Railway or Railroad

Railway or Railroad

Railway or Railroad, what is the difference between the two names? I always call them railroads, it looks like a road when you are standing in the middle of them and they appear to go on for ever in some areas. I do love photographing them and watching trains go by when I can.

Railway or Railroad

But,  railroad is a permanent road consisting of fixed metal rails to drive trains or similar motorized vehicles on while railway is a track, consisting of parallel rails, over which wheeled vehicles may travel.

Does that statement make sense, not to me it didn’t when I first read it. So I investigated some more.

What is the difference between Railway and Railroad Then?

• Meaning:

• The meaning of both railway and railroad is the same. They both refer to the track on which a train runs.

• Usage:

• In most of the English speaking countries including UK and even Canada, the word that is used to refer to a system of trains running on rails made of iron is railways.

• On the other hand, railroad is the term that is used in the US for trains running on rails.

• Interestingly, railway is the word that is reserved for trams or streetcars in the US.

• Practice:

• Often companies change their names from railroad to railways and vice versa when there are mergers or takeovers to distinguish themselves from earlier companies.

Railway or Railroad

Both railway and railroad refer to the train track. However, US uses railway for tram tracks while using railroad to train tracks.

Railway or Railroad
orange train moto

Just some fun facts today 🙂

red train

Railway or Railroad

by Sandra J


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45 Replies to “Railway or Railroad”

  1. Interesting facts Sandra … I never knew these things. I got stopped by a train so long I lost track (no pun intended there) of how many boxcars after 100.

    1. Thank you very much, I love learning new things that go along with what I find on my photography adventures. I learn more from being out there then I did from books back in school. 🙂

  2. I’ve always said railroad. I’d ride trains more often if they actually went where I needed to go… I’ve tried tried taking a trip to see my family using only public transportation a few times, and it took 6-7 hours each way, on a train and two buses, whereas it would have been 3 hours if I drove myself. But it’s nice for when I’m not in a hurry and don’t feel like driving.

    1. That would be nice, I have never been on a train, but I do love locomotives, especially the old steam engines. 🙂

      1. There is a long-term plan to add more passenger trains in this area; depending on what the schedule ends up being, that might make that trip simpler for me.

  3. Did you know it’s illegal to take photos on a railway/road. It’s considered trespassing. I never knew that til someone pointed it out to me. But ya know I still photopragh them and try to shoot abandoned properties as well, now and again.

    1. Never heard that before, it is probably the same for trains. But I will always photograph them as well. 😊 it doesn’t say private property so good to go

        1. Makes one wonder how they decide what we take a photo of, their are satellite photos of everyone and everything on the planet. As long as I am on public land I can take a photo of a lot of stuff. Now I don’t like taking photos of peoples houses but I do take pictures of great architecture, like bridges and some buildings. But as long as I am on public land, I think we are good. 🙂

  4. I’ve always wondered why the US has a different word for things than the rest of the English speaking world. And we’re the only one to not use the metric system.

  5. Did you know that the track gauge of said railways in the US are considerably narrower than in the rest of the world? At least that’s what I heard. So we can’t put an American locomotive onto European tracks. 😐

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