A railroad, in particular an amusement ride, has a route subdivided into sections. Vehicles driven exclusively by gravity move along the route. Switching elements are arranged on the route for switches situated on the vehicles, in order to determine the position of the vehicles on the route. Vehicle controllers on the vehicles are connected to a central controller via a radio network. Brakes are arranged on the vehicles. Therefore, apart from the switching elements, all safety-relevant parts are shifted from the railroad to the vehicles and the vehicles are equipped with controllers, so that they can brake automatically and at any time if necessary, e.g. in the event of a failure or a disruption of the communication with the central controller.