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rail line

rail line

16 2.8
Tracks and the ground they sit on that form a route for trains
  • noun
  • /reɪl laɪn/
translation icon : línea de ferrocarril
  • The train travels along the rail line that connects the two cities.
  • a new rail line
  • subway rail line

They have built high speed rate rail lines to get people out of slow trains and into fast trains.

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Examples

  • With the rail lines throughout the South in tatters, it was decided to send them North by steamboat.

  • A new east-west rail line will emerge from below ground, connecting with the city's subways, light rail system, and buses.

    Academic text (2007)
  • I guess the King County light rail line is so new, no one can find it yet.

    Blog text (22)
  • The South had no industry or transportation like rail lines, as did the North.

    Blog text (15)
  • Original plans for the bridge included a subway rail line connection across the bridge.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Three of the five new rail lines are about half finished; that's the good news.

    Blog text (19)
  • You can see the main rail lines right here and where Tesla's rail lines are being connected.

  • After the opening of the first rail line in Japan in 1872, many businesses connected with railway transportation were established.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Simply electrifying a freight rail line increases capacity by about 15%.

    Blog text (5)
  • Engineers are leading the way in planning light rail, bus rapid transit systems, and even high-speed rail lines.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

railway
vsrail line
  • UK
40 1.1

Tracks and other parts that trains run on

refers specifically to a single route with its roadbed rather than a whole system
railroad track
vsrail line
  • US
32 2.5

Two metal rails on the ground that trains run on

refers to the complete route including supporting roadbed and path for trains
railway line
vsrail line
  • UK
3 2.1

A set of tracks that trains use to travel between places

is the same concept but uses an alternative common term

How Long

main line
7 3.2
rail line
16 2.8
branch line
1 3.9
spur
  • Specialized
10 7.0
siding
  • Specialized
2 6.7

Surface Forms

rail line singular
rail lines plural

Morphology

rail + line

The meaning 'a set of railroad tracks forming a route for trains' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'rail' (relating to railways) with 'line' (a route or linear formation). This noun phrase is a common, literal collocation with clear cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g. 'línea férrea', 'voie ferrée'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should readily understand it.

Etymology

Rail line comes from the simple image of long metal rails laid in a straight line across the ground to carry trains. So rail line today means the tracks and the ground that support them, or 'a route for trains'.