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 airport was recently affected by disruption to railway services, after a water leak prompted the closure of a tunnel.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

One firefighter was hospitalised and five others suffered minor injuries, the fire service confirmed, with crews continuing to extinguish "hotspots" in open grassland, along a railway and in gardens.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Network Rail said the 14:24 BST Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne came off the tracks close to Lewes railway station, shortly before 16:00 BST.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Elisa Markula, chief executive of Finland's state-owned railway operator VR, said she hopes the service will benefit from a "renaissance" in rail travel across Europe.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Bigwig came out from the further side of the railway arch, sat up and looked round him.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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

For example, while railways transformed economies – particularly in the US – plenty of people lost money along the way.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 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

On the railways alone, he cited train delays, cancellations due to buckled rails, on-board air conditioning failure, cable and signalling meltdown.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Land has been cut by roads, railways, and dams into smaller, isolated spaces.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Related Words

• line
• rail line
• track