Glossary of rail transport terms

Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term "railroad" and the international term "railway" (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United States) is the most significant difference in rail terminology. There are also others, due to the parallel development of rail transport systems in different parts of the world.
Various global terms are presented here; where a term has multiple names, this is indicated. The abbreviation "UIC" refers to standard terms adopted by the International Union of Railways in its official publications and thesaurus.