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Glossary

Term Definition
BG Broad Gauge (1676 mm), the standard rail gauge in India
Block A reserved section of track cleared for inspection/maintenance
Cross-level Relative height difference between left and right rail
DAQ Data Acquisition — the pipeline capturing sensor data
Format C Indian Railways standard track geometry output report format
Gauge Distance between inner faces of rail heads, measured 14 mm below rail top
GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS, GLONASS, etc.)
iceoryx Zero-copy IPC middleware used in the DAQ pipeline
IMU Inertial Measurement Unit — measures acceleration and angular velocity
IRPWM Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual
MCAP Open-source file format for multimodal sensor data recording
Mission A single inspection run, identified by a unique mission_uid
OHE Overhead Equipment — the electrification system above the track
P.Way Permanent Way — the railway track structure
PWI Permanent Way Inspector — the Indian Railways official responsible for track
SSE Senior Section Engineer
TGIS Track Geometry Inspection System (generic term)
TRC Track Recording Car — Indian Railways' existing inspection vehicle
Twist Rate of change of cross-level over a defined base length
Unevenness Vertical profile irregularity of the rail
Versine Lateral deviation measured as mid-chord offset