trilhos

Trilhos are the rails of a railway line, usually made of steel, laid on sleepers and ballast to form a fixed path for train wheels. They guide trains, define the track gauge and support the distribution of loads from rolling stock while allowing smooth, continuous contact with wheels.

A typical track consists of rails, sleepers (ties), ballast, and fastening devices that hold the rails to the sleepers. The ballast provides drainage, friction, and stability; the sleepers maintain the gauge and distribute loads into the subsoil. Rails come in profiles and sizes suited to the service, with materials and designs evolving to support higher speeds and heavier trains. The distance between the inner faces of the two rails is called the track gauge, a key parameter in railway interoperability.

Trilhos are laid in different configurations depending on the region and purpose. The most common arrangement is ballast track, where the rails rest on ballast and are secured with fasteners; alternative methods include slab track or embedded rails in specialized pavements for particular applications or high-speed lines. Global rail networks use a variety of gauges, though standard gauge (approximately 1,435 mm) is widespread.

Maintenance is essential for safety and efficiency. Rail wear, cracks, or deformation are monitored and mitigated through inspection, grinding to restore the rail profile, replacement of worn sections, and tamping to realign the ballast. The term trilho also appears in broader Portuguese to refer to any groove or track-like path.

Etymology derives from trilho, meaning groove or furrow, extending to the sense of a marked path or track.