railhead

plural railheads

1. rail transportA point on a railway system where goods (or passengers) are loaded, unloaded or transferred to other transport.

   It would also offer an important opportunity to move construction materials in bulk, using a new railhead.

   2019 October, John Glover, “Heathrow rail expansion”, in Modern Railways, page 71

   1 more example

   The improved service to and from Taunton is fully justified by the passenger patronage to and from this town, which is a railhead for a large surrounding area.

   1961 October, “The winter timetables of British Railways: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 590–591

2. The furthest point on a railroad/railway under construction to which rails have been laid.

   By 1899 the railhead had reached the further edge of the Athi Plain at mile 315, and halted while the survey parties went ahead, and a supply base was established at the foot of the hills. This spot has become Nairobi.

   1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 262

3. rail transportThe top surface (head) of a rail.

   Alternative form: rail head

   2 more examples

   High levels of railhead contamination (which can prevent train predictor systems working correctly) were present in the area - probably as a result of limited operation of the railhead treatment train, according to RAIB.

   2020 December 30, “Network News: Railhead contamination contributed to level crossing near miss”, in RAIL, page 10

   "During the winter, we get really bad snow conditions. We can go to eight inches of snow above the railhead, then the trains are stopped. It's usually more like four inches, but you get big drifts up towards Rannoch.

   2023 November 29, Paul Clifton, “West is best in the Highlands”, in RAIL, number 997, page 39

4. governmentAn area of hostile territory at the end of a rail line that, when captured, serves for the continuous movement into position of further troops and materiel.