4. Turnouts

Links between centers served by railroads require the creation of routes: this is the function performed by turnouts. Turnouts are divided into two categories (figure 18 ):

• a turnout is used to create a deviated lane from a direct lane, or to ensure communication between two lanes;

• the crossing is the at-grade intersection of two tracks. It can be combined with one or more turnouts: this is the single or double crossing-junction.