Compendium of Definitions and Acronyms for Rail Systems
APTA STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM APTA STD-ADMIN-GL-001-19 GUIDELINES First Published June 20, 2019 American Public Transportation Association 1300 I Street NW, 12th Floor East, Washington, DC, 20005 Compendium of Definitions and Acronyms for Rail Systems Abstract: This compendium was developed by the Technical Services & Innovation Department and published by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to provide a glossary of commonly used definitions and acronyms in documents such as standards, recommended practices, and guidelines, so there is consistency within the rail transportation industry. Summary: APTA, through its subsidiary the North American Transit Services Association (NATSA), develops standards, recommended practices and guidelines for the benefit of public rail transportation. These tasks are accomplished by working groups consisting of members from rail transit agencies, manufacturers, consultants, engineers and other interested groups. Through the development of these documents, working groups have created a wide array of terms and abbreviations, many with varying definitions. This compendium has been developed to standardize the usage of such definitions and acronyms as it relates to rail operations, maintenance practices, designs and specifications. This document is dynamic in nature in that, over time, additional definitions and acronyms will be included. It is APTA’s intention that the document be sufficiently expanded at some point in the future to provide common usage of terms encompassing all rail industry requirements. Scope and purpose: This compendium applies to all rail agencies that operate commuter rail, heavy rail (subway systems), light rail, streetcars, and trolleys. The usage of these definitions and acronyms are voluntary. Nevertheless, it is the desire of APTA that the rail industry apply these terms to all documents such as standards, recommended practices, standard operating practices, standard maintenance practices, rail agency policies and procedures, and agency rule books.
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