Key:railtrail
 railtrail
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| Description |
|---|
| Used for former railway tracks used for hiking or cycling. |
| Group: railways |
| Used on these elements |
    |
| Useful combination |
| Status: in use |
| Tools for this tag |
On Relations
The tag railtrail=yes is used on route-relations (mostly bicycle-routes) to indicate that the route is going for a big part over former railway lines.
On Ways
On ways, railtrail=yes can be used instead of the more common railway=abandoned when the modern track and the abandoned railway are modeled as separate ways, for example because a former double-track railway is represented by two distinct ways each tagged with railway=abandoned.
Sometimes there is dispute over the amount of remaining railroad infrastructure necessary to warrant a railway=abandoned. If there is not enough railroad evidence on the ground for railway=abandoned, railtrail=yes can still be used to express that the way is on the bed of a former railway. railway=razed is generally discouraged in that situation, as described on Demolished Railways
When used on ways, railtrail=yes should only be used on those sections where the way is exactly on the bed of the former railway and has the properties associated with railways (low gradients, wide curves, etc.).
See also: Railways#RailTrailsMap