South Africa Says Its 4.7-Mile Train Just Took the World Record Back From Australia

JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 22, 2026 — South Africa's national freight railway says it just ran the longest freight train in the world: 696 cars stretching about 7.6 kilometers, or 4.7 miles, Trains.com, International Railway Journal and CP24 reported this week.

If it holds up, the record goes back to South Africa after 25 years in Australia. But it isn't official yet.

## How Long Is 4.7 Miles of Train?

Long. Transnet Freight Rail says the empty train had 696 cars and measured about 7.6 km from end to end, according to Trains.com and International Railway Journal.

It ran on Transnet's Iron Ore Export Line, which links the Sishen mining area in the Northern Cape to the port of Saldanha on the west coast. Trains.com and CP24 both put the line at 861 km, about 535 miles.

## The Record It Wants to Beat

The current Guinness record belongs to Australian mining company BHP. In 2001, BHP ran a 682-car ore train about 7.35 km long in Western Australia, according to Trains.com, International Railway Journal and CP24.

That train was fully loaded and weighed 99,732.1 metric tons, Trains.com and IRJ report. It was pulled by eight diesel-electric locomotives, IRJ and CP24 say.

Transnet's train was empty, which rail fans will surely debate. But on length, Transnet says 696 beats 682.

## Taking It Back

This isn't South Africa's first time at the top. Trains.com and CP24 both report that Transnet held the longest-train record before BHP took it in 2001. CP24 says Transnet first set it in 1989.

## How Do You Drive a Train That Long?

Very carefully. Transnet spread its locomotives along the length of the train instead of putting them all at the front, according to Trains.com and IRJ. It used Class 15E electric and Class 43D diesel-electric locomotives, linked by a system called Radio Distributed Power that keeps them working in sync.

That spreads the pulling and braking forces across the whole train, which helps keep 696 cars from pushing and pulling against each other.

## Not Official Yet

Transnet says the run sets a new world record. But IRJ notes that independent certification has not yet been confirmed, so for now it's a claim, not a Guinness title.

Transnet Freight Rail Chief Executive Russell Baatjies said "the real value lies in the technical knowledge and operational insights gained through this exercise," as quoted by Trains.com, IRJ and CP24.

> What We Know
> - Who: Transnet Freight Rail, South Africa's state freight railway
> - What: A 696-car empty iron-ore train, about 7.6 km (4.7 miles) long
> - Where: The Sishen-Saldanha Iron Ore Export Line
> - Old record: BHP, Australia, 2001: 682 cars, about 7.35 km
> - Status: Claimed by Transnet; Guinness certification pending

Reported by Trains.com, International Railway Journal, CP24

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