Railway track

A structure of rails, usually fastened to sleepers and supported by ballast or another foundation, that guides and supports railway vehicles.

Rail: A steel beam that provides a continuous running surface and guidance for railway wheels. Rails form the running surface and carry wheel loads into the supporting structure.
Wheel–rail interaction: The mechanical contact and force exchange between railway wheels and rails. This contact transfers vehicle weight and traction forces into the track.
Ballasted track: Railway track in which sleepers rest on a bed of crushed stone ballast. This widespread form uses ballast to support and stabilize the sleeper-and-rail assembly.
Continuous welded rail: Rail made from long welded lengths, with joints greatly reduced compared with conventional jointed track. It changes how rail joints and thermal forces are managed along the track.
Railway sleeper: A transverse support that holds rails in position and distributes their loads to the track foundation. Sleepers maintain rail spacing and spread forces across the foundation.
Track stiffness: The resistance of railway track to deformation under applied loads. Stiffness affects load distribution, vehicle response, and the forces reaching the foundation.
Slab track: Railway track in which rails are supported by a rigid concrete or asphalt structure rather than a ballast bed. It replaces the conventional ballast foundation where reduced routine maintenance is sought.
Jointed track: Railway track built from rail lengths connected by mechanical joints. It contrasts with continuously welded rail, which minimizes joints along the route.
Rail fastening system: A set of components that secures rails to sleepers or another support. Fastenings restrain rail movement while allowing the track to accommodate forces and temperature changes.
Rail creep: The gradual longitudinal movement of rails relative to their supports under repeated traffic forces. Longitudinal forces can shift rails despite their fastenings and cause track defects.

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