Traffic Terminology - Local, Cross, Through etc Traffic

 

Indian Railways Traffic Terminology

Traffic	Definition	Example
Local Traffic	When used with reference to a railway means traffic originating and terminating at stations within the limits of that railway, without passing over any other railway.	A passenger travelling from Howrah to Asansol (both in Eastern Railway).
Cross Traffic	Traffic that passes through a zone but neither originates nor terminates there.	A train from Delhi to Kolkata passing through North Central Railway.
Through Traffic	Traffic carried over two or more Railways	Goods consignment from Mumbai (CR) to Chennai (SR).
Interchange Traffic	Goods or passenger traffic exchanged between two zones at a junction point.	Wagons handed over from WR to NR at Mathura Jn.
Inward Traffic	Traffic that arrives into a particular zone, division, or station.	Freight train arriving at Visakhapatnam from Raipur.
Outward Traffic	Traffic that originates from a particular zone, division, or station.	Goods loaded at Durgapur for shipment to Mumbai.
Diverted Traffic	Traffic rerouted from its regular path due to operational or maintenance issues.	Train diverted via Jhansi instead of Bhopal due to track work.
Empty Flow Traffic	Movement of empty wagons (not carrying any goods).	Empty rakes moving from unloading point to loading yard.
Return Traffic	Traffic returning from the destination back to the origin.	Containers loaded from Delhi to Mumbai and then returned empty or reloaded.
Booked Traffic	Traffic for which advance booking has been made and freight collected.	Iron ore booked from Bilaspur to Paradeep Port.
Unbooked Traffic	Movement without official booking, often due to irregularities or emergencies.	Emergency movement of relief materials.
Parcel Traffic	Small consignment traffic is usually transported in SLRs or parcel vans.	Luggage/Parcels transported on passenger trains.
Military Traffic	Movement of defense equipment or personnel by Indian Railways.	Transport of army tanks or troops.