A railway is a track made of steel rails on which trains travel, or the entire system of tracks, trains, and stations that work together to transport people and goods. The rails guide the train's wheels, keeping it on course like grooves guiding a toy car.

Railways transformed the world in the 1800s. Before railways, moving heavy cargo over land meant slow wagons pulled by horses or oxen. The railway changed everything: suddenly, tons of coal, grain, or manufactured goods could speed across continents. Cities grew where railway lines connected, and remote areas became accessible. The transcontinental railway across America, completed in 1869, linked the East and West coasts and helped unite the nation.

Today, railways remain vital. Freight railways carry everything from cars to grain across countries. Passenger railways include commuter trains bringing workers into cities, high-speed trains like Japan's Shinkansen racing at over 200 miles per hour, and subways running on underground railways beneath busy streets.

You might also hear the word railroad, which means the same thing in American English. The British prefer railway. Both are correct, just like how Americans say “elevator” while the British say “lift.” The people who built and maintained these systems were called railway workers or railway men, and operating a railway required precision, teamwork, and constant attention to safety.