GLOSSARY
To access the lexicon of high-speed rail
German rail network renovated or reconfigured for the operation of high-speed trains.
high-speed Amtrak rail service (150 mph, or 241 km/h), operating along the Northeast Corridor of the United States.
High-speed Spanish rail.
a work or material lift destined to ensure level continuity for the passage of a rail track.
thick layer of hard gravel upon which track is laid. Able to bear heavy tonnage, it stabilises the sleepers and limits vibrations associated with the passage of trains.
number of trains that the line is able to put into operation during a given time period.
Spanish manufacturer of high-speed trains.
All of the aerial cables that provide electric supply to trains, metros and tramways, via the pantograph.
Chinese high-speed train.
Italian high-speed line with a more direct route than its predecessors.
motorised vehicle entering into the composition of self-propelled vehicle, replacing the locomotive used by conventional trains.
System that allows for data transfer from the train to ground, to manage signalisation, automatic spacing of trains, and speed control.
excavation practiced for the construction of a rail line, represented by two slopes.
service in charge of the operation and formation of trains, as well as trade relations.
distance between the parallel rails that constitute the track. The standard gauge of 1,435 mm was adopted on most high-speed lines already built, including in Japan, Spain, and Taiwan, where the conventional network does not correspond to standard gauge.
a rail bridge that straddles another rail track to avoid level crossings.
German high-speed train.
fixed installations: platform, track, earthworks (excavations, embankments), engineering structures (bridges, viaducts, etc.)
successive utilisation of various individual or collective modes of transports: rail, road, urban transport (cars, tramways) or bicycles.
the ability of trains to operate on different rail networks, and their capacity to adapt electric tension, gauge, and the specificities of different network
South Korean high-speed train.
high-speed line.
rail axis that includes one or more tracks.
ensures the spacing of trains running on the same track, through the use of light signals or panels installed next to the track. In high-speed, trains run too fast for drivers to be able to read lateral signalisation, which was replaced by cabin signalisation (TVM, ERTMS…).
German new rail line, built for the operation of high-speed trains.
The corridor on the east coast of the US between the cities Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington.
Italian rail operator that competes with the “historic” FS Trenitalia company. NTV is the first open access operator of high-speed trains in Europe.
an articulated arm placed atop the power car (or locomotive on conventional trains), which provides electric power to the train by contact with a catenary.
natural or legal person who conceives and creates work for the project manager.
principle sponsor of the work, for whom the work is completed.
a rail bridge that allows a rail line to cross over an obstacle (road, waterway).
road bridge allowing a motorway to cross over an obstacle (railway, waterway).
the collection of vehicles designed to run along a rail track.
“major new line” in Japanese. Designates both the rail system and its high-speed train.
a concept that regroups the conception, creation, and management of transport modes that have a lesser impact upon the environment, and in particular low greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced use of space and raw materials.
a brand of the SNCF, or French national railways; as it is a brand, it cannot be used to describe all high-speed trains.
piece (generally in reinforced concrete, on high-speed lines) laid on top of the ballast, and upon which the track is laid. It also regulates the gauge distance between rails.
transmits information destined for TGV drivers on a French LGV. This system is also used on certain high-speed or high-volume networks, such as Eurotunnel (tunnel under the English Channel).
ensures the coherence between different countries of the world, as well as assuring good development and interoperability.
the ensemble of rails, sleepers, and ballast.
high-speed Turkish train (TCDD).
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