Australia
- Xstrata 9,000 t (load) ?T (gross) 1500 m long
- QR National (now Aurizon): 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) bulk iron ore train to Esperance, 11,000t (load); 14,500t (gross) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) 32,320 t (gross weight excluding diesel locomotives) (40 t axleload)
- Specialised Container Transport/; 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) freighter from Parkes to Perth, June 2008, 6,000 t and 1800 m with diesel locomotives / (crossing loops are 1800 m)
- BHP Billiton: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) June 2001 trial with 682 ore cars and eight distributed GE AC6000CW locomotives[3] with a total weight of 99,734 tons.[4]
- Iron Knob Tramway 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge - 2000t
- Genesee and Wyoming Australia 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) bulk iron ore train to Whyalla - 82 wagons and 1752 meters long, 12,254t
Brazil
Canada
China
- Daqin: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) coal trains – 20,000 tonnes, 3200 m, 210 wagons[7]
Germany
Guinea
- Proposed – Kalia iron ore – 20,000 t – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) – iron ore[8]
Kenya
- Existing – 800 t – 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
- Proposed – 4000 t – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
- Improvement due to heavier 60 kg/m rail, gentler curves and gradients.
Russia / Finland
- The longest and heaviest freight train ran as a test train on February 20, 1986, from Ekibastuz to the Urals was carried out with a coal train. The composition consisted of 439 wagons and several diesel locomotives distributed along the train. The mass of is 43,400 tonnes and the total length of 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi).[citation needed]
- Chita - Zabaykalsk (break of gauge at Chinese border) up from 4,000 to 6,300 tonnes.[9] Russia uses special SA3 couplers allowing higher weight than in most of Europe.
- The heaviest trains in Finland weigh approximately 5,400 tonnes and carry iron ore pellets (taconite) from the mines and processing plant in Kostomuksha, Russia. They go from Kostomuksha to Oulu, Finland, as 60-car unit trains measuring approximately 880 metres (2,890 ft) in length. These trains are hauled by two Sr2 class electric locomotives at 25 kV AC. Due to the restrictions caused by passing loop lengths between Oulu and the port of Kokkola the trains are shortened to 30-40 cars in Oulu and are usually operated with Sr1 class electric locomotives for the rest of the way. The trains use exclusively Russian rolling stock and are equipped with SA3 couplers.
Saudi Arabia
- Freight trains on the new North-South will carry 15,000 t and be 100 wagons long.[10] Later estimates are for 15,000 t and 155 wagons.[11]
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone had a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway with 5 t axleloads. Train loads were necessarily very limited, which increased costs counter-productively, as large numbers of small trains were needed to haul tonnages that heavier railways could haul with fewer trains. For example, in 1956 fourteen modern 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratts were purchased from Beyer-Peacock.[12] These locos increased the maximum load over 1:50 grades from 200 tons (203 tonnes) to 270 tons (274 tonnes).
South Africa
Sweden / Norway
- On the Iron Ore Line which goes between Luleå, Sweden and Narvik, Norway, iron ore trains are hauled by 360 t IORE locomotives. These 8660 t trains (incl locomotive) are the heaviest in Europe. Special SA3 couplers, and 15 kV 16 2⁄3 Hz electrification are used. The iron trains go either Kiruna-Narvik or Gällivare-Luleå. Other very heavy trains go in flat areas but these trains go through a mountain range, although the uphill grades are at most 10 ‰ in the direction with loaded trains. Other heavy trains in Sweden are no more than 3500 t limited by buffers and chain couplers.
Switzerland
- 3250 t – electric hauled[16]
United States
- A CN mixed freight train from Symington Yards to Fond du Lac was over 22,500 tons
