Regional differences
Los ferrocarriles están sujetos al efecto de red: cuantos más puntos se conecten, mayor será el valor del sistema en su conjunto. Los primeros ferrocarriles se construyeron para llevar determinados recursos (como carbón, minerales y productos agrícolas) desde lugares del interior a los puertos para su exportación. En muchas partes del mundo, particularmente en el hemisferio sur, ese sigue siendo el uso principal de los ferrocarriles de carga. Una mayor conectividad abre la red ferroviaria a otros usos de mercancías, incluido el tráfico no destinado a la exportación. La conectividad de la red ferroviaria está limitada por una serie de factores, que incluyen barreras geográficas, como océanos y montañas; incompatibilidades técnicas, particularmente la discontinuidad del ancho de vía y los diferentes sistemas de acople "Acople (ferrocarril)"); y conflictos políticos. Las mayores redes ferroviarias se encuentran en América del Norte y Eurasia. Los trenes de carga de larga distancia son generalmente más largos que los trenes de pasajeros, y una mayor longitud mejora su eficiencia. La longitud máxima varía ampliamente en cada zona (véase trenes más largos") para las longitudes de los trenes en diferentes países.).
Generalmente, los camiones mueven la mayor parte del tonelaje de todo el tráfico en la mayoría de las grandes economías. Muchos países se están moviendo para aumentar la velocidad y el volumen del transporte de mercancías por ferrocarril, en un intento de conquistar mercados o de aliviar las carreteras sobrecargadas y/o acelerar el transporte marítimo en la era de la tienda en línea.
Tonelaje de carga ferroviaria como porcentaje del total movido por país:.
Eurasia
There are four major railway networks that interconnect across the Eurasian landmass, along with other smaller national networks.
Most countries in the European Union participate in a unified gauge network, which connects to the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel. The Marmaray project connects Europe with eastern Turkey, Iran and the Middle East through a railway tunnel built beneath the Bosphorus. The 57km Gotthard Base Tunnel improved north-south rail connections when it opened in 2016. Spain and Portugal are mostly broad gauge, although Spain has built some standard gauge lines that connect to the European high-speed passenger network. Different signaling and electrification systems are used, although this is less of a problem for freight transport, although catenary electrification prevents double-stacked container service on most lines. The coupling system with stops and screw is usually used between wagons.
The countries of the former Soviet Union, together with Finland and Mongolia, participate in a network compatible with Russian gauge, using the SA3 coupler). The USSR had important rail connections with Turkey (from Armenia) and Iran (from the Nakhchivan enclave in Azerbaijan), these have been out of service since the early 1990s, as several festering conflicts in the Caucasus region have forced the closure of rail connections between Russia and Georgia through Abkhazia, across the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and between Armenia and Turkey.
China has an extensive standard gauge network. Its freight trains use the Janney coupler.") China's railways connect with North Korea's standard gauge network in the east, with the Russian gauge network of Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan in the north, and with Vietnam's meter gauge network in the south.
India and Pakistan operate entirely on Indian gauge networks. The conflict between India and Pakistan has meant that rail traffic between the two countries has been reduced to two passenger lines. There are also links from India to Bangladesh and Nepal, and from Pakistan to Iran, where a new but little-used connection to the standard gauge network is available at Zahedan.
The four main Eurasian networks link with neighboring countries and with each other at various points, conditioned by the discontinuity of the track width. Containerization has facilitated greater movement between networks, including a New Silk Road.[31].
North America
Canada, Mexico and the United States are connected by an extensive international gauge rail network. The only notable exception is the Alaska Railroad, which is connected to the main network by shipping.[32].
Freight rail transportation is well standardized in North America, with widespread use of the Janney coupler and compatible compressed air brakes. The main variations are in rail gauge and maximum axle weight of cars. Most tracks are owned by private companies that operate both freight and passenger trains on those tracks. Since the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, the freight rail industry in the US has been largely deregulated. measure. Freight cars are routinely exchanged between carriers as needed and are identified by each company's brand reports and serial numbers. Most have automatic identification equipment transponders readable by computerized systems. With isolated exceptions (such as the Deseret Power Railroad), freight trains in North America are hauled by diesel locomotives, even on the electrified Northeast Corridor.
Continued cargo-oriented development includes the progressive adaptation of existing lines to be capable of carrying heavier and taller loads, particularly for double-stacked container service, and the construction of more efficient intermodal terminals and transshipment facilities for bulk cargoes. Many railroads interchange in Chicago, where a number of proposed improvements have been implemented to eliminate localized bottlenecks in its rail network. In the 2010s, most Class I rail services in North America adopted "precision rail operation" techniques.[34].
Central America
Guatemala's Verapaz Railway has remained inactive for the century, preventing rail shipments from southern Mexico. Panama has a freight rail service, recently converted to standard gauge, which is parallel to the Panama Canal. Some other railways in Central America are still in operation, but most have closed, and there has never been a railway line through Central America to South America.
South America
Brazil has a large railway network, mostly meter gauge, with some broad gauge lines. It operates some of the world's heaviest iron ore trains on its meter gauge network.
Argentina has Indian gauge networks in the south, standard gauge in the east and metric gauge networks in the north. The meter gauge networks are connected to each other, but there has never been a connection between all the broad gauge lines (a meter gauge connection was built between the two broad gauge networks, the Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes-Mendoza, but is currently not in service). Most other countries have few rail systems. The standard gauge in the east connects with Paraguay and Uruguay.
Africa
Africa's railways were mostly initiated by colonial powers to bring resources from the interior to ports, without a clear interest in the interconnection of these lines. As a result, various track gauges and wagon coupling systems can coexist in the same country. A railway network with track gauge of 3 ft (unit) 6 in (1067 mm) and equipped with Janney couplers is in service in Southern Africa. In contrast, meter gauge tracks predominate in East Africa. International gauge is used in North Africa, although the Arab-Israeli conflict blocks its potential connection to the European standard gauge network.
Australia
The railway developed independently in different parts of Australia and as a result three main gauges are used, although the Trans-Australian, a standard gauge railway, spans the entire continent.