Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed to run along railways or railroads. Typical railway tracks consist of two parallel rails, normally made of steel, secured to crossbeams, termed ties. The ties maintain a constant distance between the two rails; a measurement known as the "gauge" of the track. To maintain the alignment of the track it is either laid on a bed of ballast or else secured to a solid concrete foundation. Rail transport is an energy-efficient and capital-intensive component of logistics; in contrast, a traditional wagon can carry no more than several tons of freight.
- rail transport [reil - trænsˈpɔ:t] n.铁路运输
- conveyance [kənˈveiəns] n. 运送
- by means of [bai - mi:nz - əv] prep. 通过……方式
- consist of [kənˈsist - əv] v. 由……组成
- secure to [siˈkjuə - tu] v. 固定在……
- crossbeam [ˈkrɔsbi:m] n. 横梁
- tie [tai] n. 枕木
- gauge [ɡeidʒ] n. 轨距
- alignment [əˈlainmənt] n. 直线排列
- ballast [ˈbæləst] n. 道碴
- concrete [ˈkɔnkri:t] n. 混凝土
- energy-efficient [ˈenədʒi - iˈfiʃənt] adj. 能源节约的
- capital-intensive [ˌkæpɪtl - ɪnˈtensɪv] adj. 资本密集型的
- logistics [ləˈdʒistiks] n. 物流
- wagon [ˈwæɡən] n. 四轮马车
- freight [freit] n. 货物
