Relation:public_transport
This is a description of relations used in the public transport tagging scheme. There are 2 variants, both regarding public transport stops, stations, halts, or similar: stop_area and stop_area_group.
A stop area consists of everything regarding the embarkation and disembarkation of a specific public transport vehicle or service. For example, a specific railway line, the adjacent platform, services on that platform, and information describing it (platform number, etc.).
Tags
These tags can equally apply to one stop area or a group of them.
| Key | Value | Explanation | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | public_transport | Indicates this relation represents a public_transport. | ! Required |
| public_transport | stop_area / stop_area_group | A stop or group of stops (station) for public transport. | ! Required |
| name | A name | The feature the relation is mapping is known by this name (e.g., Marylebone, or Gothenburg central station) | ‽ Important |
| name:qualifier | Operator's or network's name | The name by which the stop is known by a specific operator or network. | ‽ Important, if the stop is known under different names by different operators or networks |
| ref | A reference | The relation this is mapping is known by this reference. | ‽ Important |
| ref:qualifier | Operator's or network's reference | The reference by which the stop is known by a specific operator or network. | ‽ Important, if the stop is known under different references by different operators or networks |
| description | A short description | What is special about this feature that this relation maps. | ‽ Important |
| operator | Operator | Name of the company that operates the stop. | ‽ Important, if available |
| network | Local / regional network | Name of the network the stop belongs to. | ‽ Important, if available |
public_transport=stop_area
 public_transport
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| Description |
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A relation that contains all elements of a train, subway, monorail, tram, bus, trolleybus, aerial way, or ferry stop.  
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| Group: Public transport |
| Members |
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| Requires |
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public_transport=stop_area |
Status: approved
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| Tools for this tag |
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Tags
| Key | Value | Comment | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | public_transport | Defines this relation as a public transport relation. | ! Required |
| public_transport | stop_area | Defines this relation as a stop area. | ! Required |
| uic_ref | UIC reference | The International Union of Railways (UIC) reference by which the stop is known. | ‽ Important, if available |
| uic_name | UIC name | The UIC name by which the stop is known. | ‽ Important, if available |
| public_transport:version | 1, or 2 | A tag solely to advise the JOSM tag validator. | ? Optional |
Roles
| Role | Refers to | Comment | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| stop | public_transport=stop_position | Position where the vehicle will be when passengers embark/disembark. | ! 1+, if available. |
| platform | public_transport=platform | The platforms or area where passengers wait. | ! 1+, if available. |
| <empty> | public_transport=station | The station building/area. | ? 0+, if it belongs to the stop area. |
| <empty> | amenity=* | Examples: shelter, bench, bicycle_parking, taxi. | ? 0+ |
public_transport=stop_area_group
 | public_transport=stop_area_group was not part of the proposal Proposed_features/Public_Transport and its definition and necessity is unclear. Consider to not use such relations. |
| public_transport = stop_area_group
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| Description |
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| A relation that contains stop areas that make up a public transport interchange.
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| Group: public transport |
| Used on these elements |
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| Status: de facto |
| Tools for this tag |
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The public_transport=stop_area tag is de facto used as part of a relation to group stop areas that make up a public transport interchange: for example, a multi-modal interchange for buses, metros and trains.
Tags
| Key | Value | Explanation | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | public_transport | Indicates this relation represents a public_transport. | ! Required |
| public_transport | stop_area_group | A group of stops (station) for public transport. | ! Required |
Roles
| Role | Recurrence | Element | Member | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <empty> | ! 1+ | 
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public_transport=stop_area | Each of these stop areas is part of this stop area group. |
Examples
- Gare du Nord (metro and train), Paris: 7938398 7938398
- Paddington (bus, metro and train), London: 7704139 7704139
- Syntagma (metro and tram), Athens: 7953734 7953734
- Tokyo station (bus, metro and train), Tokyo: 9333571 9333571
Some cities also use public_transport=stop_area_group for interchanges between two lines on the same network, such as Piccadilly Circus tube station in London (7704138 7704138): in those cases, each line has their own stop areas relation.