permanent way

noun British.

the roadbed and track of a railroad.

Origin of permanent way

First recorded in 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for permanent way

Historical Examples of permanent way

Time went by and so did the rail-head, leaving the two mysteries behind as permanent-way gangers.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, Feb. 12, 1919
Various

British Dictionary definitions for permanent way

permanent way

noun

mainly British the track of a railway, including the ballast, sleepers, rails, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012