What do you call it IN CANADA when you close the railway?

January 6, 2022 7:44 AM

In the UK when we need to close the railway for repairs or upgrades it's called a "possession". I'm wondering if the same term is used in Canada or if it's a different one.

For additional nerdy points do you know where I could find data about when and where such track closures might happen?

posted by Just this guy, y'know to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Best answer: The Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports that talk about "track units", e.g. this one, are probably a good source for this kind of terminology. It looks like the equivalent of a possession is a Rule 42 planned protection; a Rule 42 foreman is the same kind of role as a PICOP.
posted by offog at 9:39 AM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

If the question is "what is the technical inside-baseball term for this", I think offog's answer is the right track (ha ha). If the term "possession" is one that everyone and their dog knows in the UK and people without Railway Knowledge use it in casual conversation, and the question is what to "normal" Canadians call it -- there's no idiomatic term in Canada beyond "closed for repairs" or similar; speaking as a frequent transit user and train traveller (with no special railway knowledge).
posted by Shepherd at 5:31 PM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

"If the term "possession" is one that everyone and their dog knows in the UK and people without Railway Knowledge use it in casual conversation"

Data point of one, but this UK-ite has never heard of it
posted by Faff at 12:57 AM on January 7, 2022 [1 favorite]

Yes, "possession" is definitely railway jargon in the UK - I wouldn't expect most people to know the term.
posted by offog at 5:06 AM on January 7, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Possession is definitely railway jargon. It looks like "a Rule 42" is what I'm looking for.
Thanks!
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 5:35 AM on January 7, 2022