How long does it take to stop a container train?

On level track it would take at least a mile and perhpas a minute and a half to stop with an emergency brake application from 60 MPH on an intermodal stack train. Just as an example, we went into an emergency brake application on an intermodal train awhile back, doing 55 MPH on a slightly uphill grade and it took 3/4 of a mile to stop.

It really depends on the engine and brake system

Like the others said, it could easily take a mile or more to stop. A fully loaded train that long, think about how much weight that is, and how much force is needed to stop. That is a huge force.

As others have said, a lot depends upon various additional factors - wet/dry rails; up-hill/down-hill/level; wind speed and direction. However, when all is said and done, given the same conditions, all trains should stop within the same distance from the same speed, as each locomotive/vehicle has its own brakes, with the brake force tailored to the weight of the locomotive/vehicle. Therefore, it shouldn't matter whether the train is one or one hundred cars in length. Having said this, different brake systems will yield different stopping distances. Bottom of the scale was the vacuum brake, common in the UK until about forty years ago. Next is the plain automatic air brake, such as is still used throughout much of the USA, especially on freight trains. Both these systems rely on the decrease of air pressure/vacuum in the 'train pipe' to apply the brakes and - the longer the train - the longer it takes for the 'message' to get through to the cars at the rear to commence braking. In the UK and Europe, freight and loco-hauled passenger trains use the twin-pipe air brake, which is quicker to act, and simpler to use. Electric and diesel multiple-unit trains use various electrical systems over-laid on the air brake to ensure that all brakes are operated simultaneously. These are usually coupled with ABS systems to stop the wheels skidding, the same as in automobiles. Finally, disc brakes are more effective at stopping a train from high speeds than the older clasp brakes that rub on the wheel tyres. I started my rail career to late to have any experience with freight trains (unfortunately), but the last emergency stop that I had to make was from 75mph (120 km/h), and the train stopped in about 800 yards (1 km). Edit; New Yorker.... As I said above, it doesn't matter how long or how many cars the train has, the brake force is in diect proportion to the number of cars. Think of it this way: A hundred fifty-ton trucks travelling in convoy at speed will stop in the same time and distance as a ten-truck convoy if the brakes are applied at the same time.

A long heavy train can take easily up to a mile to stop in an emergency. Depending on the grade and if the engineer was already slowing down, it may stop quicker, but that can never be depended upon. Never ever try to outrun a train at a crossing...if the lights are on or the gates are coming down, or you can hear or see the train, you can be sure it simply can NOT stop soon enough to keep from hitting you.

depends on speed,usually to stop the train at 60km/hr is atleast 1.5km

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