Land Rover stopped people in their tracks as a standard Discovery Sport towed three luxury train carriages weighing more than 100 tonnes along a railway track, to demonstrate its towing capability.
The 10km journey through the Rhine region of northern Switzerland put the compact Discovery Sport’s pulling power to the ultimate test. Though the SUV has a certified maximum towing weight of 2500kg (2.5 tonnes), it was able to pull 60 times its own weight, powered by Jaguar Land Rover’s Ingenium 2-litre diesel engine providing 430Nm of torque.
In addition, the Discovery Sport employed Land Rover’s portfolio of towing and traction technologies such as Terrain Response, Tow Assist, Tow Hitch Assist and All Terrain Progress Control (a semi-autonomous off-road driving system that automatically manages engine output and braking) to complete the tow. 
The vehicle’s drivetrain remained unchanged, with the only modification being the fitment of rail wheels by specialist firm Aquarius Railroad Technologies, to act as “stabilisers”. The car completed the impressive pull without the aid of a low-range gearbox, instead using its state-of-the-art 9-speed automatic gearbox and Terrain Response technology to generate the necessary traction.
Land Rover’s All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) system was also engaged at the press of a button during the tow, to maximise traction at a set speed. Acting much like a “low-speed cruise control”, ATPC allows the driver to focus on the road – or in this case, the railway – ahead.
The train-pulling feat was undertaken on 10km of track at the Museumsbahn Stein am Rhein in Switzerland, crossing the River Rhine on the dramatic Hemishofen bridge, which is a historic steel span measuring 284 metres long and soaring 25 metres above the valley floor.
Land Rover has a history of rail conversions, from the days of the Series II and IIA Land Rover to the various Defender models that have been modified to run on rails for maintenance, and the notable launch of Discovery I in 1989. The latter saw a converted Discovery towing a series of carriages in Plymouth to demonstrate the capability of the new 200Tdi diesel engine. 
Read our review of the Discovery Sport.
Read about our editor’s river crossing in a Land Rover Discovery 4.
