Railway system is a very complex mechanism. It implies track, rail equipment, rolling-stock and train operation.Track is one of the basic features of a railway. It is also called the permanent way. Itconsists of rails, ties and ballast. The distance between the rails is called the gauge. The standardgauge in most countries is 1,435 mm while in Russia it is 1,524 mm. Rails rest on sleepers whichare laid on ballast (in the USA sleepers are called ties). The ballast is the foundation of therailway track.Rail equipment consists of rails, sleepers, ballast, artificial structures, signals, railroadconstructions (railway stations, tunnels, bridges). They enable the railway to operatesuccessfully.Railway Signalling makes railways safe and quick. Safety depends on many factors. It isdetermined by the condition of the track and signal techniques. Very important features of therailroad safety engineering are signal and block systems.Rolling stock is the term describing all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usuallyincludes both powered and unpowered vehicles, such as locomotives, carriages, coaches andwagons. There are various types of trains designed for particular purposes. Apassenger trainincludes passenger-carrying vehicles.Freight trains comprise wagons or trucks rather thancarriages.Long-distance trains travel between many cities and regions of a country, andsometimes cross several countries.High-speed trains are designed for passenger travel, and some high speed systems offer freight service. Trains connecting cities can be divided into twogroups.Inter-city trains do not halt at small stations, trains that serve all stations are usuallyknown aslocal trains.Commuter trains are used for shorter distances serving the city and itssuburbs.Traffic and convey capacity of the railways is calledoperation service. Efficientoperation mostly depends on the time-table Questions for discussion: 1. What does the term track mean? 2. What is the gauge? 3. What is the gauge standard in Russia? 4. What is the foundation of the track? 5. What is the aim of railway signalling? 6. What does the rail equipment consist of? 7. What does the term rolling-stock mean? 8. What does the term operation service imply? 9. What types of trains do you know? 10. What does efficient operation depend on?