Crossword Genius

Awkward ascent on railway line (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ancestry

'line' is the definition.
('ancestry' can be a synonym of 'line')

'awkward ascent on railway' is the wordplay.
'awkward' indicates an anagram.
'on' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'railway' becomes 'ry' (abbreviation for railway).
'ascent' is an anagram of 'ancest'.
'ancest'+'ry'='ANCESTRY'

(Other definitions for ancestry that I've seen before include "Line of descendants" , "Blood line" , "Person's ethnic descent" , "race" , "Any crest (anag.)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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