Release Train
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
A Release Train is a scheduled release that leaves the station whether your feature is on it or not. Every two weeks (or whatever cadence), whatever's ready ships. Miss the train? Catch the next one. It creates predictability — stakeholders know exactly when to expect updates.
Real Talk
Release trains are a time-based release model where deployments occur on a fixed cadence regardless of feature completeness. Features ready by the cutoff date are included; others wait for the next train. Often combined with feature flags to decouple deployment from release.
When You'll Hear This
"Our release train leaves every Thursday — feature freeze is Tuesday EOD." / "If your PR isn't merged by Wednesday, it rides the next release train."
Related Terms
Feature Branches
Feature Branches mean you create a new branch for every feature, bug fix, or experiment. Work in isolation, make a PR when ready, merge when approved.
Git Flow
Git Flow is a branching model with specific branches for features, releases, hotfixes, and development. It's like a highway system with designated lanes.
Progressive Delivery
Progressive Delivery means rolling out changes gradually instead of flipping a switch for everyone at once.
Semantic Release
Semantic Release reads your commit messages and automatically figures out the next version number, generates a changelog, and publishes the release.