Preface

This book offers a concise overview of the methods and criteria adopted for the design of railway infrastructures. Conventional railways are considered together with high-speed railways, tramways, metros, maglev, hyperloop systems, people movers, monorails and rack railways. Every system of transport is described in its main technical characteristics, capacities 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.