A directional designation used in timetables and track warrants to indicate a train traveling away from the railroad's principal terminal, historical headquarters, or the zero-milepost of the subdivision. It provides a standardized way for dispatchers and crews to reference direction without relying on compass points, which can be confusing on tracks that curve heavily.
Heard on the job
The down train is running about twenty minutes late out of the terminal.
Do not mix it up with
- Up: Down is away from the zero milepost; up is toward it.