Mayendedwe a njanji ndi njira yotumizira anthu okwera ndi katundu pamagalimoto amawilo oyenda panjanji, omwe amadziwikanso kuti njanji.Amatchulidwanso kuti zoyendetsa sitima.Mosiyana ndi mayendedwe apamsewu, pomwe magalimoto amathamangira pamalo athyathyathya okonzedwa, magalimoto a njanji (rolling stock) amatsogozedwa ndi njanji zomwe amayendera.Nthawi zambiri nyimbo zimakhala ndi zitsulo zachitsulo, zomwe zimayikidwa pazitsulo (zogona) ndi ballast, zomwe katundu wogubuduza, nthawi zambiri amakhala ndi mawilo achitsulo, amayenda.Kusiyanasiyana kwina kumathekanso, monga njanji ya slab, pomwe njanji zimamangiriridwa ku maziko a konkire okhazikika pamtunda wokonzekera.
Magalimoto oyenda m'mayendedwe a njanji nthawi zambiri amakumana ndi vuto locheperako kuposa magalimoto apamsewu, motero magalimoto onyamula anthu ndi onyamula katundu (mangolo ndi ngolo) amatha kuphatikizidwa kukhala masitima apamtunda wautali.Ntchitoyi ikuchitika ndi kampani ya njanji, yopereka zoyendera pakati pa masitima apamtunda kapena malo onyamula katundu.Mphamvu zimaperekedwa ndi ma locomotives omwe amakoka mphamvu yamagetsi kuchokera kumagetsi a njanji kapena kupanga mphamvu zawo, nthawi zambiri ndi injini za dizilo.Njira zambiri zimatsagana ndi njira yowonetsera.Sitima yapamtunda ndi njira yotetezeka yapamtunda poyerekeza ndi mayendedwe ena.[Nb 1] Zoyendera za njanji zimatha kugwiritsa ntchito kwambiri anthu okwera ndi zonyamula katundu komanso kugwiritsa ntchito mphamvu, koma nthawi zambiri zimakhala zosasinthika komanso zogwiritsa ntchito ndalama zambiri kuposa zoyendera pamsewu, pomwe Kutsika kwa magalimoto kumaganiziridwa.
Sitima zakale kwambiri, zokokedwa ndi anthu zidayamba m'zaka za zana lachisanu ndi chimodzi BC, pomwe Periander, m'modzi mwa Anzeru Asanu ndi Awiri a ku Greece, adadziwika ndi kupangidwa kwake.Mayendedwe a njanji adakula pambuyo pakukula kwa sitima yapamtunda yaku Britain monga gwero lamphamvu lamphamvu m'zaka za zana la 19.Ndi injini za nthunzi, munthu amatha kupanga njanji zazikulu, zomwe zinali chigawo chachikulu cha Industrial Revolution.Komanso, njanji zinachepetsa mtengo wotumizira, ndipo zinapangitsa kuti katundu wotayika pang'ono awonongeke, poyerekeza ndi zoyendera pamadzi, zomwe zinkakumana ndi kumira kwa apo ndi apo.Kusintha kuchokera ku ngalande kupita ku njanji kunalola “misika yamayiko” imene mitengo inali yosiyana kwambiri ndi mzinda ndi mzinda.Kupangidwa ndi chitukuko cha njanji ku Ulaya chinali chimodzi mwazinthu zofunikira kwambiri zaumisiri zazaka za zana la 19;ku United States, akuti popanda njanji, GDP ikanakhala yotsika ndi 7% mu 1890.
M'zaka za m'ma 1880, masitima apamtunda opangidwa ndi magetsi adayambitsidwa, komanso ma tramways oyambirira ndi machitidwe othamanga kwambiri adakhalapo.Kuyambira m’zaka za m’ma 1940, njanji zopanda magetsi m’maiko ambiri zinaloŵetsedwa m’malo ndi masitima amagetsi a dizilo, ndipo ntchitoyo inali itatsala pang’ono kutha pofika m’chaka cha 2000. mayiko ena.Njira zina zoyendetsera njanji kunja kwa matanthauzo a njanji yakale, monga monorail kapena maglev, ayesedwa koma agwiritsidwa ntchito mochepera.Kutsatira kutsika pambuyo pa Nkhondo Yachiwiri Yadziko Lonse chifukwa cha mpikisano wamagalimoto, zoyendera njanji zakhala ndi chitsitsimutso m'zaka makumi angapo zapitazi chifukwa cha kuchulukana kwamisewu ndi kukwera kwamitengo yamafuta, komanso maboma akuyika ndalama panjanji ngati njira yochepetsera mpweya wa CO2 pokhudzana ndi nkhawa. kusintha kwanyengo.