Outline of rail transport

Rail transport – means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks consisting of steel rails installed on sleepers/ties and ballast.

What type of thing is rail transport?
Rail transport can be described as all of the following:


 * Technology – making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures.
 * Applied technology
 * Transport – movement of humans, animals and goods from one location to another.
 * Rapid transit

Essence of rail transport

 * Railway systems engineering
 * Environmental design in rail transportation
 * Rail transport operations
 * List of railway industry occupations
 * Passenger train
 * Rail freight transport

Types of railway/railroad

 * Fell mountain railway system
 * Heavy rail
 * Inter-city rail
 * High-speed rail
 * Higher-speed rail
 * Heritage railway
 * Monorail
 * Mountain railway
 * Plateway
 * Rack railway
 * Tourist railroad
 * Wagonway
 * Industrial railway

Urban rail transport, general types

 * Urban rail transit – overview
 * Rapid transit
 * Elevated railway
 * Cable railway
 * Funicular (or inclined railway)
 * Regional rail
 * Commuter rail
 * Interurban
 * Light rail
 * Very light rail/Ultra light rail
 * Medium-capacity rail system/light rapid transit/light metro/premetro
 * People mover
 * Tramway (or streetcar)

History of rail transport
History of rail transport
 * Chronological list: Lists of rail transport events by year
 * Lists of rail accidents
 * List of rail accidents (2000–present)
 * Railroad chronometer
 * Railway Mail Service (USA)
 * Railway post office
 * Railway Mania (UK)
 * Railway Express Agency (USA)

Vehicles

 * Car float
 * Road-rail vehicle
 * Rail car mover
 * Railgrinder
 * Train ferry

Trains

 * Train
 * Parts
 * Bogie
 * Wheelset
 * Rolling stock
 * Railroad car
 * Railbus
 * Railcar
 * Tram
 * Tram-train

Locomotives

 * Locomotive
 * Steam locomotive
 * Diesel locomotive
 * Electric locomotive

Railway infrastructure

 * Railway platform

Permanent way

 * Axe ties
 * Baulk road
 * Breather switch
 * Cant
 * Clip and scotch
 * Datenail
 * Fishplate
 * Ladder track
 * Minimum radius
 * Permanent way (current)
 * Permanent way (history)
 * Rail fastening system
 * Rail profile
 * Railroad tie (sleeper)
 * Track ballast
 * Track transition curve

Trackwork and track structures

 * Balloon loop
 * Classification yard
 * Gauntlet track
 * Junction
 * Overhead lines
 * Passing loop
 * Rail track
 * Rail yard
 * Railroad switch
 * Railway electrification system
 * Railway turntable
 * Siding
 * Track gauge
 * Track pan
 * Tramway track
 * Water crane
 * Wye

Running lines
Track (Running lines)
 * Single track
 * Passing loop
 * Double track
 * Quadruple track
 * Crossover

Rail sidings
Rail sidings
 * Balloon loop
 * Headshunt
 * Rail yard
 * Classification yard

Rail junctions
Rail junctions
 * Flying junction
 * Level junction
 * Double junction
 * Facing and trailing
 * Grand union
 * Wye
 * Switch / turnout / points
 * Swingnose crossing
 * Level crossing

Railway station track layouts
Railway station


 * Side platform
 * Island platform
 * Bay platform
 * Split platform
 * Terminal station
 * Balloon loop
 * Spanish solution
 * Cross-platform interchange
 * Interchange station

Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing
 * Horseshoe curve
 * Zig Zag / Switchback
 * Spiral

Signalling and safety

 * Block post
 * Buffer stop
 * Catch points
 * Integrated Electronic Control Centre
 * Interlocking
 * Level crossing
 * Loading gauge
 * Railway signal
 * Railway signalling
 * Signalling control
 * Structure gauge

Buildings

 * Coaling tower
 * Goods shed
 * Motive power depot
 * Roundhouse
 * Station building
 * Train shed
 * Train station

Rail transport by region

 * Rail transport by country
 * Rail transport in Argentina
 * Rail transport in Australia
 * Rail transport in Belgium
 * Rail transport in Brazil
 * Rail transport in Canada
 * Rail transport in China
 * Rail transport in France
 * Rail transport in Germany
 * Rail transport in Hong Kong
 * Rail transport in India
 * Rail transport in Italy
 * Rail transport in Japan
 * Rail transport in Kazakhstan
 * Rail transport in Mexico
 * Rail transport in Namibia
 * Rail transport in the Netherlands
 * Rail transport in New Zealand
 * Rail transport in Poland
 * Rail transport in Russia
 * Rail transport in South Africa
 * Rail transport in South Korea
 * Rail transport in Spain
 * Rail transport in Taiwan
 * Rail transport in Ukraine
 * Rail transport in the United Kingdom
 * Rail transportation in the United States
 * List of countries by rail transport network size
 * List of countries by rail usage

Rail transport politics

 * Rail transport laws
 * Esch-Cummins Act
 * Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
 * Rail Passenger Service Act
 * Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act
 * Railway Construction Act
 * Railway Labor Act
 * Railway Nationalization Act
 * Railways Act (United Kingdom railway legislation)
 * Railways Act 1921
 * Railways Act 1993
 * Railways Act 2005
 * Privatisation of British Rail
 * Impact of the privatisation of British Rail
 * Railway nationalization
 * Rail transport agencies
 * Railway Procurement Agency (Ireland)

Rail culture

 * Rail trail
 * Rail transport modelling
 * Rail usage statistics by country
 * Railfan
 * Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
 * Rail directions
 * Usage of the terms railroad and railway
 * Passenger rail terminology

General concepts

 * Conductor (rail)
 * Rail pass
 * Train ticket
 * Transit pass

Rail transport organizations

 * National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
 * International Association of Railway Operations Research
 * International Union of Railways

Rail transport publications

 * List of railroad-related periodicals

Persons influential in rail transport

 * List of people associated with rail transport
 * George Stephenson (1781–1848)
 * Robert Stephenson (1803–1859)
 * Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859)
 * Thomas Brassey (1805–1870)