railway line
3
2.1
- noun
- /ˈreɪlweɪ laɪn/
- UK
:
línea ferroviaria
- The link between the port in Natal and the Transvaal Republic was completed in 1891 when the railway line reached the Transvaal border at Charlestown.
Examples
-
The railway line was out of sight behind the pines.
Fiction book (1998) -
And she takes the child for walks out here, next to the railway line and the border.
Fiction book (1996) -
Sometimes you wondered whether you would have to jump out of the train and onto the railway line.
Academic text (2001) -
Well, there is no railway line west of Bangkok.
-
Under the arches, down by the railway line.
-
The railway line between Turkey, Syria, and Iraq was upgraded and reopened last February.
Academic text (2010) -
Carrie and Nick go there on Christmas Eve, along an old railway line and down a dark cwm through the yew trees of Druid's Grove.
Fiction book (1991) -
The train traveled swiftly along the railway line that connects the two cities.
-
Many commuters rely on the railway line for their daily travel to work.
-
The railway line runs parallel to the river, offering scenic views during the journey.
Synonyms
40
1.1
Tracks and other parts that trains run on
32
2.5
Two metal rails on the ground that trains run on
16
2.8
Tracks and the ground they sit on that form a route for trains
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'railway' (the railroad/tracks) with 'line' (a route or stretch); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a specific route of railway tracks. This noun–noun compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English compounding, so the phrase is immediately comprehensible.
Etymology
Railway line comes from the simple image of metal rails laid side by side to make a way, forming a long line on the ground. So railway line today means the 'route' of tracks where trains run.