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Glossary
Browse the A-Z below for some rail-specific terms that are used in this website, together with their meanings.
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LAU

Local Authority Unit
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Level 2 exceedence

A discrete fault in the alignment, level or gauge of the track, which requires corrective action within defined timescales.

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Level crossing failure

An incident where a level crossing has developed a fault sufficiently serious for its effective and safe operation to be compromised.

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Light maintenance services

“Light maintenance services” are defined in section 82(2) of the Railways Act 1993 as services of any of the following descriptions:
(a) the refuelling, or the cleaning of the exterior, of locomotives or other rolling stock;
(b) the carrying out to locomotives or other rolling stock of maintenance work of a kind which is normally carried out at regular intervals of twelve months or less to prepare the locomotives or other rolling stock for service.
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Lineside structure defect

An incident where a lineside structure has developed a fault affecting its effective operation or the operation of the railway. Such structures include signal gantries and fences.

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LMD

Section 83(1) of the Railways Act 1993 defines “light maintenance depot” as follows:
“any land or other property which is normally used for or in connection with the provision of light maintenance services, whether or not it is also used for other purposes”.

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LOC

Local Output Commitment : Network Rail’s contractual operational commitments to a TOC to reach certain performance levels. The levels are set so that a breach occurs where there is exceptionally poor performance by Network Rail and for which the usual compensation provisions set under Schedules 4 and 8 would not be adequate.  A failure to achieve a LOC constitutes a breach of contract and the TOC can request a Performance Order (see below). 



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Locomotive

Section 83(1) of the Railways Act 1993 defines “locomotive” as follows:
“any railway vehicle which has the capacity for self-propulsion (whether or not the power by which it operates is derived from a source external to the vehicle)”.

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LUL

London Underground Ltd
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