Operation (railway)
In the railway sector, a distinction is made between the two terms operation and traffic .
In the context of a railway company, operation is the business area that deals with the implementation of railway journeys. This includes the provision of vehicles and vehicle personnel, the provision of timetable routes and the technical handling of train journeys .
Under railway law, two different companies or types of company can be involved in the operation. The railway infrastructure company (EIU) provides train paths, track systems and safety systems, while the railway company (EVU) carries out the train journey itself.
Operating performance
The concept of operational performance is closely related to operation . It describes the product of the number of operating units moved - such as trains, train units, wagons or seats - and the distance covered. The operating power is a measure of the extent of transport services, whereas the traffic capacity describes the extent to which actually takes place persons or goods transport. The quotient of traffic and operating performance is thus a measure of the utilization of the mode of transport.
Important parameters of the operating performance are, for example, train kilometers (Zkm), vehicle kilometers (Vzgkm) and (seat) space kilometers.