rail bed
Gravel under tracks
A rail bed is the foundation that supports railroad tracks—the prepared surface of compacted earth, gravel, and ballast on which ties and rails are laid.
The term emphasizes the underlying structure rather than the tracks themselves: Engineers inspected the rail bed for erosion after the flood.
Also spelled as one word: railbed.
- trackPath or monitored route
- ballastShip stability material
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
- sleepersUnactivated spies or surprise hits
- tiesConnections or neckwear
crushed stone · embankment · grade · subgrade · cross section · crossties · fill · cinder · leveling · tamping · drainage · alignment · right-of-way · siding · mainline · gauge · freight · freight train
rail bedwaterway
Navigable route for vessels
shipping lane · river channel · roadbed · highway · runway
rail bedopen water
Unobstructed body navigable freely
navigable river · sea lane · air corridor · flight path · ocean
rail, bed, rails, railed, railing, railings, railroad, railroads, railroading