Freight train
A train that carries goods rather than passengers, using locomotives and freight cars to move cargo over rail networks.
Freight car: A rail vehicle designed to carry cargo rather than passengers. Freight cars hold the commodities hauled by a train, in forms suited to different loads.
Intermodal container: A reusable standardized cargo container designed for transfer among ships, trains, and trucks. These containers make freight trains part of door-to-door supply chains.
Freight transport: The movement of goods from one place to another by land, water, air, or other means. Freight trains are one mode within the broader system of freight transport.
Rail transport: The movement of people or goods using vehicles that run on railway tracks. Freight trains form the goods-carrying branch of rail transport.
Railway track: The paired rails and supporting structures that guide and carry railway vehicles. Track geometry and strength constrain freight train routes, speed, and axle loads.
Locomotive: A powered rail vehicle that moves a train by pulling or pushing other rail vehicles. Locomotives provide the tractive force needed to move loaded freight cars.
Bulk cargo: Unpackaged cargo transported in large quantities, such as coal, grain, or ore. Bulk commodities are commonly carried in specialized freight cars and unit trains.
Truck transport: The movement of goods by road vehicles, especially heavy trucks. Trucks offer flexible routing and direct delivery, while trains excel at consolidated long-distance loads.
Transcontinental railroad: A railway that crosses a continent and connects regions previously separated by long overland journeys. Transcontinental lines enabled freight trains to link distant markets and production regions.
Railway gauge: The distance between the inner faces of the two rails of a railway track. Gauge compatibility determines whether freight trains can pass between connected rail networks.