The presence of hard, brittle, thin White Etching Layers (WELs) on rail surfaces plays a critical role in varying the tribology behaviours at the wheel and rail interface. The reciprocating sliding tests were carried out on the rail samples covered with two types of WELs, including thermomechanically-induced WEL (TP-WEL) and mechanically-induced WEL (SD-WEL) at room temperature and 600 °C. A WEL-free rail sample was also employed for the comparison. The wear mechanism of WEL-free rail shifts from severe abrasive wear at room temperature to adhesive dominant wear at 600 °C. Under the pressurized sliding conditions of 1.2 GPa at 600 °C, the WEL-free rail was observed to form WEL and BEL. The pre-existed SD-WEL and TP-WEL on the rail samples could transform into worn WEL at the topmost contact rail surface with Brown Ething Layer (BEL) formation beneath it. The formation of BEL is attributed to the tempered effect on pre-existed WEL. Due to their high hardness, both SD-WEL and TP-WEL-covered rails exhibit minimal abrasive behaviours at room temperature while displaying adhesive dominant wear mechanisms at 600 °C. Of the two types of WELs, TP-WEL has lower wear resistance, whereas SD-WEL promotes high friction and reduces wear loss. •Tribological behaviours of two distinct classes of White Etching Layers (WELs) on the rail surface were measured.•Tribological properties of the rail are dependent on the existence and type of WELs and the temperature at rail surface.•The pre-existed WELs could be transferred into worn WEL at the topmost contact and underlying Brown Etching Layer (BEL).•In comparison with mechanically-induced WEL, thermomechanically-induced WEL is more prone to be worn out during service.