Railroad or railway tracks are used on railways, which, together with railroad switches (points), guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid and fastened upon sleepers (or cross ties) which are embedded in ballast to form the railroad track.

Rails, being made of steel, can carry heavier loads than any other material.

Sleepers spread the load from the rails over the ground, and also serve to hold the rails a fixed distance apart (called the gauge).

Rail tracks are normally laid on a bed of coarse stone chippings known as ballast, which combines resilience, some amount of flexibility, and good drainage; however, track can also be laid on or into concrete (this is called slab track).

Across bridges track is often laid on sleepers across longitudinal timbers.

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See also Wikimedia Commons has multimedia related to: Railroad Railroad switch (points) Rail terminology (including US/UK differences) Rail transport Rail gauge Grand union Third rail Categories: Rail transport