railway

American  

[reyl-wey] / ˈreɪlˌweɪ /

noun

• railways
  plural

1. a rail line with lighter-weight equipment and roadbed than a main-line railroad.

2. a railroad, especially one operating over relatively short distances.

3. Also called trackway.  any line or lines of rails forming a road of flanged-wheel equipment.

4. Chiefly British. railroad.

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railway British  

/ ˈreɪlˌweɪ /

noun

1. a permanent track composed of a line of parallel metal rails fixed to sleepers, for transport of passengers and goods in trains

2. any track on which the wheels of a vehicle may run

   a cable railway

3. the entire equipment, rolling stock, buildings, property, and system of tracks used in such a transport system

4. the organization responsible for operating a railway network

5. (modifier) of, relating to, or used on a railway or railways

   a railway engine

   a railway strike

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interrailway
  adjective
• prerailway
  adjective
• railwayed
  adjective
• railwayless
  adjective
• unrailwayed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• railways
  plural

Etymology

Origin of railway

First recorded in 1770–80; rail ¹ + way ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

railway railways

The statement said Carman loaded the bag onto a motorbike before driving towards a railway line.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

There was a 2-year-old toddler, the youngest of the reunion attendees, and an 88-year-old who joined for multiple scheduled events, including a ride up a mountain in a funicular railway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

“There are PVC pipes, wires and a railway tie underneath the water and occasionally some metal.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Work includes examining the accident site, the derailed train and railway infrastructure.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The center of her mind was filled with the image of the great, white clock at the railway station, on which the hands did not cease to move.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

Many of the biggest Muslim consumer markets are in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia, where China has spent years building ports, railways and commercial ties.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Actress and author Celia Imrie will speak about her memoir Elegant Hustler, in which she shares tales from her travels, from Arctic quests for the Northern Lights to exploring India's railways.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

In Southern California, cliffs could erode more than 130 feet by the end of the century, and the consequences of erosion have already proved to be severe on major roads, railways and other critical infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

In the aftermath of World War II, its Labour government nationalized the Bank of England, airlines, coal, telecommunications, railways, electricity, gas, iron and steel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

After his release from captivity in 1948, Henry Metelmann spent a short time in Germany and then returned to Britain, where he married, had two children, and worked on the railways.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• line
• rail line
• track