A
mixed train is a
train that hauls both
passenger and
freight cars or wagons. In the early days of
railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to
branch lines with little traffic. Because mixed trains involve the
shunting of goods wagons at stations along the way, they provide passengers with a very slow service, and have largely disappeared today. Their use is also at variance with the separation of passenger and goods services into different subsidiaries by most modern railway administrations.