How long does it take a 150 car train going 50 mph to stop?
A 150-car freight train at 50 mph needs 8,000 feet (1 and 1/2 miles) to stop; an 8-car passenger train at 79 mph needs about 6,000 feet (1 and 1/8 miles) to stop.
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The average freight train consisting of 100 cars and weighing anywhere from 12 million to 20 million pounds takes over a mile to stop in emergency braking. There are brakes on every wheel, but it takes that long for all of those brakes to overcome the momentum of the tremendous weight pushing the train.
Fact #4: Trains Can Stop, But Not QuicklyThat's the length of 18 football fields. So if you think a train can see you and stop in time, think again. Trains cannot stop quickly enough to avoid a collision, which is why vehicles should never drive around lowered gates or try to “beat” a train.
Physics, the trains are very heavy, and therefore have a huge amount of rolling mass that produces momentum, there is also very little friction between steel wheels on steel rails, and it takes up to a mile of distance for a planned stop when traveling at speeds in excess of 50 MPH on a fully loaded freight train.
A train of 150 cars—the FRA's unofficial definition of a long train—carrying iron ore would run about 3,500 feet long, but an intermodal train of the same number of cars might measure 33,000 feet, according to John Gray, the AAR's senior vice president of policy and economics.
Modern trains can travel seamlessly from conventional track to high-speed track. They simply travel slower while on conventional track. Passenger service on the conventional freight lines that criss-cross the United States today is limited to 90 mph at best.
Trains are the Smart, Fast Way to TravelA high-speed train would be three times faster than driving—2.5 hours vs. 7.5 hours. Sure, you could fly, but once you factor in traveling to the airport, going through security, and sitting on a taxiway, the high-speed train is still faster.
Train Air Brakes: Also referred to as the Automatic brakes and train line brakes, are where the real knowledge and know how of a good engineer comes into play. This system is extremely effective at slowing and stopping a train using a brake pipe of continuously charged air which runs the full length of the train.
Trains can't stop quickly or swerve. The average freight train is about 1 to 1¼ miles in length (90 to 120 rail cars). When it's moving at 55 miles an hour, it can take a mile or more to stop after the locomotive engineer fully applies the emergency brake.