Kutakura njanji inzira yekufambisa yevafambi uye zvinhu pamotokari dzine mavhiri dzinomhanya panjanji, dzinozivikanwawo sematinji.Iyo inowanzonziwo kutakurwa kwechitima.Mukupesana nekutakura kwemumugwagwa, uko mota dzinomhanya panzvimbo yakagadziridzwa yakati sandara, njanji (rolling stock) inotungamirwa negwara kwadzinomhanya nadzo.Nzira dzinowanzova nesimbi dzesimbi, dzakaiswa pazvisungo (vanorara) uye ballast, iyo iyo inoputika, inowanzoiswa mavhiri esimbi, inofamba.Mimwe misiyano zvakare inogoneka, senge slab track, uko njanji dzakasungirirwa kune hwaro hwekongiri hwakagadzika pane yakagadzirirwa pasi pevhu.
Rolling stock munjanji yekutakura njanji inowanzosangana nekushomeka kwakaderera pane mota dzemumugwagwa, saka mota dzevatyairi nedzekutakura zvinhu (ngoro nengoro) dzinogona kubatanidzwa kuita zvitima zvakareba.Iko kushanda kunoitwa nekambani yechitima, ichipa chekufambisa pakati pezviteshi zvechitima kana nzvimbo dzevatengi vanotakura zvinhu.Simba rinopihwa nemalocomotives ayo anokweva simba remagetsi kubva muchitima electrification system kana kugadzira simba rawo, kazhinji neinjini dzedhiziri.Matinji mazhinji anoperekedzwa nesigning system.Railways inzira yakachengeteka yekufambisa kwepasi kana ichienzaniswa nedzimwe nzira dzekufambisa.[Nb 1] Chitima chezvitima chinokwanisa kukwirira nhanho dzevatakuri uye kutakura zvinhu uye kushandisa simba, asi kazhinji hachichinjiki uye mari yakawanda-yakawanda kupfuura kutakura migwagwa, kana mazinga akaderera emumigwagwa anotariswa.
Njanji dzekare, dzakatakurwa nevanhu dzakadzokera kuzana ramakore rechitanhatu BC, naPeriander, mumwe weVanomwe Vachenjeri veGreece, akarumbidzwa nekugadzirwa kwayo.Kutakurwa kwechitima kwakakura mushure mekuvandudzwa kweBritish kwechitsiga chemhepo senzvimbo inoshanda yesimba mumazana emakore e19.Nemainjini emhepo, munhu aigona kuvaka njanji huru, iyo yaive chikamu chakakosha cheIndustrial Revolution.Zvakare, njanji yakaderedza mutengo wekutakura, uye yakabvumira kutakura zvinhu zvishoma, zvichienzaniswa nekutakura kwemvura, iyo yakatarisana nekunyura kwengarava pano neapo.Kuchinja kubva pamigero kuenda kunjanji kwakabvumira “misika yenyika” umo mitengo yaisiyana zvishomanene zvikuru muguta neguta.Kugadzirwa uye kuvandudzwa kwenjanji muEurope yaive imwe yezvakakosha zvigadzirwa zvetekinoroji zvezana ramakore re19;muUnited States, zvinofungidzirwa kuti pasina njanji, GDP ingadai yakadzikira ne7% muna 1890.
Mumakore ekuma1880, zvitima zvemagetsi zvakaunzwa, uyewo matramways ekutanga uye masisitimu ekukurumidza ekufambisa zvakavapo.Kutanga muma 1940, njanji dzisina magetsi munyika dzakawanda dzakatsiviwa nezvitima zvemagetsi edhiziri, uye nzira yacho yakanga yava kuda kupedzwa panosvika 2000. Muma1960, masitima enjanji anomhanya zvikuru akaiswa muJapan uye gare gare mu dzimwe nyika.Mamwe mafambisirwo ezvifambiso zvepasi zviri kunze kwetsananguro yechitima yechinyakare, senge monorail kana maglev, akaedzwa asi akaona kushandiswa kushoma.Zvichitevera kuderera mushure meHondo Yenyika II nekuda kwemakwikwi kubva kumotokari, kutakura kwechitima kwave nerumutsiriro mumakumi emakore achangopfuura nekuda kwekuzara kwemigwagwa uye kukwira kwemitengo yemafuta, pamwe chete nehurumende dzinoisa mari muchitima senzira yekuderedza kubudiswa kweCO2 mumamiriro ezvinhu ekunetseka pamusoro. kudziya kwepasi rose.