A complex of parallel tracks used to separate incoming freight cars and group them into new trains based on their final destinations. Cars are pushed over a raised hump or flat-switched into specific tracks, allowing railroads to consolidate traffic bound for the same region.
The manifest is dragging into the receiving track at the classification yard, ready for the hump crew to break it down.
Also heard as
- class yard
Related terms
Hump yard
A classification yard where cars are pushed over a small hill and roll by gravity into sorting tracks.
Bowl
The set of classification tracks at the bottom of a hump yard where sorted cars collect.
Switchyard
A complex of parallel tracks used for sorting railcars and assembling trains.
Manifest
A freight train carrying a mix of car types and commodities for many different customers.