SteelRailAndRailwaySleepers

A railway sleeper or called rail tie is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the steel rails, railway sleepers could transfer loads to the track ballast and subgrade, hold the rails vertical and keep them spaced to the correct gauge.

Railway sleepers are traditionally made of wood, but pre-stressed concrete is now also widely used, especially in Europe and Asia. Steel railway sleepers are common on secondary lines in the UK; plastic composite ties are also employed, although far less than wood or concrete. As of January 2008, the approximate market share in North America for traditional and wood railway sleepers was 91.5%, the remainder being concrete, steel, azobé (red ironwood) and plastic composite.