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ACCAT Adhesion Controller's Condition Assessment tool Used by Metronet BCV to identify where ATO can be used on the Central Line surfaces sections during leaf fall.
ACoRP - Association of Community Railways
ACR - Access Charge Review. The Regulatory process of setting track access charges paid by TOCs to Network Rail . Identified by year in which Regulator's final conclusions were -published ie ACR2003
AGMA - The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities
AGRRI Advisory Group for Rail Research & Innovation
AGV Automotrice Grande Vitesse Alstom's Next Generation TGV with traction equipment distributed along the train rather than in power cars at each end.
AHB - Automatic Half Barrier - type of level crossing
ALARP As Low As Reasonably Practicable
ALSF - Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
AMP Asset Maintenance Plan. Network Rail process
AOCL Automatic Open Crossing Locally monitored.
APT - Advanced Passenger Train - BR 1970 tilting train project
APTIS - All Purpose Ticket Issuing System. BR computer based ticket machine made by Thorn EMI Last one decommissioned at Upminster Station 21 March 2007.
ARSE - Assistant Rolling Stock Engineer - allegedly used by the new Tyne and Wear Metro to advertise a post - but quickly changed to
DRSE (Deputy)!! - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
ASLEF - Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Fireman. Submitted by Bob Poynter 19/06/06.
ATC - Automatic Train Control (companion to ATO and ATP; a common abbreviation in the US, at least). Submitted by John Ewing 16/10/05.
ATCO = Association of Transport Co-ordination Officers - Local Government Organisation who do have a rail division.
ATO Automatic Train Operation
ATOC - Association of Train Operating Companies
ATP - Automatic Train Protection
ATW - Arriva Trains Wales
ATWS Automatic Train Warning System alerts track workers
AWG Adhesion Working Group
AWS Automatic Warning System
BREL - British Rail Engineering Limited. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
BRT - British Rail Telecoms. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
BTP British Transport Police
Capex- Capital expenditure
CAPRI - Computer Analysis of Passenger Revenue Information
CBI - Computer Based Interlocking
CER Community of European Railways
CIRAS Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System
CIS Customer Information System
CCF Control Centre of the Future enhanced version of IECC
CCTV - Closed Circuit Television
CLG Company Limited by Guarantee ie Network Rail
CLRL Cross London Rail links Ltd the company responsible for Crossrail
CNRS Company Neutral Revenue Support. Freight subsidy paid to customers.
CoCoSigTSI Command, Control & Signalling TSI. The TSI for ERTMS
COSS - Controller Of Site Safety. - Submitted by Stephen Bates 20/09/2005.
CP - Control Period - The five years for which track access charges are set under an ACR
CP1 1996-2001
CP2 2001-2006, but truncated by collapse of Railtrack
CP3 2004-2009 following ACR 2003
CP4 - 2009-2014
CSR - Comprehensive Spending Review. The Treasury's zero-base review of public expenditure to be published in 2007. First one was in 1997.
CSR Cab Secure Radio
CTC - Centralised Train Control
CTRL Channel Tunnel Rail Link
CTRL-DS Channel Tunnel Rail Link Domestic Service/Stock; Hitachi Class 395 EMU
CUP Capacity Utilisation Policy. Used by SRA, may be archaic.
CWR Continuously Welded Rail
DBFT Design, Build, Finance Transfer. Infrastructure projects are funded and implemented by a private sector organisation before being transferred to another body. For example, under the Chiltern Lines Evergreen 2 DBFT, the completed scheme will be bought by Network Rail
DBOM Design, Build, Operate, Maintain. The original DBOM was Phase 1 of Manchester Metrolink where a consortium built the system and then had a concession to maintain and operate the system. Now largely obsolete.
DBSO - Driving Brake Second Open - the driving coaches used for Glasgow - Edinburgh and later East Anglia push-pull trains. - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
DDA - Disability Discrimination Act
DfT - Department for Transport
DIP Debt Issuance Programme. Network Rail's debt raising activity
DOO = Driver Only Operated (Operation?)
DRA Driver's Reminder Appliance. Device in cab deigned to prevent SPADs after station stops
DPPP - Disabled People's Protection Policy
DPTAC - Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee - say it Diptack (part of DfT)
DLR - Docklands Light Railway
DMU Diesel Multiple Unit
DEMU Diesel Electric Multiple unit - with electric transmission
DRC - Disability Rights Commission
DRS - Direct Rail Services - how could I have missed them?? Preservers of fine EE products!! - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
DVD Driver's Vigilance Device. Usually a foot pedal, has function of old fashioned dead man's handle
DVT - Driving Van Trailer - as used on East and West Coast push-pull inter-city electric trains. - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
EARL Edinburgh Airport Rail link
EC4T - Electric Current For Traction
ECML - East Coast Main Line
ECO - Electrical Control Operator. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
ECS =Empty Coaching Stock
EDS Early Deployment Scheme trial installation of ERTMS on Cambrian Lines. Development contract let to Ansaldo.
EE English Electric
ELL East London Line
EMC - Electro-Magnetic Compatibility Submitted by John Ewing 16/10/05.
EMI - Electro-Magnetic Interference Submitted by John Ewing 16/10/05.
EMU - Electric Multiple Unit Submitted by David Johnson 06/09/07.
EoI - Expression of Interest
EP Electro-Pneumatics
ERA European Railways Agency
ERA - Express Rail Alliance, the consortium set up by Bombardier, Siemens, Angel Trains and Babcock & Brown to bid for the IEP
ERRI European Railway Research Institute
ES - Engineering Supervisor (in possessions) Submitted by Dave Coxon 21/12/05..
ESI Electricity Supply Industry
ERTMS - European Rail Traffic Management System
ETCS - European Train Control System. The signalling component of ERTMS.
ETML - European Traffic Management Layer the operations management level within ERTMS. Its function is to optimise train movements by the intelligent interpretation of timetable and train running data. In effect an enhanced form of Automatic Route Setting.
EWS - English Welsh & Scottish Railway
FAST Track - Facility for Accelerated Service Testing ( Was initially going to be called Facility for Accelerated Rail Testing!). Submitted by John Ewing 16/10/05.
FCR2001- Freight charges review 2001
FDM - Frequency Division Multiplexing - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
FFG Freight Facilities Grant
FGW - First Great Western
FHH - Freightliner Heavy Haul
FIM- Financial indemnity mechanism
FOC - Freight Operating Company
FRPS - Fares and Retail Publications Service. This is a completely new system implemented i in October 2005 which enables TOCs to update the various retail manuals over the internet using a Content Management system supplied by The Stationery Office. This is a new contract and replaces the previous manual system operated by Atos Origin.
FTN Fixed Telecom Network (Network Rail)
FWIs- Passenger and public fatalities and weighted injuries
GADEROS - GAlileo DEmonstrator for Railway Operation System EU evaluation of satellite navigation for train detection
GAMAB - Globalement Au Moins Aussi Bon: ( globally at least as good) . Use by the french in preference to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practical). GAMAB as sumes that there is already an acceptable' solution and requires that any new solution shall in total be at least as good. Submitted by John Wood 15/06/07
Garl
GBRf - GB Railfreight - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
GCC - Gauge Corner Cracking (see also RFF)
GCR - Grand Central Railway - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
GEML = Great Eastern Main Line (still not sure if we have 'one')
GEOGIS - Geography and Infrastructure System - BR system used for track condition monitoring. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
GPRS General Packet Radio Service
GPS Global Positioning system
GRIP Guide to Railway Investment Projects. Network Rail's staged process for evaluating financial viability of projects. It has eight levels :
1 = Output definition
2 = Pre-feasibility
3 = Option selection
4 = Single option development
5 = Detailed design
6 = Construction, testing & commissioning
7 = Scheme handback
8= Project close out
Network Rail won't commit and cost a project until it is at level 5
GTO - Gate Turn-Off Thyristors (old hat, see IGBT - but still
used) - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
GSM-R Global System for Mobile Communications Rail. Used to transmit signalling data to trains under ERTMS Level 2.
GSW Glasgow & South Western. Route needed to be upgraded to handle increasing Scottish coal traffic to Yorkshire power stations
GUHS - the "Get You Home Switch". Designed into control systems to by-pass all the fancy electronic systems, so that when they failed
the GUHS could get you going again safely on relay logic. - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
GWML Great Western Main line
HABD - hot axle box detector - Submitted by Roger Burnett 21/11/06
HLOS High Level Output Specification the Government's specification of the railway service it requires under the new Periodic Review process.
HMRI - Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate. Transferred from HSE to ORR under 2005 Railway Act.
HNRC - Harry Needle Railroad Company locomotive operator
HPSA - High Performance Switch Actuator - the point motor on a CEN60 set of S&C. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
HPSS - High Performance Switch System - the HPSA plus the torsional backdrive, comprising the whole switch system for CEN60 S&C. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
HSCB - High Speed Circuit Breaker. Used on most electric rolling stock as primary overload protection from DC supplied trains. Has even
replaced good old shoe fuses on some third-rail rolling stock!! - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
HSE - Health & Safety Executive
HSDT High Speed Diesel Train the Prototype HST which rolled out in 1972.
HST Production HSDT, branded by InterCity as IC125
HST2 now obsolete shorthand for replacement for IC125. See IEP
IBJ Insulated Block Joint
ICE - Institution Civil Engineers. Submitted by Carolyn Dougherty 21/06/07
ICEC - Intercity East Coast - the name of the franchise operated by GNER
ICMU - Interference Current Monitor Unit (see also ICU) - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
ICM- Infrastructure cost model
IDC - Inter Disciplinarily Check. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
IDR - Inter Disciplinarily Review. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
IECC - Integrated Electronic Control Centre - original glass signalbox developed by BR Research and now standard on Network Rail following failure of NMC
IEE- Institution of Electrical Engineers. Submitted by Dave Coxon on 21/12/05.
IEP- Intercity express programme. IEP add; Was HST2. Now covers both diesel and electric trains using a standard 26m long coach and distributed traction.
IET - Institution of Engineering and Technology. This was formed by the merger of the IEE and IIE, already in your list. - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
IIE - Institution of Incorporated Engineers. Submitted by Dave Coxon on 21/12/05.
IKF - Integrated Kent Franchise
IMC Infrastructure Maintenance company
IRSE - Institution of Railway Signal Engineers
IGBT - Integrated Gate Bipolar Transistor - basic power switching device in modern three phase drives
IMechE - Institution of Mechanical Engineers
IMU - Interference Monitor Unit (see also ICMU) - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
IRF - Industry Risk Fund
IRO - Institute of Railway Operators - Submitted by John Campbell 13/11/06
ISBP - Initial Strategic Business Plan (Network Rail)
ISG- Network Code industry steering group
ITSO - Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation
ITT Invitation to Tender
IVV - Independent Validation & Verification
IWA - Individual Working alone. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
JPIP Joint Performance Improvement Plan (pronounced Jay-pip)
KDR - Key Diversionary Route. This is a route defined by N etwork R ail as the KDR for a mainline closure which allows a realistic timetable to be operated , In the case of the W est Coast Route Modernisation Stoke-Kidsgrove was electrified to ensure that th is KDR was us able by electric traction
KPI- Key performance indicator
LAWS - Low Adhesion Warning System. Detects severe slip/slide and radios information to control centre which broadcasts information on low adhesion locations to other trains.
LED - Light Emitting Diode used in signals and passenger information displays
LENNON Latest Earnings Networked Nationally OverNight Part of RSP suite of systems
LKT - Abbreviation for Lookout. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
LOC - Location (Equipment) Case - for signalling equipment
LRV - Light Rail Vehicle
LTF - Low Track Force - a type of bogie
LTP Local Transport Plan
MARA Master Availability and Reliability Agreement. The contract between DfT Rail and the Train Service Provider for IEP
MENTOR Mobile Electrical Network Testing Observation and Recording test train for OHLE
MFAS Modern Facilities at Stations An SRA funded programme to upgrade 67 stations
MIMS Mincon Information Management System used by Network Rail to manage infrastructure
MIP- Management incentive plan
MMI Man Machine Interface cab control panel for ETCS
MML - Midland Main Line
MMURTU - Manchester Metropolitan University Rail Technology Unit
MOIRA - Model of Inter-Regional Activity. It is used for a range of tasks associated with demand elasticities for specific passenger traffic flows
MOLA Master Operating Lease Agreement. The lease terms which applied to the British Rail traction and rolling stock bought by the Rolling Stock Companies at privatisation. The lease between ROSCOs and TOCs.
MPV Multi Purpose Vehicle self propelled vehicle used during track work and to carry water jetting and other adhesion improving equipment during leaf fall.
MSA - Manufacturing & Supply Agreement. The agreement with the supplier for supply of the new trains themselves, often linked to a TSA or TSSSA.
MUC Minimum Usage Charge. Paid by Government to Eurotunnel for Eurostar and EWS International Freight services. Payments ended November 2006
MTRC - Mass Transit Railway Corporation Hong Kong.
NEPTUNE - developed in 1965 as a computer on a Matisa track recording trolley, and was derived from North eastern Electronic Peak Tracing Unit and Numerical Evaluator. Submitted by Andrew Dow 20/04/06.
NFRIP National Fleet Reliability Improvement Programme
NICS Non Intrusive Crossing System. Allows turnouts to be installed without a break in the running rails.
NIR National Incident Reporting
NMC - Network Management Centre - signalling control centre using TBS proposed by Railtrack Nine NMC would have controlled the whole UK rail network. One built for southern end of WCML. Abandoned 2004 after over £100 million had been spent
NMP New Maintenance Programme
NMS Network Management Statement
NMT New Maintenance Train. Yellow IC125 operated by the Network Rail Chief Engineer. Carries a wide range of track inspection equipment.
NPCCS= Non Passenger Carrying Coaching Stock
NoBo Notified Body. Consultancy that handles Vehicle Acceptance and related issues under European Community Interoperability Directives including checking compliance with TSI.
NoL - North of London (Regional Eurostar set)
NMF- Network modelling framework
NMT - New Measurement Train
NNTRs - Notified National Technical Rules National specifications, such as UK loading gauges, where TSI cannot apply
NPS National Passenger Survey
NPV - Net Present Value
NRDF - Network Rail Discretionary Fund £ 200 million of funding for small enhancements
NRFF -Network Rail Fee Fund
NRN - National Radio Network. Submitted by Dave Coxon 21/12/05.
NRS - National Railway Supplies
NRS - National Reservation Service. This replaced CRS on 25 th December 2004 .
NSFG National SPAD Focus Group
NSKT = No Signalman Key Token (as on the Exeter - Barnstaple Tarka Line)
ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
ODR - Occasional Diversionary Routes (for example Settle-Carlisle). See also KDR
OHLE Over Head Line Equipment
OJEU Official Journal of the European Union. Where utilities and government bodies have to advertise contracts.
OMR Operations, Maintenance & Renewal (usually applied to Network Rail expenditure)
OOC - Old Oak Common. Submitted by Dave Coxon 21/12/05.
OPEX Operating Expenditure. Usually Network Rail
ORCATS - O perational R esearch C omputer A llocation of T ickets to S ervice s. Allocates revenue between train operators on common routes.
ORR- Office of Rail Regulation. Originally Office of the Rail Regulator.
OTMR On Train Monitoring and Recording the railway equivalent of aviation's black box'.
PETS = Public Emergency Telephone Systems (at Level Crossings)
PFI - Private Finance Initiative
PICOP Person In Charge Of Possession
PICOW - Person in Charge of Work - (Long since superseded by COSS, but still incorrectly used by some staff). Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
PIN - Prior Information Notice. First stage of contract announcement in OJEU
PIS - Passenger Information System
PIXC Passengers In Excess of Capacity. A measure of overcrowding. Say it Pixie.
PORTIS - Portable Ticket Issuing Machine companion to APTIS
PfPI Process for Performance Improvement
PQQ - Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. Submitted by Carolyn Dougherty 21/06/07.
PSR - Passenger Service Requirement. Minimum level of services in franchise agreements.
PPM - Public Performance Measure
PPP - Public Private Partnership - London Underground Privatisation
PR2000- Periodic review 2000
PR2008 Periodic Review 2008. The next ACR seating access charges for CP4 from April 2009. It is termed Periodic Review because it covers the costs of the whole railway. Also PR08.
PRESTIGE - Procurement of Revenue Services, Ticketing, Information, Gates and Electronics - better known as Oyster
PTE/A Passenger Transport Executive/Authority
PTS - Personal Track Safety, as in the Sentinel Competency Card held by those working on or near the line. Submitted by Alan Browning 22/11/2005.
PTT - the Perturbed Test Track.
PTT = Passenger Timetables -still in common use. I'm still waiting for the DfT's IPT (Internet Passenger Timetable)
PUG1 - Passenger Upgrade 1 - the original contract between OPRAF and Railtrack for the 125mile/hr up-grade of the WCML
PUG2 - the contract between Virgin and Railtrack extending PUG1 for 140mile/h running
PZT - Point Zone Telephone. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 15/12/05.
RAB - Regulatory Asset Base - the notional value of Network Rail's assets used to calculate the return which is paid through track Access Charges
RAIB Rail Accident Investigation Branch
RAM - Reliability, Availability, Maintainability
RCF - Rolling Contact Fatigue. Metal fatigue of the rail head generated as wheel pass. See also GCC. Cause of Hatfield derailment
RCH - Railway Clearing House. A company set up mainly for settling fares and inter-operating standards between railways pre-nationalisation. The acronym survives in use through the "RCH jumper" fitted to loco-hauled coaches, a two-pin lighting control wire. This jumper is the one which was used to provide multiplexed signals to drive the DBSO on Glasgow-Edinburgh and later London-Norwich push-pull trains - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
RETB Radio Electronic Token Block -
RFF - Reseau Ferre de France - the French equivalent of Network Rail
RFG - Rail Freight Group
RHTT - Rail Head Treatment Train. Either an MPV or a set of wagons top & Tail between to locomotives used to apply Sandite and/or water jets to combat leaf fall. Submitted by Stephen Bates 05/12/05.
RIA -Railway Industry Association
RIMINI RIsk MINImisation protocol for managing possessions safely
RISAS Railway Industry Supply Approval Scheme
RJIS - Rail Journey Information Service. Provides integrated timetable and fares information to sales staff.
RMT - National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers. Submitted by Bob Poynter 19/06/06.
ROSCO - Rolling Stock Company Angel Trains Porterbrook and HSBC Rail.
ROSE -Reliability Centred Maintenance for Signalling Equipment. This is the generic name for a number of initiatives and pilot schemes NR aimed at changing the frequency and specification of maintenance work. Don't ask me where the 'O' comes from!
RPC - Rail Passengers Council
RPA Regional Planning Assessment
ROGS Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations . Replaced ROTS in 2006.
ROTP Rules Of The Plan
ROTR - Rules Of The Route
ROTS Railways and Other Transport Systems Regulations 1994. To be replaced by ROGS
RPG Regional Planning guidance.
RPP - Rail Passenger Partnership. SRA funding scheme
RRUK Rail Research UK Based at Birmingham University
RSA - Railway Study Association
RSAB Rolling Stock Acceptance Board
RSP Rail Settlement Plan An ATOC function responsible for coordinating ticket sales, fares and allocating revenue among TOCs
RSSB - Railway Safety & Standards Board
RSWLCM - R olling S tock W hole L ife C ost M odel. This will be used in the IEP assessment. Submitted by John Wood 15/06/07
RTC - Railway Technical Centre . The former British Rail Research facility at Derby. Submitted by Dave Coxon 21/12/05.
RTS - Rail Technical Strategy (supports the HLOS and railways White Paper).RT1A Original Railtrack contracts with maintenance contractors (archaic)
RUS - Route Utilisation Strategy
RVAR - Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulation
S&C Switch & Crossing or Settle & Carlisle
SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
SCID - Safety Critical ID Card. Submitted by Stephen Bates 05/12/05.
SE - Scottish Executive (the government - they don't bother much with departments). Submitted by Christian Schmidt 20/03/06.
SDO Selective Door Operation
SET South Eastern Trains
SEU Signalling Equivalent Unit a point end, signal head etc. Used as an indicator of signalling costs
SICA Signalling Infrastructure Condition Assessment. A database tool for monitoring the condition of signalling, as opposed to subjective engineering inspection
SFO - Station Facility Owner
SLC - Service Level Commitment
SMTH - Signal Maintenance Testing Handbook. This refers to a procedural document and associated competence for NR Signalling Engineers, used to test signalling equipment after renewal or other works that may have affected them. Submitted by Philip Holbourn 29/05/07
SNRP - Statement of National Regulatory Provisions - a feature of European operator licensing.
SNWPT Signalling New Works Production Team Network Rail's significant risk Network Rail's in-house design and scheme development organisation. Pronounced Snowpot - Became STPE in 2003 reorganisation.
SoFA Statement of Funds Available. Part of Periodic Review Process.
SOY SPAD Starting Off Yellow SPAD
SPAD - Signal Passed At Danger
SPADRAM - SPAD Remediation And Mitigation
SPT Signal Post Telephone
SPV Special Purpose Vehicle a private sector entity set up to fund a railway infrastructure enhancement project.
SPV - Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle the only example of an SPV involving investment in hardware.
STPE - Signalling & Telecom Programme Engineering. Successor to SNWPT since 2003 reorganisation
SQUIRE - Service Quality Incentive Regime
SRNTP Southern Region New Trains Programme. Overall programme to replace Mk 1 stock and strengthen power supply (see SRPSU)
SRPSU Southern Region Power Supply Upgrade
SRA - Strategic Rail Authority - wound up and functions transferred to DfT or ORR August 2005.
sSRA - Shadow SRA from July 1999 until it obtained its formal powers in January 2001
SSI - Solid State Interlocking - the original CBI developed by BR Research and commercially exploited by Alstom and Westinghouse
SSL - Sub-Surface Line -London Underground. Circle, Metropolitan and District. as opposed to deep Tube . These lines were originally built by 'cut-and-cover'.
SWT South West Trains
T-12 - requirement for Network Rail to provide timetable information on engineering work 12 weeks in advance.
T2000 - Thameslink 2000
TAG Track Access Grant
TAPAS - Train Automatic Performance Analysis System. A remote condition based mainenance system which exploits data produced routinely by trains TRAC Acronym of the Year Award 2007
TARA - Train Availability and Reliability Agreement. The contract for IEP between the Train Operator and the Train Service Provider
TASS - Tilt Authorisation & Speed Supervision. Submitted by Dave Coxon on 21/12/05.
TBS - Transmission Based Signalling - where lineside signals are replaced by signal information transmitted to the train by radio for display in the cab
TDM - Time Division Multiplex. Submitted by Dave Coxon on 21/12/05.
TEN Trans European Network. The network of high speed lines defined by the European Community
TBTCS Transmission-Based Train Control System, Same as TBS
TESCO - Train Engineering Service Company (archaic - privatisation designation for BR's business engineering organisations.
TfL - Transport for London
TIE Transport Initiative Edinburgh . Responsible for EARL
TIS Ticket Issuing System
TMS - Train Management System. On board computer system which monitors equipment performance and provides information to the driver.
TOC - Train Operating Company
TOPS Total Operations Processing System. The Southern Pacific system adopted by BR which keeps track of all traction and rolling stock.
TP = Track Paralleling - Submitted by TP Akeem Alli
TPE - Trans-Pennine Express - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
TPWS - Train Protection & Warning System.
TPWS+ - enhanced version of TPWS for 100mile/h lines
TRUST Train Running System on Tops. Monitors trains as they pass reporting points against the schedule
TS - Transport Scotland (actually sort of joint SRA & Highways Agency). Submitted by Christian Schmidt 20/03/06.
TSA - Train Supply Agreement. An agreement for the supply to a TOC of a specific number of fully maintained trains at specific locations and times for service. Submitted by Chris Mason 17/11/09.
TSAG - Technical Strategy Advisory Group
TSDB Train Service Data Base
TSI Technical Specification for Interoperability. European standard.
TSP - Train Service Provider. Current usage refers to IEP where TSP will provide funding, new trains, maintenance and depots over a 30-35 year contract period.
TSSA - Transport Salaried Staff's Association. Submitted by Bob Poyter 19/06/06.
TSSSA - Technical Support & Spares Supply Agreement. Where the operator maintains a new fleet a TSSSA may be in place with the train supplier to provide , component warranty/overhaul, performance and reliability engineering, and other general technical support for more complex issues. Usually facilitated through a small depot presence. Submitted by Chris Mason 17/11/09.
T-SPA Track Strategic Planning Application pronounced tee-spar
TSR Temporary Speed Restriction
TSSC - Ticketing and Settlement Scheme Council. This is the governing body of Rail Settlement Plan (RSP)
TTC - Transportation Technology Center -- the Federally-owned facility on the prairie that is operated under contract by (and lends it name to) TTCI. (TTC was once the Transportation Test Center, but times change.) Submitted by John Ewing 16/10/05.
TTCI Tranportation Technology Center Inc - Research arm of the Association of American Railroads
TWA Transport & Works Act.
UAT -Universal Access Toilet (what everyone except the politically correct refers to as the Disabled Toilet.) Submitted by Dave Billmore 19/02/07.
UAT -Ultrasonic Axle Testing (Guaranteed to cause confusion with UAT above). Submitted by Dave Billmore 19/02/07.
UIC - International Union of Railways. Submitted by Bob Poynter 19/06/06.
UIC = Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer - as in UIC brake pads fitted to Mk3's
UNISIG European signalling manufacturers group for ERTMS
VCB - Vacuum Circuit Breaker - that pottery "thingy" on the roof of AC loco's and rolling stock. - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
VCC Virgin Cross Country
VLU - Victoria Line Upgrade.
VPIS - Visual Passenger Information System (more accurate description of PIS!!) - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
VRAC - Vehicle and Route Acceptance Contract. A contract devised for the Virgin Pendolino contract which required Railtrack (subsequently Network Rail) to specify infrastructre standards to which the trains would be built. This meant that in the event of incompatibility problems between train and infrastructure emerging it was Railtrack's responsibility to alter the infrastructure. Without a VRAC the train operator would be responsible for making the train compliant. The value of VRAC was demonstrated by the different treatment of Pendolino and the Scotrail Class 334 Alstom EMUs which have identical traction equipment. To deal with a common technical issue VRAC required Railtrack to fit resonance dampers to the power supply along the WCML. Without VRAC, Scotail had to fit heavy resonance dampers to the Class 334 fleet. Pronounced Veerack.
V/ TISM - V ehicle / T rack I nteraction S trategic M ode (say it vee-tizem l. Submitted by John Wood 15/06/07
VVVF - Variable Voltage Variable Frequency - fancy Japanese name for three phase drive
VWC Virgin West Coast
VXC - Virgin Cross Country (not another name for VWC!!) - Submitted by Garry Brookes 06/07/06
V/Comm SIC - Vehicle/Communications System Interface Committee
V/S SIC - Vehicle/structures System Interface Committee
V/T SIC - Vehicle/Track System Interface Committee
V/TC SIC - Vehicle/train Control System Interface Committee
V/TS - Vehicle/Traction Supply System Interface Committee
V/V SIC - Vehicle/Vehicle System Interface Committee
VTSIM Vehicle/Track Interface Strategic Model
WAG Welsh Assembly Government
WARM West Anglia route Modernisation
WCML - West Coast Main Line
WCRM - West Coast Route Modernisation
WLRM Whole life Rail model
WSF - Wrong Side Failure - usually of signalling
WSP = Wheel Slip Prevention
WTT = Working Timetables,