The process of dismantling a section of railroad infrastructure, usually after the line has been officially abandoned or decommissioned. Work crews extract the spikes, cut or unbolt the steel rails, and pull up the wooden cross-ties. The salvaged steel is typically sold for scrap or reused on industrial spurs, while the cleared right-of-way is often converted into a recreational trail.
Heard on the job
They finished tracklifting on the old branch last month, and now it's just an empty dirt grade.