The last car of a passenger train is most commonly called the Rear Car or the Trailing Car, but in the world of rail enthusiasts and historical transit, it often has more specific names depending on its function. Historically, the most iconic last car was the Caboose, though these were almost exclusively used on freight trains. On luxury passenger trains of the early 20th century, the last car was often an Observation Car, featuring large windows and an open or enclosed "platform" at the very end to allow passengers to view the scenery receding behind them. In modern 2026 rail systems, especially on "Push-Pull" commuter trains, the last car is often a Cab Car. This is a passenger car that has a full set of engineer controls at the rear end, allowing the train to be "driven" backward without turning the entire locomotive around. On high-speed trains like the Shinkansen or the French TGV, the last car is a specialized Power Car or a streamlined passenger unit that is aerodynamically identical to the front car. In general rail parlance, the very end of the last car is referred to as the "tail" of the train, and it must always display a red "marker light" or "end-of-train device" for safety.