A right-of-way (plural: rights-of-way) is an easement or strip of land granted to a railroad company upon which to build a railroad. In the case of an easement, it may revert to its original owners if the line is abandoned.

Rights-of-way are considered private property by the respective railroad owners. Most U.S. railroads employ their own police forces who can arrest and prosecute trespassers found on the right-of-way.

Alternate uses

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Railroad rights-of-way need not exclusively be for railroad tracks and related equipment. Easements are frequently given to permit the laying of communication cables (such as optical fiber) or natural gas pipelines, or to run electric power transmission lines overhead.

Some abandonded railroad rights-of-way have been converted into rail trails.

See also

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• Noise barrier
• Railroad
• Rail trails
• Easement
• Right-of-way
• Sprint Nextel, a major user of rights-of-way for cables.

Rail infrastructure