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 steelrails, 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.
Railroad or railway tracks are used on railways, which, together with railroad switches (points), guide trains without the need for steering.
Railways rails are made in a small number of different sizes (weights), and the choice of size is a balance of economic and technical factors.
Most modern railways use continuous welded rail (CWR); in this form of track the rails are welded together for several kilometres, to form one long continuous rail.
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