# Outline of rail transport

Rail transport – means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks consisting of steel rails installed on sleepers/ties and ballast.

## What type of thing is rail transport?

Rail transport can be described as all of the following:
* Technology – making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures.
** Applied technology – practical use of technology in every day life.
*** Transport – movement of humans, animals and goods from one location to another.

## Essence of rail transport

* Railway systems engineering
** Environmental design in rail transportation
* Rail transport operations
** List of railway industry occupations
* Passenger train
* Rail freight transport
** Industrial railway

## Types of railway/railroad

* Mainline services
** Inter-city rail
** High-speed rail
** Higher-speed rail
** Heritage railway
** Regional rail
** Commuter rail
** Mountain railway
* Plateway
** Wagonway
* Rack railway
** Fell mountain railway system
* Tourist railroad

### Urban rail transport, general types

* Urban rail transit – overview
** Rapid transit
*** Elevated railway
*** Monorail
*** Medium-capacity rail system/light rapid transit/light metro
** Light rail
*** Interurban
*** Semi-metro
**** Premetro
**** Stadtbahn
*** Tramway (or streetcar)
**** Very light rail
* Cable railway
** Funicular (or inclined railway)
* People mover

## History of rail transport

History of rail transport
* Chronological list: Lists of rail transport events by year
* Lists of rail accidents
** List of rail accidents (2000–present)
* Railroad chronometer
* Railway Mail Service (USA)
** Railway post office
* Railway Mania (UK)
* Railway Express Agency (USA)

## Vehicles

* Car float
* Road-rail vehicle
** Rail car mover
* Railgrinder
* Train ferry

### Trains

* Train
** Parts
*** Bogie
*** Wheelset
** Rolling stock
*** Railroad car
*** Railbus
*** Railcar
* Tram
** Tram-train

#### Locomotives

* Locomotive
** Steam locomotive
** Diesel locomotive
** Electric locomotive

## Railway infrastructure

* Railway platform

### Permanent way

* Axe ties
* Baulk road
* Breather switch
* Cant
* Clip and scotch
* Datenail
* Fishplate
* Ladder track
* Minimum radius
* Permanent way (current)
* Permanent way (history)
* Rail fastening system
* Rail profile
* Railroad tie (sleeper)
* Track ballast
* Track transition curve

### Trackwork and track structures

* Balloon loop
* Classification yard
* Gauntlet track
* Junction
* Overhead lines
* Passing loop
* Rail track
* Rail yard
* Railroad switch
* Railway electrification system
* Railway turntable
* Siding
* Track gauge
* Track pan
* Tramway track
* Water crane
* Wye

#### Railway track layouts
##### Running lines

Track (Running lines)
* Single track
* Passing loop
* Double track
* Quadruple track
* Crossover

##### Rail sidings

Rail sidings
* Balloon loop
* Headshunt
* Rail yard
* Classification yard

##### Rail junctions

Rail junctions
* Flying junction
* Level junction
* Double junction
* Facing and trailing
* Grand union
* Wye
* Switch / turnout / points
* Swingnose crossing
* Level crossing

##### Railway station track layouts

Railway station
* Side platform
* Island platform
* Bay platform
* Split platform
* Terminal station
* Balloon loop
* Spanish solution
* Cross-platform interchange
* Interchange station

##### Hillclimbing

Hillclimbing
* Horseshoe curve
* Zig Zag / Switchback
* Spiral

### Signalling and safety

* Block post
* Buffer stop
* Catch points
* Integrated Electronic Control Centre
* Interlocking
* Level crossing
* Loading gauge
* Railway signal
* Railway signalling
* Signalling control
* Structure gauge

### Buildings

* Coaling tower
* Goods shed
* Motive power depot
* Roundhouse
* Station building
* Train shed
* Train station

## Rail transport by region

* Rail transport by country
** Rail transport in Argentina
** Rail transport in Australia
** Rail transport in Belgium
** Rail transport in Brazil
** Rail transport in Canada
** Rail transport in China
** Rail transport in France
** Rail transport in Germany
** Rail transport in Hong Kong
** Rail transport in India
** Rail transport in Italy
** Rail transport in Japan
** Rail transport in Kazakhstan
** Rail transport in Mexico
** Rail transport in Namibia
** Rail transport in the Netherlands
** Rail transport in New Zealand
** Rail transport in Poland
** Rail transport in Russia
** Rail transport in South Africa
** Rail transport in South Korea
** Rail transport in Spain
** Rail transport in Taiwan
** Rail transport in Ukraine
** Rail transport in the United Kingdom
** Rail transportation in the United States
* List of countries by rail transport network size
* List of countries by rail usage

## Rail transport politics

* Rail transport laws
** Esch-Cummins Act
** Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
** Rail Passenger Service Act
** Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act
** Railway Construction Act
** Railway Labor Act
** Railway Nationalization Act
* Railways Act (United Kingdom railway legislation)
** Railways Act 1921
** Railways Act 1993
** Railways Act 2005
** Privatisation of British Rail
** Impact of the privatisation of British Rail
* Railway nationalization
* Rail transport agencies
** Railway Procurement Agency (Ireland)

## Rail culture

* Rail trail
* Rail transport modelling
* Rail usage statistics by country
* Railfan
* Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
* Rail directions
* Usage of the terms railroad and railway
* Passenger rail terminology

## General concepts

* Conductor (rail)
* Rail pass
* Train ticket
* Transit pass

## Rail transport organizations

* National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
* International Association of Railway Operations Research
* International Union of Railways

## Rail transport publications

* List of railroad-related periodicals

## Persons influential in rail transport

* List of people associated with rail transport
* George Stephenson (1781–1848)
* Robert Stephenson (1803–1859)
* Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859)
* Thomas Brassey (1805–1870)