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Railway and tramway terminology in Europe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following tables list railway and tramway terminology as used in different European languages. Included are English, German, Polish, Hungarian, French and Italian.

Types of rail/cable transport service

[edit]
UK English/
other
non-US English
US English German Polish Hungarian French Italian Description
railway railroad Eisenbahn kolej vasút,
vaspálya
(archaic)
chemin de fer ferrovia transport on rails
mountain railway mountain railroad Gebirgsbahn kolej górska hegyi vasút railways on mountainous terrain
rack railway,
rack-and-pinion railway,
cog railway
rack railroad Zahnradbahn fogaskerekű vasút ferrovia a cremagliera railways assisted by
a rack-and-pinion system
cable railway cable railroad
funicular,
cliff railway
funicular Standseilbahn funikular siklóvasút,
sikló
funiculaire funicolare
tram,
tramway
streetcar,
trolley
Straßenbahn,
Trambahn
tramwaj villamos,
tramway
(archaic)
tramway,
tram
tram urban railways
underground,
tube,
metro
subway,
metro
U-bahn,
Untergrundbahn,
Metro
metro metró,
földalatti
vasút
(archaic)
métro metropolitana underground rail rapid transit
S-bahn gyorsvillamos overground rail rapid transit
Tram-Train
regional railway helyi érdekű vasút,
HÉV
aerial tramway cable car Pendelbahn drótkötélpályás felvonó,
felvonó
téléphérique
aerial lift aerial lift
gondola lift
Seilbahn kábelvasút, kötélvasút
chairlift chairlift

Vehicles

[edit]
UK English/
other
non-US English
US English German Polish Hungarian French Italian Description
train train Zug pociąg vonat train treno group of coupled railway vehicles
formation,
rake,[a]
set,[b]
unit[c]
consist,
trainset
vonat-
összeállítás
specific grouping (configuration)
of coupled railway vehicles
Rollmaterial vasúti
jármű
railway vehicle
Triebfahrzeug
(Tfz.)
vasúti
vontatójármű
powered railway vehicle
locomotive
(loco),
engine
locomotive
(loco),
engine
Lokomotive
(Lok)
lokomotywa mozdony,
lokomotív
(archaic)
locomotive locomotiva powered railway vehicle
without a passenger compartment
A unit,
mother
multiple unit locomotive
capable of controlling (and powering)
a B unit or a slug
B unit,
booster unit,
cabless,
slave
cabless multiple unit locomotive
capable of being controlled by an A unit
slug cabless, remotely powered multiple unit
railway vehicle capable of being powered
and controlled by an A unit
shunter (UK/AU),
shunting engine,
yard pilot (AU)
switcher,
switch engine,
yard goat
tolatómozdony locomotive intended for
moving other rolling stock (shunting)
on railway shunting yards
road switcher locomotive intended both for
moving other rolling stock (shunting)
on railway shunting yards and for acting as
a regular locomotive outside shunting yards
multiple unit
(MU)
multiple unit
(MU)
railway vehicle capable of
controlling (and powering)
another railway vehicle
power car power car Triebkopf hajtófej
trainset Triebzug motorvonat
motor coach,
railcar/railmotor
(non-pulling vehicle)
motorcar,
railmotor,
motor,
box motor,
doodlebug
(non-pulling vehicle)
Triebwagen motorkocsi autorail automotrice powered railway vehicle
with a passenger compartment
Gepäcktriebwagen poggyászmotorkocsi motor coach with a luggage compartment
control car,
control trailer,
driving trailer,
driving van
trailer (DVT)
cab car Steuerwagen wagon
sterowniczy,
wagon
rozrządczy
vezérlőkocsi
generator car,
generator van
head end
power car

(HEP car),
power car
fűtőkocsi
brake van,
guard's van
caboose fékezőkocsi
travelling post office
(TPO)
railway post office
(RPO)
postakocsi
railway carriage railroad car,
railcar
vasúti kocsi
railway coach,
railway car
passenger car személykocsi
goods wagon,
freight wagon
goods car,
freight car
teherkocsi,
tehervagon, vagon
boxcar teherkocsi,
tehervagon
flatcar pőrekocsi
refrigerated van,
refrigerated wagon
refrigerator car,
reefer
hűtőkocsi,
hűtővagon
tank wagon,
tanker wagon
tank car tartálykocsi
railbus Schienenautobus,
Schienenbus
autobus szynowy,
szynobus
sínautóbusz,
sínbusz
autocar sur
rails
autobus su
rotaia
Straßenbahnzug villamosszerelvény
tramcar streetcar,
trolley car
villamoskocsi
tram engine tramway
(archaic)
underground
car
subway car metrókocsi
articulated
motor coach
Gelenktriebwagen csuklós
motorkocsi
articulated motor coach
trailer Beiwagen,
Anhanger
pótkocsi,
pót
unpowered, towed tram vehicle
Triebbeiwagen,
geführter
Triebwagen
motorpótkocsi,
motorpót

See also

[edit]

References and notes

[edit]
  1. ^ for carriages
  2. ^ when permanently or semipermanently coupled
  3. ^ when permanently or semipermanently coupled