Tag:railway=station
 railway = station
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| Description |
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A railway station. 
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| Rendering in OSM Carto |
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Rendering in OSM Carto 
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| Group: railways |
| Used on these elements |
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| Useful combination |
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| See also |
| Status: de facto |
| Tools for this tag |
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 | There is an ongoing discussion about the exact content of this page. There have been recent edits which may express opinions not universally shared. See the discussion at https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/railway-station-as-an-area/104839 and the tag discussion page for more information. |
- Main article: Railway stations
A railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load & unload passengers and/or freight. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such ancillary services as ticket sales, waiting rooms etc. There should be only one railway=station element for each station (refer to One feature, one OSM element).
This page is solely about the railway=* schema.
How to map
As a node 
Map an unconnected node as near to the middle of the station as is practicable, in respect of the platforms & rails. Additionally, a polygon tagged as landuse=railway maybe mapped to include the extents of the land owned & used by the operator as a station.
As an area
Map a polygon to surround public accessible areas ie railway=platform & building=train_station.
Tags
| Key | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| railway | station | |
| station | <station type> | Explicitly describes the type of railway station. |
| name | <station name> | The name of the station. For preference use the name on the signs at the station. |
| landuse | railway | When railway=station is mapped as a node this tag can be added to a closed polygon mapped to indicate the extents of the land owned & used by the operator as a station. |
| railway:ref | <station code> | The reference number/letter code assigned to the railway station. |
| uic_ref | <number> | UIC's (International Union of Railways) assigned reference number for the station. |
| uic_name | <name> | UIC's (International Union of Railways) assigned name for the station. |
| railway:station_category | <station category> | |
| railway:position | <number> | The milepost of the station. |
| operator | <operator_name> | The station's operator. |
| network | <network_name(s)> | The name of the network the station belongs to. There maybe multiple values. |
| operating_times | <operating times> | |
| start_date | <date> | The date the station was put into service. For formatting the tag, refer to the start_date=* page. |
| image | <filename or URL> | |
| ele | <number> | |
| wikipedia | <lang>:<article name> | The Wikipedia article relating to the actual station (Not the railway's operator or network). For formatting the tag, refer to the wikipedia page. |
Station types
Where railway stations share the same station building, consider if they should be modelled as separate stations or as a single station. The associated Wikipedia articles of the facilities might assist with the decision. If the facilities are run by separate organisations[1] (for example a heritage station next to a mainline station) then it is probably better to map them using two separate railway=station points.
For freight stations, add railway:traffic_mode=freight. Data consumers should consider that not all railway stations are passenger-only.
Distinction between halt and station
The distinction between railway=halt and railway=station might differ from country to country. A halt is occasionally distinguished by its smaller size compared to a station, although it's unclear what size defines the difference. It can also be classified as a request stop. To make it explicitly clear, tag a request stop station as request_stop=yes.
- In Britain, after a discussion, railway=halt has been removed. All are now railway=station. It was felt the definition of halt was too ambiguous & subjective for OSM. Additional, objective, sub-tags are being added to stations such as request_stop=*, usage=*, platforms=* etc.
- In Belgium, railway=station is only for staffed stations. NMBS/SNCB stations without any station building or stations where ticket offices are permanently closed are tagged as railway=halt.
- In Denmark, Hungary, Italy and German-speaking countries, stations without points ("switches") where only passenger trains stop are tagged as halt. For more information see the German page.
Things to avoid
- Don't arbitrarily attach the word “station” to the name=* tag if it's not part of the printed station name, i.e. avoid name=Newton Station.[2]
- Do not use abbreviations, even if the railway company use them. Use short_name=* in addition.
- If the official name in documents differs from the actually used name (for example, name on signs at the station) use official_name=*.
Examples
- Karlsruhe Central Station
- Gare du Nord, with references to various networks for long distance lines, high-speed lines, regional commuter trains and subways
- Kimle-Károlyháza, mapped as an area
- Rajka, mapped as a multipolygon relation
See also
Tags
- railway=halt
- public_transport=station – public_transport schema.
- building=train_station – The buildings used to access the station, buy tickets etc.
- railway=tram stop – A place from which you can catch a tram.
- railway=platform – To map individual platforms at the station.
- railway=subway_entrance
- railway=yard
- landuse=railway – An area of land dedicated to railway operation or support.
- disused:railway=station – Refer to this page to tag closed stations.
- abandoned:railway=station
- railway=stop – The spot on a railway track where a train stops at a station.
Pages
- OpenRailwayMap and its feature-rich tagging scheme.
- OpenStationMap – A map showing the levels of a station.
Forum topics
References
- ↑ For example, see Berlin Zoologischer Garten: S-Bahn / light rail in the north-west and heavy rail in the south-east.
- ↑ The rule is that if the word “-station” is not normally labeled, it should not be intentionally used to identify a station building, and even if some signboards, etc. are not labeled with the word “-station”, it is good practice to follow the convention if the word “-station” is normally used to distinguish it from other map features.(To put it another way, if you would normally append '-station' to a station name, append '-station' according to local custom.) See the “Whether or not to append the descriptive term '-station' follows local convention.” topic on the “Discussion” tab.
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