Long ago, trains were new. Let's go back to south Wales. On 21 February 1804, the world's first railway journey ran there. A steam locomotive pulled the train. Richard Trevithick built that steam locomotive. Can you picture that day?

Let's look at how a steam locomotive works. It burns coal as its fuel. A fire heats the water in a boiler. The water turns into steam. Used steam escapes through the chimney. That is the chuff-chuff sound.

Some trains run under the ground. Picture a train beneath a busy city. London's Metropolitan Railway opened in 1863. It was the world's first underground railway to carry passengers. People rode it below the streets.

Now let's visit New York. New York City's first subway line opened on October 27, 1904. It was about nine miles long. More than 100,000 riders came on day one. Each paid a nickel, or five cents, to ride.

Look at Japan. Japan set up its Shinkansen network in 1964. The Shinkansen is a high-speed train system. People call these trains the bullet train. Can you guess why? Think of how fast a bullet can go.

Another fast train floats. A maglev train floats above its track. Electromagnetism lifts it. Shanghai has a maglev train. It goes from the airport to the city in about 8 minutes. The route is 18 miles long.

Words to know

• locomotive: engine car
• underground: under ground
• subway: city train
• maglev: floating train