Statistical Terms Glossary

Machines used for treatment with x-rays or radionuclide. They include: linear accelerators, Cobalt-60 units,Caesium-137 therapy units, low to orthovoltage x-ray units,high dose and low dose rate brachytherapy units, and - conventional brachytherapy units.

Radio Link Protocol (RLP) is an automatic repeat request (ARQ) fragmentation protocol used over a wireless (typically cellular) air interface. Most wireless air interfaces are tuned to provide 1% packet loss, and most Vocoders are mutually tuned to sacrifice very little voice quality at 1% packet loss. However, 1% packet loss is intolerable to all variants of TCP, and so something must be done to improve reliability for voice networks carrying TCP/IP data.

Whether the person is accustomed to listening to radio and follows up broadcasted programs regardless of place and time of listening.

Material that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides at concentrations greater than those established as “exempt” by the competent authorities. To avoid persistent harmful effects, long–term storage is necessary, for which purpose so–called “isotope cemeteries” and abandoned quarries are used.

See corporate raider; hostile raider.

Train station used exclusively or predominantly for loading and unloading of goods, for formation, dispatch, reception and temporary stabling of trains and/or for stabling and marshalling of rolling stock.

A firm or body responsible, in particular, for establishing, managing and maintaining railway infrastructure, including traffic management and control-command and signalling.

The profile above the rail tracks through which a rail vehicle must pass.

Any person, excluding members of train crew, who makes a journey by railway vehicle.

A passenger alighting from a railway vehicle after having been conveyed by it.
Note: A passenger transfer from one railway vehicle directly to another one, regardless of the railway transport operator, shall not be regarded as disembarkation/embarkation. Whenever during the transfer another mode of transport is used, this is to be regarded as disembarkation/embarkation.

A passenger who boards a railway vehicle to be conveyed by it.
Note: A passenger transfer from one railway vehicle directly to another one, regardless of the railway transport operator, shall not be regarded as disembarkation/embarkation. Whenever during the transfer another mode of transport is used, this is to be regarded as disembarkation/embarkation.

The combination between the place of embarkment and the place of disembarkment of the passengers conveyed by rail whichever itinerary is followed.

Unit of measurement representing the transport of one rail passenger by rail over a distance of one kilometre.

The smallest distance between a pair of rails measured between the inside surfaces of the rail heads.

Rail transport in the same railway vehicle through a country between two places (a place of loading and a place of unloading) both located in another country or in other countries.

Any movement of goods and/or passengers using a railway vehicle on a given railway network.

Non-tractive railway vehicle forming part of a passenger or goods train and used by the train crew as well as for the conveyance of luggage, parcels, bicycles, accompanied road passenger vehicles, etc.

Wagon specially built or equipped for the transport of intermodal transport units (ITUs) or other goods road vehicles. Types of wagons are:
- Pocket wagon: rail wagon with a recessed pocket to accept the axle/wheel assembly of a semi-trailer;
- Basket wagon: rail wagon with a demountable sub frame, -fitted with devices for vertical handling to allow the loading and unloading of semi-trailers or road motor vehicles;
- Spine wagon: rail wagon with a central chassis designed to carry a semi-trailer;
- Low floor wagon: Rail wagon with a low loading platform built to carry, inter alia ITUs;
- Rolling-Road wagon: rail wagon with low floor throughout which, when coupled together, form a rolling-road;
- Double stack wagon: rail wagon designed for the transport of containers stacked on top of each other;
- Bimodal semi-trailer: a road semi-trailer that can be converted into a rail wagon by the addition of rail bogies.

Railway vehicle with motor constructed for the conveyance of passengers or goods by rail. The definition of the various categories of locomotives (electric, diesel) apply, mutatis mutandis, to railcars.

Passenger railway vehicle coupled to one or more railcars.

A railway is a line of communication made up by rail exclusively for the use of railway vehicles.

An unwanted or unintended sudden event or a specific chain of such events (occurring during train operation) in which at least one moving rail vehicle is involved, and which has harmful consequences.
The following are the main categories of railway accident:
- Collision;
- Derailment;
- Level-crossing accident;
- Accident to persons caused by rolling stock in motion;
- Fire in rolling stock;
- Other.
Note: By definition, the suicide is excluded as it is a deliberate act. Terrorist acts are also excluded.

An estimated monetary value reflecting the current stock of physical railways transport infrastructure assets.

A private or public enterprise acting mainly as a railway transport operator, an infrastructure manager or as an integrated company.

Any wagon belonging to a railway enterprise.

An occurrence, other than an accident, highlighting potential safety issues in railway operations.
Note: Sometimes also referred to as accident precursor, or near-miss.

A firm or body responsible for establishing, managing and maintaining railway infrastructure, including traffic management and control-command and signalling.

Any movement of a railway vehicle from a specified point of origin to a specified point of destination.