# railway

/ˈɹeɪɫˌweɪ/ (US) · /ɹˈeɪlweɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/railway
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. transport system

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

the whole system of trains, tracks, and stations.

For teachers: the entire network and organisation of rail transport, including infrastructure and services.

- The national railway connects all the major cities in the country.
- The expansion of the national railway facilitated rapid industrial growth by connecting remote mining regions with coastal ports.

Usage: In American English, 'railroad' is the standard term for this system.

Teaching tip: While 'railway' is the standard term in the UK and most Commonwealth countries, 'railroad' is the primary term in the United States.

### 2. the tracks

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

the metal tracks that a train travels on.

For teachers: the physical permanent way consisting of parallel steel rails fixed to sleepers.

- It is dangerous and illegal to walk along the railway.
- Engineers worked through the night to repair a section of the railway that had been damaged by the heavy flooding.

Usage: Often used with 'the' when referring to the physical tracks.

## Examples

- The train travels along the railway at high speed.
- The city is building a new railway to connect the suburbs with the downtown business district.
- The expansion of the national railway during the nineteenth century fundamentally altered the economic landscape by allowing goods to be transported across vast distances in record time.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.