What is the length of a train?

Answer 1

A typical CSX double-stack container train carries 280 containers. Each railcar is 80 feet chafing plate to chafing plate. (there are multiple car configurations but the overall length is typical.) As a result, 140 cars at 80 feet is 2.12 miles. CSX locomotives, type AC4400CW, are approximately 78 feet long, and CSX will use a 4 engine lash up.

So, this train will be a bit less than 2 and a quarter miles long. Most railroads will limit train lengths to less than passing sidings on their main lines. These vary from 1 mile to about 2 and one half mile on much of the Union Pacific lines (including the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific acquired lines.

sources: CSX advertising

EMD data sheet

measurements on double stack cars

25 November 200

Answer 2

Trains very greatly in length, some passenger trains only have a few cars, while freight trians can have hundreds! It is all a matter of efficiency. The more cars that move on one train; the better the efficiency. So when you see a long freight train and a short passenger train, it all depends on how much cargo or people need to be moved.

The longest freight trains have been over a mile long.