Terminology

The vehicles travelling on the rails, collectively known as rolling stock, are arranged in a linked series of vehicles called a train, which can include a locomotive if the vehicles are not individually powered. A locomotive (or "engine") is a powered vehicle used to haul a train of unpowered vehicles. In the U.S. individual unpowered vehicles are known generically as cars. These may be passenger-carrying or used for freight. For passenger-carrying vehicles the term carriage or coach is used, while a goods or freight-carrying vehicle is known as a freight car in the U.S. and a wagon or truck in the U.K. An individually-powered passenger vehicle is known as a railcar or a power car; when one or more as these are coupled to one or more unpowered trailer cars as an inseparable unit, this is called a railcar set or multiple unit. All rolling stock is fitted with standardized couplings (North America: couplers) to connect cars and locomotives together. In some countries, rolling stock is fitted with buffers to reduce the effect of hitting another car. Most rolling stock have brakes that can be operated remotely from the locomotive cab.

A station is the place where trains stop to load and unload, mostly referring to passengers. A railroad yard is an assembly of tracks for the purpose of storing rolling stock and assembling trains, or maintaining and repairing them, also called a shunt yard. Shunting (North America: switching) is arranging rolling stock in a yard, mostly performed by small locomotives called shunters (switchers or switching locomotives). Points or switches are the term used for changeable connections of two rails. The movement of trains is controlled by signals that may consist of lights or (movable) signs, manually or automatically operated. A tramway mostly refers to a passenger railway in the streets.