The era of railway travel in the real world is usually said to have started with the invention of the steam locomotive in the early 1800s, but rails themselves are actually much older. “Wagonways”, with wooden rails and carts pulled by horses, were widely used in the 1500s to transport ore out of mines in Europe.
But the oldest-known railway is almost 2000 years older than that! There’s evidence that the Ancient Greeks used a primitive railway called the Diolkos, paved with stone, to transport boats across the eight-kilometre-wide Isthmus of Corinth. It operated until the first century AD, and there are still a few remnants of the route today.
The modern railway, with metal rails, came into being in the mid-1700s, after the invention of the steam engine dramatically increased production of iron. The new metal rails were much more durable and could hold a lot more weight, making them more practical as permanent transport infrastructure.
Today, there are high-speed railways all around the world – the fastest is the Fuxing Hao CR400AF/BF in China, which can cover the distance between Beijing and Shanghai at an astonishing 249 miles per hour, or just over 400 kilometers per hour.
By comparison, Minecraft’s minecarts are capable of a maximum speed of just eight miles per hour. Why are you making that face? They don’t have seatbelts. It’d be dangerous if we let you travel any faster, and we’re a responsible game. So take it slow, and ride your minecart into that cave full of bloodthirsty hostile mobs safely. You’re welcome!
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