HOW TRAIN TRACKS ARE LAID

This feat of engineering keeps long carriages in-line and fixed to the ground

- AILSA HARVEY

The world's railway networks are over 800,000 miles long, hauling conventional trains at speeds over 100 miles per hour across the countryside and through towns and cities.

High-quality tracks are vital for fast commutes across obstacle-free terrain. A train's wheels securely fix to these tracks as their conicalshaped wheels have a wider circumference on the outer edge, while the inner edge of the wheel has a lip that connects to the inside of the rail as a guide.