Spad
Railway safety term; serious operational hazard in British rail industry
Signal passed at danger (SPAD), in British railway terminology, describes an event where a train has run beyond its allocated signal block without authority, as indicated by a lineside signal showing danger (typically a red light). It is a term primarily used within the British Railway Industry, although it can be applied worldwide.
There have been three SPADs on the District Line in the past year.
Also in the dictionary
- spad in mining and extraction