Editing Railroad switch (section)

{{Short description|Mechanism to transfer rail vehicles from one track to another}}
{{Other uses|Switch (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Set of points|the mathematical concepts|Point set|and|Locus (mathematics){{!}}Locus}}
{{Redirect|Pointwork|the ballet technique|pointe technique}}
{{Hatnote|This article uses North American terminology first. British and Commonwealth terminology follows in parentheses.}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2015}}
[[File:Railway turnout - Oulu Finland.jpg|thumb|A right-hand railroad switch with point indicator pointing to right]]
[[File:Funzionamento Deviatoio.gif|thumb|Animated diagram of a right-hand railroad switch. The green line represents direction of travel only, the black lines represent fixed portions of track, and the red lines depict the moving components. Track A divides into two: the straight track (B), named the ''normal'', and the diverging track (C), named the ''reverse''.]]
{{Infobox
|image={{switcher
|[[File:Turnout drawing with US terminology.png |600px]]|Turnout components (North American terminology)
|[[File:Turnout drawing with UK terminology.png |600px]]|Turnout components (British terminology)
}}}}
[[File:SunsetTracksCrop.JPG|thumb|Large stations may have hundreds of normal and double switches (Frankfurt am Main main station, Germany).]]
[[File:MTR LRT railway switch blades.ogv|thumb|Switch blades in motion ([[MTR Light Rail|Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway light rail]])]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-0927-007, Dresden, Standseilbahn.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Funicular#Abt automatic turnout|Abt switch]] used in the 1895-built [[Dresden Funicular Railway]] (photo of 1985)]]

A '''railroad switch''' ([[American English|AE]]), '''turnout''', or ('''set of''') '''points''' ([[Commonwealth English|CE]]) is a mechanical installation enabling [[railway]] trains to be guided from one [[Rail tracks|track]] to another, such as at a [[Junction (rail)|railway junction]] or where a [[Branch line|spur]] or [[Siding (rail)|siding]] branches off.