A train path is the infrastructure capacity needed to run a train between two places over a given time-period.Definition fro
Directive 2001/14/EC
Article 2 (l), of the European Parliament and of the Council Within the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...

, a train operator needs to purchase a train path from a rail infrastructure company to run a

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

on their tracks.

Overview

The number of rail paths available on a given railway line depends on a number of factors. The number of tracks and the type of signalling, specifically the number of blocks, are limits set by the actual infrastructure. A variable factor is the speed difference between trains. Optimal capacity is achieved when all trains run at the same speed. When that is not the case, faster trains will eventually catch up to slower trains, so trains have to be spaced much further apart to avoid interference.

Applications

Usually, train operators apply for train paths over a given period several months before the start of the period. After a deadline has passed, the rail infrastructure company uses all applications to create the working timetable. A number of rail infrastructure companies have defined different classes of train paths. More expensive classes are treated with priority during timetable construction and operation.

Delayed trains

If a train is delayed beyond a certain tolerance, it will "fall out" of its allocated train path. On congested lines, this will result in additional delays, as such a train is taken to passing sidings whenever that is necessary to let other trains pass.

Graphs

Train paths are usually shown on a time-distance graph, where time is shown horizontally, and distance (including a representation of the track layout) is shown vertically. Gothard2

References

Rail infrastructure Rail transport operations {{rail-transport-stub