fishplate

noun

1. A metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track.

   “The train, minus the three abandoned trucks, again proceeded at a slow pace, with a pump trolley doing pilot ahead ; this was very necessary as a great many sleepers were found to have been burnt underneath the fishplates.”

verb

1. (transitive)To connect (rails) together using a fishplate.

   “One section of the line will consist of 60 ft. lengths of rail welded together on site to form fully continuous rails; another will be of 300 ft. lengths, flash butt-welded in Dinsdale Rail Welding Depot and fishplated together on site; [...].”