Rail transport
Rail transport moves passengers or freight in vehicles running on fixed rails, typically powered by locomotives or onboard motors.
Railway track: A structure of rails, sleepers, and supporting layers that guides and carries railway vehicles. Its geometry and strength determine where trains can travel and how much they can carry.
Passenger rail transport: Rail services that carry people between stations or through urban transit networks. It covers the passenger side of rail transport, from local trips to intercity journeys.
Wagonway: A track-guided route used to move wagons, especially in mines and quarries, before modern railways. Wagonways supplied the fixed-track idea that later railway systems developed.
Road transport: The movement of people or goods by vehicles traveling on roads. Road vehicles use flexible routes, unlike trains constrained to fixed tracks.
Railway locomotive: A powered railway vehicle that hauls other rail vehicles or forms part of a train. Locomotives provide traction for many passenger and freight trains.
Freight rail transport: The movement of goods in railway freight cars, containers, or specialized wagons. Rail moves bulk commodities and containerized goods over long distances.
Steam locomotive: A locomotive powered by steam produced in a boiler, widely used during rail transport's early expansion. Steam traction enabled trains to travel beyond the limits of animal haulage.
Air transport: The movement of passengers or freight by aircraft through the atmosphere. Aircraft are faster over long distances, while rail can serve connected surface corridors.
Railway electrification: The supply of electrical power to trains through overhead wires, a third rail, or other infrastructure. It replaces onboard fuel for many rail services and shapes their operating costs.
High-speed rail: Passenger rail service operating at substantially higher speeds than conventional rail, usually on dedicated or upgraded lines. It makes rail competitive with air travel on some medium-distance routes.