Common Railroad Terms and Acronyms

Bond
Certificate of debt issued by a government or corporation.

Brownfield
Commercial or industrial site that has real or perceived contamination.

Building trains
Assembling sorted cars in proper sequence for outbound departure.

Bulk train
A train made up of a single "bulk" commodity and car type.

Business incentives
Financial, tax, and technical assistance for business expansion/location.

Certified site
An industrial site certified through the Iowa Economic Development Authority, ready for quick development.

Chassis
Wheeled frame that moves intermodal containers on highways.

COFC (Container on Flatcar)
A container transported on a rail flatcar.

Containers
20‑ or 40‑foot international containers leased or owned by ocean carriers.

Cross dock
Facility unloading from truck or rail into another outbound mode with little/no storage.

Cross overs
Track that joins two main line tracks.

Drayage
Short‑distance trucking at the beginning/end of an intermodal move.

First mile
Movement of goods from the origin to a freight hub.

Hazmat
Hazardous material that can corrode, explode, ignite, or create fumes.

Hot shot
A high‑priority train.

Hump yard
A yard where rail cars are sorted via gravity.

Industrial park
A business development area that may or may not be rail‑served.

Intermodal
Transportation involving both rail and truck.

Intermodal terminal
Terminal for container transfer between trains and trucks.

Last mile
Movement from distribution node to the end user.

Location assistance
IEDA’s database of available buildings and sites.

Logistics
Managing movement of goods from origin to consumption.

Long‑haul trucking
Truck transport beyond a 250‑mile radius.

Loop track
Circular/oval track used to load, unload, or store unit trains.

Mainline
A principal railroad artery.

Manifest train
Train made up of mixed car types.

Passing track
A track that allows one train to pass another.

Power
Another term for locomotive.

Rail park
Industrial park served by rail.

Railroad class
Railroad classification system (Class I, II, III).

Reefer
Refrigerated railcar.

Revenue bond
Bond backed by revenue from a specific project.

Run‑through
Point‑to‑point train movement without scheduled stops for adding/removing cars.

Shortline railroad
Railroad under ~100 miles that originates/terminates freight.

Shuttle train
50–55 cars loaded at one location and bound for the same destination.

Siding
Auxiliary track connected at both ends to the main track.

Special assessment district
Area taxed differently from the surrounding jurisdiction.

Spur track / stub in
Short dead‑end track to access facilities or store equipment.

Switching
Moving cars between tracks or positions.

Switching railroad
Shortline railroad focused on switching for other carriers.

Sustainable development
Development that preserves natural resources

Tare
Weight of the empty container itself.

Team track
Track open for public freight loading/unloading.

Terminal
Railroad facility for freight handling and train assembly.

TOFC (Trailer on Flatcar)
Semitruck trailer transported on a flatcar.

Ton‑mile
Movement of one ton of freight one mile.

Trackage rights
One carrier's right to use another's track.

Transload facility
Facility transferring freight between truck and rail.

Turnout
Track arrangement enabling a diverging movement.

Unit train
100–130 cars loaded at the same point and destined for the same point.

Yard
System of auxiliary tracks for classification, assembly, storage, and repair.

3PL
Third‑party logistics company.

AAR
Association of American Railroads.

ASLRRA
American Short Line and Regional Rail Association.

CDC (Community Development Corporation)
A nonprofit focused on community development.

IANA
Intermodal Association of North America.

IEDA
Iowa Economic Development Authority.

LCL
Less‑than‑carload freight.

LTL
Less‑than‑truckload freight.