Many countries have an effective network of railways to help transport different types of goods, mostly unperishable goods. The earliest recorded system was in Ancient Greece in 600BC. Since then, rail-links were built to connect short distances. In the 19th century, this changed dramatically. Many countries developed their own network with private links between different towns with Germany and Britain leading the way. These links provided the capacity to carry heavy goods such as coal, iron ore and wood. Building a railway was tremendously hard work for labourers. Railways are extremely expensive to construct but essential for transporting raw materials and finished goods such as textiles quickly and cheaply. In the early 19th century, the first passengers travelled on the railways with horse-drawn carriages. From 1840 -1850, Britain was completely connected by railways and used steam engines to pull carriages.
The most advanced country in the railway sector was:

• Ancient Greece
• Germany
• Britain