For the current status of permanent way technology see Rail tracks

Rail tracks

The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...

, for other uses see Permanent way (disambiguation)

Permanent way (disambiguation)

Permanent way is the tracks, ballast, subgrade and lineside structure of a railway, see:* Track , description of contemporary permanent way structures and methods* Permanent way , a history of permanent way in the UKOther uses:...

The permanent way is the elements of railway

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

 lines: generally the pairs of rails

Rail profile

The rail profile is the cross sectional shape of a railway rail, perpendicular to the length of the rail.In all but very early cast iron rails, a rail is hot rolled steel of a specific cross sectional profile designed for use as the fundamental component of railway track.Unlike some other uses of...

 typically laid on the sleepers

Railroad tie

A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...

 ("ties" in American parlance) embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway. It is described as permanent way because in the earlier days of railway construction, contractors often laid a temporary track to transport spoil and materials about the site; when this work was substantially completed, the temporary track was taken up and the permanent way installed.
The earliest use of a railway track seems to have been in connection with mining in Germany in the 12th century.