TCRP report 155 provides guidelines and descriptions for the design of various common types of light rail transit (LRT) track. The track structure types include ballasted track, direct fixation ("ballastless") track, and embedded track. The report considers the characteristics and interfaces of vehicle wheels and rail, tracks and wheel gauges, rail sections, alignments, speeds, and track moduli. The report includes chapters on vehicles, alignment, track structures, track components, special track work, aerial structures/bridges, corrosion control, noise and vibration, signals, traction power, and the integration of LRT track into urban streets.

This textbook examines key railway engineering topics useful for railway design and control. Conventional railways are considered together with high-speed railways, tramways, metros, maglev and hyperloop systems, people movers, monorails and rack railways. Every system of transport is described in its basic technical characteristics, especially in terms of transportation system capacity, alignment design criteria and construction costs. It is an introductory book to specific topics of the railway engineering field, and thus, the mathematical treatment is purposely brief and simplified. The book is an ideal learning resource for students of civil engineering, as well as a valuable reference for practicing engineers involved with railway designs.