11. Glossary

Catenary

An overhead contact line consists of one or two copper wires (pure or sometimes alloyed) used to supply power to trains equipped with overhead current collectors, and suspended by support cables attached to towers

Eurostat

Directorate-General of the European Commission responsible for Community-level statistical information

Railway loading gauge

Transverse profile of a rail vehicle; a distinction is made between the static gauge (vehicle at rest) and the dynamic gauge (vehicle in motion)

Track ; Train path

The capacity of the rail infrastructure to run a given train from one point to another during a given period