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This article is about the rideable minecart in Minecraft. For other uses, see Minecart (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Minecraft.

A minecart is a train-like vehicle entity that runs on rails.

Obtaining[]

Minecarts can be retrieved by attacking them for some time. Minecarts can also be retrieved with one attack from a pickaxe provided the player's attack cooldown is reset. A minecart is also destroyed if it makes contact with a cactus, or if shot with a bow and arrow.

Crafting[]

Ingredients Crafting recipe
Iron Ingot

Entity loot[]

Minecart with command blocks can be given to the player with the /give command or through the creative inventory under certain conditions‌[Java Edition only]; minecart with spawners[Java Edition only] are available only via the /summon command. Each drop 1 minecart when broken.

Usage[]

RideableMinecart

A rideable minecart on rails surrounded by wood slabs

A minecart can be placed in the same manner as most blocks but can be placed only on top of a rail. Once placed, it may be derailed by pushing it off the end of the track. After this, it can be railed again by placing a rail directly below it or pushing it onto a track.

Crafting ingredient[]

Name Ingredients Crafting recipe
Minecart with Chest Chest +
Minecart


Minecart with Furnace Furnace +
Minecart


Minecart with Hopper Hopper +
Minecart


Minecart with TNT TNT +
Minecart


Transportation[]

Steve Riding a Minecart

Steve riding a minecart

See also: Transportation and Riding

Minecarts can be ridden by pressing the "use" control on them. Once inside, an external impulse may be needed to make the minecart start moving. The player can slowly move the minecart forward while riding it, by pressing forward. If a mob walks in front of an empty minecart, it is pulled into the cart.

After rolling off of the end of a track, a minecart can be pushed around on open blocks. If a minecart is pushed onto or falls onto tracks, it "snaps" to those tracks. When riding a minecart, if the minecart lands on a rail, the player does not take any fall damage.

Unlike with beds, there is no message above the hotbar for attempting to enter a fully occupied minecart.[1]

Dismounting[]

Players can exit the minecart by pressing sneak. When a player or mob dismounts a minecart, either by choice, by breaking the minecart, or by passing over an activator rail, the minecart tries to find a safe ejection destination one block away. First it checks the eight horizontally adjacent blocks in the following order of priority relative to direction of travel: right, left, rear right, rear left, front right, front left, rear, front. A valid destination has a block underneath with a solid (not necessarily full) top surface and a space with enough headroom and width for the passenger to fit in when standing at the center. The space can even contain liquid or have open trapdoors if the mob is slim enough, and presence of other mobs doesn't matter. If no valid destination exists on same horizontal level, the minecart then checks the blocks one above, then one below. For a player, the minecart also checks for crawlable destinations. If still none, the minecart chooses its own location. Once the minecart picks a destination, it actually ejects the passenger one block up in the air and the passenger settles down on its own. Under a low ceiling this may cause one tick of suffocation damage. The air drop exists to allow passengers to land on carpet or bottom slabs.

Behavior[]

Speed[]

Minecarts have a predefined speed limit of exactly 8 blocks per second. However, this speed limit does not change the minecart's speed value but instead limits how far a minecart can travel each tick to 0.4 blocks. Therefore, a minecart moving from powered rail to normal rail will move at constant speed for some time until decelerating because its internal speed value is over its speed limit of 8. However, the maximum speed can be changed by the minecartMaxSpeed game rule[upcoming: JE 1.21.2].

Powered rails powered by redstone give minecarts a boost of speed. Speed is gradually decreased (due to drag) if there are no powered rails to assist its movement, and an unpowered powered rail slows down a minecart rapidly. The speed decreases at a faster rate when going uphill, compared to when moving horizontally. A minecart does not need powered rails to assist its movement down a hill.

Anything in the way of the minecart brings it to a stop. Once a minecart has left the track, it rapidly decelerates within one or two blocks. When mobs touch a minecart, they affect it in the same way a player would, i.e. mobs that move up against a still cart set it in motion.

If a minecart is moving fast enough, it can skip across one block without a track and reattach to track on the other side, at significantly reduced energy and speed. A minecart's hitbox can skip turns if the minecart is boosted using enough powered rails.[2]

The speed and momentum of a minecart can differ depending on whether or not it is empty, and in the case where a minecart has a container, the speed can differ depending on the quantity and type of items inside.

Merged minecarts[]

In Java Edition, two or more minecarts can be merged by pushing them into each other so that they overlap. Merged minecarts move as a collective, like a train, and can be useful for long-distance transport because while moving in a straight line, they do not need powered rails to keep their speed.

To summarize:

  • Minecarts can also be merged by dropping a minecart on another minecart.
  • Merged minecarts do not lose speed while traveling on straight rails
  • Corners in the rails might cause merged minecarts to unmerge.
  • Minecarts with chest (even fully filled) can also be merged and also do not require powered rails.

Distance traveled by empty carts starting on a downward slope[]

This table shows the distance traveled by an unoccupied minecart on a downward slope, with a boost (or no boost). The most efficient way is to use only 1 boost at the bottom of the incline on the flat surface. Using 2 increases distance by about 20% or 1.5 blocks. All distance trends based on the height seem to be logarithmic. The carts started from rest, on a slope Height blocks up.

Height No Boost Bottom Bottom and Top All boosts on incline and bottom
1 2.77m 8.77 10.8 10.8
2 4.59m 9.59 10.83 13.37
3 5.81m 9.81 11.66 15.12
4 7.04m 10.04 12.46 16.95
5 7.87m 10.87 12.29 17.95
10 11.65m 13.38 15.12 21.68
100 15.87m 17.05 17.54 25.34

Collision[]

Minecarts are about the same size as a block (1×1). Because of this, a ladder, door, or trapdoor prevents it from falling down a 1×1 hole. Carts on rails also ignore collision in certain situations. A cart traveling uphill, downhill, or on a curve with a block placed in front of it, goes through the block.[3]

A minecart that reaches the end of a rail up against an opaque solid block bounces back, but if the block is transparent then it stops. The minecart can even bounce against an opaque block from a standstill if the rail underneath is powered. A player or mob riding in a minecart does not collide with or suffocate in any transparent blocks but suffocates inside opaque blocks.

Minecarts are completely unaffected by ice, packed ice, and blue ice[4]; they can also be destroyed by coming in contact with lava or fire. Minecarts can even be pushed by flowing water.

Mobs[]

This section is missing information about some other mobs that cannot be picked up by minecarts. 
Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.
Minecart shake

Minecart shaking due to being on top of an activator rail.

Mobs can ride minecarts, but cannot control them. Mobs cannot exit the minecart unless the minecart is destroyed or moves onto an active activator rail.[5] However, in Bedrock Edition, endermen are able to teleport out of minecarts.[6]

A mob can ride a minecart when pushing by a moving minecart on rails in Java Edition or when colliding with a minecart in Bedrock Edition. It is easier to pick up a mob when a minecart is turning. In Bedrock Edition, armor stands can also be picked up.

Most mobs can be picked up by minecarts, except ender dragons, wardens, and withers. In Java Edition, iron golems cannot be picked up either.

A jockey riding a minecart automatically accelerates the minecart.[7] Mobs in minecarts don't despawn, and don't count towards the mob cap.‌[Java Edition only][8]

Boats[]

Information icon
This feature is exclusive to Java Edition. 
This section demonstrates the use of a bug to make a contraption. 
Bugs of this nature may be fixed at any time without warning. When this happens, the contraption will cease to work.
Use at your own risk.

Due to the bug MC-113871, boats can be captured by minecarts. When a boat is placed in a minecart, the minecart travels faster on rails, approximately as fast as on powered rails. The movement in the boat minecart is glitchy and moving forward with the W key moves the cart backward relative to the player, and vice versa for moving backward with the S key. The minecart also moves on the rail-less ground at a crawling speed, but it does not float in the water despite being in a boat.

Using this glitch can be far more resource-efficient since the boat minecart can move at the speed of a powered rail track on flat ground and on slopes. Another physics glitch with the boat minecart is the extreme reduction in friction when the minecart is on rails, which is similar to the lack of friction when a boat is riding on ice. This glitch can be done in Survival without cheats simply by pushing a minecart into a boat on the track. This bug is now patched.

Sounds[]

Java Edition:
Minecarts use the Friendly Creatures sound category for entity-dependent sound events.[sound 1]

SoundSubtitlesSourceDescriptionResource locationTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
None[sound 3]Friendly Creatures [sound 1]While the player is inside of a moving minecartentity.minecart.insideNone[sound 3]0.0-0.75 [sound 2]1.016 (technical) / rider only (effective)
None[sound 4]Friendly Creatures [sound 1]While inside of a moving minecart when the player's eye level is underwaterentity.minecart.inside.underwaterNone[sound 4]0.0-0.75 [sound 2]1.016 (technical) / rider only (effective)
Minecart rolls [sound 5]Friendly Creatures [sound 1]While a minecart is movingentity.minecart.ridingsubtitles.entity.minecart.riding0.0-0.35 [sound 6]0.0-1.0 [sound 7]16
  1. a b c d "[MC-42132] The sounds of minecarts aren't controlled by the correct sound slider - Jira"Mojira, December 13, 2013.
  2. a b Based on horizontal speed; it is clamped between 0.0 and 0.75 and will not play if speed is less than 0.01
  3. a b MC-177078
  4. a b MC-204124
  5. Shows far less often than it should - see MC-181831
  6. Relates linearly with horizontal velocity (max 0.5)
  7. Will increase by 0.0025 per tick if the minecart's horizontal velocity is more than 0.01

Bedrock Edition:

SoundSourceDescriptionResource locationVolumePitch
Friendly CreaturesWhile the player is inside of a moving minecartminecart.inside??
Friendly CreaturesWhile a minecart is movingminecart.base??

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

ItemIdentifierFormTranslation key
MinecartminecartItemitem.minecraft.minecart
EntityIdentifierTranslation key
Minecartminecartentity.minecraft.minecart

Bedrock Edition:

ItemIdentifierNumeric ID FormTranslation key
Minecartminecart370Itemitem.minecart.name
EntityIdentifierNumeric ID Translation key
Minecartminecart84entity.minecart.name

Entity data[]

Minecarts have entity data associated with them that contain various properties of the entity.

Java Edition:

Main article: Entity format
  • Entity data
    • Tags common to all entities
    • Tags common to all minecarts

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Entity format

Achievements[]

Icon Achievement In-game description Actual requirements (if different) Gamerscore earned Trophy type (PS4)
PS4 Other
On A RailTravel by minecart to a point at least 500m in a single direction from where you started.Travel by minecart 500 blocks in a straight line away from the player's starting point.40GGold

History[]

Java Edition Infdev
20100618Minecart JE1 Minecart (item) JE1 Added minecarts.
Minecarts are not rideable but instead are used to store things in.
Right-clicking minecarts opens them like a chest (with the container called "Minecart". Filling them up makes the dirt layer inside them rise.
20100624Minecart JE2 Minecart (item) JE2 BE1 The entity model and item texture of minecarts have been changed.
The minecart mechanics have been changed to being rideable, removing their ability to store items.
Minecarts now render a chest inside for unknown reasons.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.4Minecart JE3 BE1 Removed the phantom chest from minecarts.
A sitting animation for riding minecarts has been added.
v1.0.14Minecarts are now used to craft minecart with furnace and minecart with chest.
v1.2.2Minecarts now appear to other players and can be ridden in multiplayer.
Minecarts are no longer fully solid - they no longer block movement, and can no longer be stood on top of.
Java Edition Beta
1.5Minecarts now break faster with hands.
Powered rails have been introduced, which enables minecarts to move automatically, although previous methods of boosting no longer works, or does not work as effectively.
The detector rails have been introduced for use in detecting minecarts. Prior to this update, carts were detected by using pressure plates in line with cart tracks. This had the often undesirable effect of dramatically slowing or even stopping the minecart, which limited the use of this design mostly to boosters.
1.6Test Build 3A minecart now transfers any fall damage it suffers onto its rider and is not destroyed upon impact.
1.8Pre-releaseIf the player punches a minecart when descending from a jump, it shows the critical hit animation. This also happens if the player punches the cart while still in it.
Java Edition
1.0.0Beta 1.9 PrereleaseC418 posted a sound showing the sound that minecarts make.
Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6The texture of minecarts has changed slightly.
1.3.112w15aMinecarts can now be shot out from dispensers.
12w21bThe player no longer spawns on top/inside of the minecart after getting out. Instead, the player gets out a few blocks away. Also, the player can nudge a stationary minecart while inside it to move onto a powered rail, etc.
1.4.212w38bSounds for minecarts have been added.
1.513w02aMinecarts can now be edited with a third-party program to show any block inside of it (it does not take on the characteristics of this block), as well as make it take on the characteristics of any cart.
Minecart types no longer all share the same entity ID – Minecart – and are no longer distinguished by a Type field. They have been given separate entity IDs.
Minecarts are now used to craft TNT minecarts.
13w03aMinecarts are now used to craft hopper minecarts.
13w06aAdded minecart with spawner.
1.6.2releaseA player in a moving minecart no longer turns with the minecart.
1.7.213w39aAdded minecart with command block.
1.814w11aMinecart physics have been changed - they now go faster and further, can derail at corners if going too fast and refuse to go uphill and they can also (if going fast enough) go over 1 block.
The collision and position handling of minecarts have been improved.
14w17aAll changes to old minecart physics used before 14w11a have been reverted.
1.9.1pre2Extreme typos in minecarts with hoppers and chests, reading "container.minecart'' have been fixed.
1.1116w32aThe entity ID has been changed from MinecartRideable to minecart.
The player's hunger bar is now visible when riding in a minecart.
1.1317w47aPrior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 328.
1.1418w43aMinecart JE4 BE2 Minecart (item) JE3 BE2 The textures of minecarts have been changed.
19w13aMinecarts now move much slower when pushed along standard rails using the W key, even slower on unpowered golden rails, and cannot be pushed off of unpowered golden rails without the player looking at a certain angle.
1.1620w09aMinecart now checks dismount position height against entity height.
20w16aMinecarts no longer have subtitles for movement.
20w18aMobs in minecarts no longer despawn.
1.1720w45aMinecarts can now move in water.
1.1922w13aMinecarts no longer drop when breaking a minecart with chest, hopper, furnace, or TNT.[9]
1.2023w16aSniffers can now enter minecarts.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.8.0build 2Minecart JE3 BE1 Minecart (item) JE2 BE1 Added minecarts.
build 3Minecarts now ride smoother.
v0.13.0build 1Sounds for minecarts have been added.
build 2Minecarts now stack on top of each other.
v0.14.0build 1Minecarts can now be used to craft storage, TNT, and hopper minecarts.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0beta 1.10.0.3Minecart JE4 BE2 Minecart (item) JE3 BE2 The textures of minecarts have been changed.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1CU1 1.0 Patch 11.0.1Minecart JE3 BE1 Minecart (item) JE2 BE1 Added minecarts.
Minecarts are now twice the speed than in other editions.
TU12Minecarts are now slower.
TU13Minecarts are now faster again.
TU21CU9 1.14 The minecart limit has been increased.
TU31CU19 1.22 Patch 3Minecart sounds have been updated.
1.90 Minecart JE4 BE2 Minecart (item) JE3 BE2 The texture of minecarts has been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0Minecart JE3 BE1 Minecart (item) JE2 BE1 Added minecarts.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Minecart" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

  • Minecarts appear to float above the track, as their model has no wheels.
  • If the player views their inventory while riding in a minecart, they appear sitting down in mid-air.
  • The player can teleport to another minecart while sitting in a minecart by right-clicking a minecart in their range. This can be used as an elevator to quickly rise up when minecarts are placed on top of each other.
  • If the sound is muted in the options while riding a minecart, and then turned back up, the minecart no longer makes noise in the client until the player exits the minecart.
  • If a saddled pig is riding a minecart, the player can ride the pig. Doing so causes the minecart to be able to ride freely at the player's walking speed. It is unknown whether this is a glitch.
  • It seems that hunger does not deplete while inactive in a minecart (at least in normal difficulty).
  • A minecart (alongside rails and powered rails) are used as Steve's Side-Special in the crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. "[MC-161251] Attempting to enter an occupied bed displays a message over the hotbar, but attempting to enter an occupied vehicle does not - Jira"Mojira, September 18, 19. Resolved as "Works as Intended".
  2. "[MC-179971] Minecart skips turns if too fast - Jira"Mojira, April 22, 2020.
  3. "[MC-8004] Minecarts glitch through the stop block of a track that ends with a turn or a downward slope - Jira"Mojira, January 20, 2013.
  4. "[MC-8265] Minecarts don't slide on any sort of ice - Jira"Mojira, January 25, 2013.
  5. MC-3866 — "Endermen, Tamed Wolves and Ocelots cannot teleport when in a Minecart" — resolved as "Works As Intended".
  6. MCPE-31761 — Endermen can still teleport out of the boats and minecarts
  7. MC-71998 — Minecarts that have passengers within them riding mobs can move automatically when not on rails
  8. MC-182897 — "Some passenger mobs don't count to the mob cap" — resolved as "Works As Intended".
  9. MC-249493 — resolved as "Fixed".
  10. https://twitter.com/jeb_/status/289000646210904064

External Links[]

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