Statistical Terms Glossary

A pair of rails over which railway vehicles can run

Distance between a pair of rails measured between the inside edges of the rail heads.
The following track gauges are in use: Standard gauge: 1.435 m
Large gauge: 1.524 m (VR, SZR) 1.600 m (CIE, NIR)
1.668 m (RENFE, CP)
Narrow gauge: 0.60 m, 0.70 m, 0.75 m, 0.76 m, 0.785 m, 0.90 m, 1.00 m.

A vehicle equipped with prime mover and motor, or with motor only, intended solely for hauling other vehicles (a "locomotive") or for both hauling other vehicles and for the carriage of passengers and/or goods (a "railcar").

Unit of measure representing any movement of a tractive vehicle over a distance of one kilometre.

The movement of a road vehicle for which the gross-gross weight of goods carried including that of equipment such as containers, swap bodies and pallets is nil; and the movement of motor-coaches, buses, trolleybuses and trams without any passengers.
Note: The movement of a road vehicle carrying empty equipment such as containers, swap bodies and pallets is not considered as an empty journey.

 The number of vehicles per kilometre of paved roads (number of vehicles  / lengths of roads). 

Goods road vehicles designed to be hauled by a road motor vehicle. Excluding agricultural trailers and caravans.

One or more railway vehicles hauled by one or more locomotives or railcars, or one railcar travelling alone, running under a given number or specific designation from an initial fixed point to a terminal fixed point, including a light engine, i.e. a locomotive travelling on its own.

Front-to-front or front-to-end impacts between two trains or (side) impacts between one train and part of another train within the loading gauge, or a train impacting with any of the following:
- Shunting movements;
- Fixed objects such as buffer stops;
- Objects temporarily present at or near the track (except at level-crossings), such as rocks, landslides, trees, lost parts of railway vehicles, road vehicles and machines or equipment for track maintenance.

Railway establishment used for loading and unloading of passengers and/or goods, for formation, dispatch, reception and temporary stabling of trains and/or for stabling and marshalling of rolling stock.
Note: Sometimes also referred to as rail or railway station.

Unit of measure representing the movement of a train over one kilometre.

Operationally indivisible composition of railcar(s) and railcar trailer(s) or locomotive(s) and passenger railway vehicle(s).

Passenger road vehicle designed to seat more than nine persons (including the driver), which is connected to electric conductors or powered by diesel engine and which is rail-borne.

Passenger or freight road vehicle designed for use on a tramline.

A railway mainly installed on and integrated into the urban road system. The tramcars are powered either electrically or by diesel engine, particularly for special rail borne road vehicles.

Passenger or freight road vehicle designed to seat more than nine persons (including the driver) or to transport freight, which is rail borne and connected to electric conductors or powered by diesel engine. The tramway is generally integrated into the urban road system.

Line of communication made up by a pair of rails designed for use by trams (street-cars).

Passenger vehicle designed for combined use on both a light-rail infrastructure and a heavy-rail infrastructure.

Revenues for passengers transport (paid) / Number of passengers (paid) .

Revenues of goods transported by charge (paid) / Number of kilometers crssed with chanrge (paid)

Passengers arriving and departing on a different aircraft within 24 hours, or on the same aircraft bearing a different flight number. They are counted twice: once upon arrival and once upon departure.

A loaded or empty IWT vessel, which enters and leaves the country at different points by whatever means of transport, provided the whole journey within the country is by inland waterways and that there is no loading or unloading in the country.
Note: IWT vessels loaded/unloaded at the frontier of that country onto/from another mode of transport are included.

Any loaded or empty road motor vehicle, which enters and leaves the country at different points by whatever means of transport, provided the total journey within the country is by road and that there is no loading or unloading in the country.

Revenues of goods trns ported by charge (paid ) / Volume goods trnasported by charge (paid ).

Maximum tonnage of the product that the pipeline can move during a given period.
Note: In the case of multi-product pipelines, either the average density of the products or the density of the product that is predominantly moved through the pipeline shall be used to convert the capacity – which is usually measured in barrels or in cubic meters per given period – into tonnes.

Sequence of transport modes used to move the goods from their origin to their destination. Along the chain, one or more trans-shipments take place.

The carriage for remuneration, of persons or goods, on behalf of third parties.

The machine connecting the locomotives within the station

Carriage of containers or swap bodies by an active mode of transport.

Transport of a complete goods road motor vehicle, accompanied by the driver, by another mode of transport (for example by sea or rail).