The book surveys the global spread and engineering of railways, recounting the adventurous work of surveyors and builders and the technical and logistical challenges faced in constructing major lines. It describes tunnelling and bridge-building, earthworks, and mechanized construction methods, and profiles landmark undertakings such as transcontinental routes, mountain passes, desert and polar reclamation projects, and lines across oceans and difficult terrains. Chapters examine regional developments in North and South America, Africa, Australasia, Siberia and the Far East, and explore ambitious schemes and their operational consequences, illustrated with accounts of construction camps, equipment, and the feats of civil engineering that made international railway networks possible.