What is the difference between a railroad and a railway?

Answer 1

The terms "railroad" and "railway" are often used interchangeably, but they can have distinct meanings based on regional usage. In the United States, "railroad" typically refers to the entire system of tracks, trains, and operations involved in transporting goods and passengers. In contrast, "railway" is more commonly used in British English to describe the same concept, but it can also refer specifically to the track and infrastructure rather than the overall system. Thus, the difference is largely linguistic and regional rather than functional.