Definition

Noun 1. A track made of steel rails along which trains run. * This refers to the physical infrastructure of parallel metal rails fixed to ties (sleepers) and ballast, forming a path for trains. 2. A system of transportation using these tracks, including the trains, stations, signals, and the organization that operates it. * This refers to the entire network and the commercial or public service of transporting passengers or freight by train.

Examples

• As a physical track:
  • The new high-speed railway will connect the two major cities.
  • The old railway line through the forest is now a walking trail.
  • Workers are repairing a section of the railway near the bridge.
• As a transportation system:
  • She works for the national railway.
  • Traveling by railway is often more scenic than flying.
  • The government is investing heavily in the railway network.

Advanced Usage

• "Railway" vs. "Railroad": In British English, "railway" is the standard term for both meanings. In American English, "railroad" is more common, especially for the commercial organization, though "railway" is also understood and often used in company names (e.g., "Norfolk Southern Railway").
• "To have a face like a railway accident" (Idiom, informal, chiefly British): To look very ugly, disfigured, or ill.
  • He stumbled out of the party looking like a railway accident.

Variants and Related Words

• Railroad (noun): Primarily American English equivalent for "railway," especially for the company or system.
• Rail (noun): A single steel bar that forms part of a railway track. Also used more generally for transportation by train (e.g., "ship by rail").
• Railwayman/Railroader (noun): A person who works for a railway company.
• Railway station (noun): A place where trains stop to pick up or let off passengers and goods; a train station.

Synonyms

• For the track: railroad track, rail line, permanent way (technical).
• For the system: railroad, rail network, train service, rail transport.

Related Phrases

• Railway siding: A short track connected to a main railway line, used for parking trains or loading/unloading freight.
• Railway crossing (or level crossing): A place where a railway line and a road cross at the same level.
• Narrow-gauge railway: A railway where the distance between the rails is less than the standard width.

Noun

1. a line of track providing a runway for wheels
   • he walked along the railroad track
2. line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight