Railway system, a railway carriage and a railway siding

A flat car including a plurality of first connectors on a common mounting for simultaneous connection to complementary connectors beside a railway track, the first connectors including a connector for potable water and a connector for waste, the flat car further including transmission means, such as pipes, linking the first connectors to second connectors for connection to external systems including a potable water supply system and a waste system of a freight container or freight containers to be carried on the deck of the flat car

A railway system including a plurality of special carriages and a plurality of special sidings, the special sidings being in a plurality of different geographical locations, each special carriage including a living area, a bathroom, a sleeping area and a kitchen area, each special siding including living facilities including a source of potable water and a waste deposit resource, wherein the system further includes a common coupling device, the common coupling device comprising both a coupling to releasably couple the source of potable water at a special siding to an inlet of a special carriage for supply of potable water in the special carriage, and a coupling to releasably couple the waste deposit resource at a special siding to a waste outlet of a special carriage, so that the special carriages can be moved around the railway system and on arrival at any of the special sidings a special carriage can be releasably connected to a supply of potable water and to a waste deposit resource through the common coupling device.

A coupling device for use between a railway carriage and a unit at a siding, the coupling device including male and female connections for a plurality of resources including male and female connections for potable water and male and female connections for waste deposit, the coupling device being arranged to be moved into place to connect the plurality of resources simultaneously.