Tag:usage=main
 usage = main
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Specifies that a railway is a main line, presumably heavy traffic, often double tracked and/or electrified, may be high speed. 
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| Group: properties |
| Used on these elements |
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| Status: de facto |
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The tag usage=main is used together with railway=* to map a main line: a railway with higher traffic and higher speed than branch lines, often double tracked and/or electrified, may be high speed, usually longer than a branch line.
Often, main lines are described as such in the official name, however, sometimes rail is named "XYZ Main Line" even though it is more appropriately tagged usage=branch.
This tag can be used for several kinds of railway, but it is most often used with railway=rail and railway=narrow_gauge.
 | A track is either tagged with usage=main or with service=*, not with both. |
Inside a railway station area, use usage=main only for the main tracks (not for siding, yard tracks etc.). That also applies for crossover or overtaking tracks outside of the railway stations, which are mapped with service=*
Other values of usage=*:
| Tag | Comment | |
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| usage=branch | Branch line, less traffic and lower speed than main lines, often single tracked and/or not electrified, may be constructed to lower specifications than main line. May connect a place to a mainline or serve to connect mainlines, typically a few dozen miles in length. | |
| usage=industrial | Tracks in private use that serve only freight transport inside ports, industrial complexes or mining areas, and for connecting these to the public network | |
| usage=military | Tracks for military use, mainly on military areas, munitions storage areas or connections to the public railroad network. | |
| usage=test | Tracks used for testing of new vehicles or new rail transport technologies. | |
| usage=tourism | Tracks for tourists, around museums, historic or "heritage" trains, often only on weekends and holidays and/or seasonally, most preserved railways (railway=preserved and railway:preserved=yes) | |
| usage=science | Tracks at spaceports, deep space radiotelescopes, etc. |