Railway or Railroad? It Depends on the Country
A railway is a track system for trains. Britain says railway, America says railroad, and the vocabulary diverges from there.
A railway is a system of rails on which trains run. Britain and America split early: British English standardised on railway and American on railroad, and dozens of related words followed — sleepers and ties, points and switches, carriages and cars, drivers and engineers.
- A track system for trains. *The national railway.*
- A company operating one. *A private railway.*
- Railroad — the American term, and a verb meaning to force through. *Railroaded into agreeing.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (UK) | railway | A branch railway. |
| Noun (US) | railroad | A freight railroad. |
| Compound | railway station | At the railway station. |
| Verb (US) | railroad | Railroaded through. |
| Related | rail | Travel by rail. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The railway reached the town in 1848.British.
- He works for the railroad.American.
- The bill was railroaded through parliament.Forced through without proper scrutiny.
Railway words across the Atlantic
- Sleeper / tie — the beam under the rails
- Points / switch — the moving rails that divert a train
- Carriage / car — where passengers sit
- Driver / engineer — who drives the train
- Level crossing / grade crossing — where road meets rail
A compound of *rail*, from Old French *reille*, a bar, from Latin *regula*, a rule or straight stick, and *way*. Wooden railways for mine wagons existed long before steam.
Why does *railroad* mean to force something through?
From the speed and inevitability of a train: something railroaded is pushed along a fixed track with no chance to stop it.
Railway or railroad in Canada?
Both. Canadian companies use railway in their names, while everyday speech often follows American usage.