The adhesion between wheel and rail plays an important role in the braking performance of trains. Though there have been numerous studies on the characteristics of adhesion phenomenon, a general understanding from the physical point of view is still lacking. In this work, the adhesion mechanism between wheel and rail was investigated by studying the mechanisms of pure rolling and sliding experiments. Tests were performed under various conditions to determine the physical phenomenon responsible for adhesion between wheel and rail. The results of this study is expected to aid in improving the braking performance of trains.