-spattered windshield.
In most European countries, being a train passenger is far more pleasant than it is in the U.S. Stations are centrally located, departures are frequent, and well-maintained railbeds provide a comfortable ride. Many trains have dining cars, and buffet carts serve drinks and snacks to travelers who forgot to buy refreshments in the station. Bottom line: For most travelers, common sense says, “Take the train and leave the driving to Jacques or Jane.” Read the rest of this entry »

For most visitors, rail travel is the quickest and easiest way to get around Europe. Trains go from city center to city center, at speeds of up to 186 mph (300 km/h) on some routes. Parking worries are non-existent, there’s no need to pay a king’s ransom for gasoline, and you can focus on scenery instead of traffic. Rail passes make train travel even simpler by eliminating the need to buy tickets on most routes. With a rail pass, you can usually board the nearest train and go where your fancy takes you. (There are exceptions to this: seat reservations are required on some trains, and rail passes aren’t accepted on a few rail lines such as Eurostar.) Eurailpass (for travelers from outside Europe) Eurailpass is the best-known rail pass outside of Europe, if only because it’s been around for decades. The traditional Eurailpass, now called the Eurail Global Pass, comes in two versions: the standard first-class pass, and a second-class youth pass for travelers under age 26. Both passes are available for periods of 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months, or three months, as well as any 10 or 15 days within a two-month period. These passes can be a good value if you plan to travel frequently in different parts of Europe. However, if you expect to visit just a few countries, the Eurail Select Passes (which cover three to five neighboring countries) or the many different Eurail Regional and One-Country Passes may be more cost-effective. To make matters more complicated, Eurail also offers Global Pass Saver passes for couples, families, and other groups. These are shared versions of the standard first-class Eurailpass and offer savings over standard passes. Finally, several countries and regions offer senior passes for travelers over 60. Confused? Rail Europe’s “Find the Perfect Pass” page and Eurail’s Pass Overview chart will help you make the right choice. InterRail (for residents of Europe) If you live in Europe, an InterRail Pass can save you money on train travel in 30 countries of Europe and North Africa. You can buy an InterRail Global Pass in several durations: 5 days within a 10-day period, 10-days with a 22-day period, 22 continuous days, or one month. Pricing options include second-class youth (for ages 12-25) and first- and second-class adult (with a 50% discount for children from 4 to 11 years old). For details and prices, see InterRail’s Global Pass page. Read the rest of this entry »