In June 2001, in western Australia a freight train carried the railway engineering to the limit. With 7.3 kilometers in length, 682 cars and a weight of 100,000 tons, that convoy has never been surpassed and was recorded as the longest freight train in the world.
This gigantic formation was operated by BHP Iron Orein the region of Pilbara one of the largest mining centers on the planet. The creation of this train responded to a logistical need in the iron industry.
More than two decades later, the record remains intactwhile the railway operation of BHP remains active and is key to the daily transportation of millions of tons of mineral in Australia.
Where did the longest train in the world circulate and why was it created?
The record train traveled about 275 kilometers among the mines Another one y Newman and the port of Port Hedlandcrossing a extreme landscape of high temperatures, dust and great distances without populations.
In the late 90s, the Australian mining faced a growing challenge because it needed to transport more and more iron ore without skyrocketing logistics costs. Adding more trains meant greater fuel consumption, more personnel and accelerated wear and tear on the infrastructure.
The bet was concentrate large volumes in one gigantic formation to test whether rail technology could scale to levels never seen before and then apply that learning to daily operation of the railway.
Record figures that explain why it remains unique
The dimensions of the train longest load in the world They help you understand why your brand remains unattainable these days.
- 682 freight cars in a single continuous training.
- 7,353 meters total lengthequivalent to about 22 Eiffel Towers lying down.
- Almost 100,000 tons of loaded weight, absolute record in railway operation.
- 5,648 wheels supported simultaneously on the rails.
- 275 kilometers of travel between mines and port in a single operation.
- Approximately 10 hours of travel at constant speed, prioritizing stability and control.
Extreme engineering: locomotives, distributed power and control
To achieve this, the railway system operating company, BHP, resorted to a technical solution that later became standard in heavy mining. The train used General Electric locomotives model AC6000CWstrategically distributed throughout the convoy.
- 8 diesel locomotives with 16-cylinder engines.
- Individual power close to 6,000 horsepower, exceeding 48,000 combined HP.
- Distributed Power System, with locomotives separated by about 1 km.
- Centralized control by radio frequency, operated by a single driver.
- Less wear and greater stability, by distributing traction and braking evenly.
This scheme allowed reducing internal tensions, minimize derailment risks and improve energy efficiency compared to conventional heavy load trains.
Is the longest train in the world still running today?
The 7.3 kilometer record train was a one-time test carried out in 2001 and did not run again in that configuration. Its main objective was to validate the technical feasibility of large-scale distributed power.
However, railway operation the BHP and Pilbara it doesn’t just continuebut it is one of the most active and advanced in the world. Iron ore transportation remains the backbone of its business.
Currently, the freight trains in regular service They are composed of around 270 wagons, four locomotives and loads close to 40,000 tonsfigures that remain enormous internationally.
