Evolution of modern rail Since the first public railway opened
in England in 1825, rail transport has spread rapidly around the
world. Modern rail transport provides fast and safe movement of
people. Long distance transport of freight by rail is economical
and minimises impacts on the environment. Trains such as the
Tilt Train have made travel much faster and recent developments
such as Maglev technology aim to make train travel faster,
quieter and more sustainable. Street tramways were a popular
form of transport in major cities throughout the world during
the 19th and 20th centuries. Horse-drawn trams were introduced
in Brisbane in 1885. They were replaced by electric trams in
1897. Trams were abolished in Brisbane in 1969 when a major
program of freeway construction commenced. It was thought that
trams had little place in a city where the car would be supreme.
Rockhampton also had a tram service, using nine steam trams. The
first four were imported from France. Later trams had locally
built bodies on impor