Fromtrack +‎bed(“place, or flat surface or layer, on which something else rests or is laid”).^[1]

• (Received Pronunciation,General American)IPA^(key):/ˈtɹækbɛd/

• Audio(Southern England):

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• Hyphenation:track‧bed

trackbed (pluraltrackbeds)(rail transport)

1. Thelayer ofgravel or otherfoundation on which arailway track islaid.

   Synonyms:bed,railbed

   • 1963 October,G[eoffrey] Freeman Allen, R. K. Evans, “The Japanese National Railways and the New Tokaido Line”, inModern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey:Ian Allan Publishing,→ISSN,→OCLC, page238:

     Given a mandate to build a new railway from thetrackbed up, the Japanese have seized an unprecedented opportunity, not only to apply to its equipment their immense technological resources, but to incorporate in its operational scheme the Utopian concepts which those modernising an existing line can at best realise partially.

   • 2022 September 7, “East–West track laying heads westwards”, inRail, number965, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:Bauer Media,→ISSN,→OCLC, page36:

     The Bicester–Bletchley section is being rebuilt on the alignment of the line that closed to passengers in 1968. Since 2019, thetrack bed and bridges have been rebuilt, and this work is mostly complete.

2. (loosely) Theland on which arailway (especially one that has beenclosed ordismantled) wasbuilt; theroadbed for a railroad.

   Holonym:right of way

   • 2017 March, “What if These Lost Lines Hadn’t Closed at All?”, inRail‎^[1], Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:Bauer Media,→ISSN,→OCLC, archived fromthe original on2022-05-16:

     Thetrackbed of the majority of the ten miles from Padstow to Boscarne Junction is still intact and used as a cycle way, although the section where the railway once went through Wadebridge has been lost to development.

   • 2019, Alan Staniforth, “Clay Bank to Kildale”, inCleveland Way (Official National Trail Guide), revised edition, London:Aurum Press, in association with Walk Unlimited,→ISBN, part 2,page64:

     Just before Bloworth Crossing, you'll walk a short distance along thetrackbed of the old mineral railway that connected the ironstone mines at Rosedale with the blast furnaces of Middlesbrough.

   • 2023 July 26, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: North West”, inRAIL, number988, page28:

     Darcy Lever: Bolton Council has rejected a plan to build 112 homes across thetrackbed of the former Bury line. It is concerned that it would prevent any future extension of Manchester Metrolink, and chip away at green space land.

• track-bed,track bed

•  track bed on Wikipedia.Wikipedia