Tag:railway=switch

railway = switch
Description
A railway switch, turnout or points: where trains can change from one track to another track.
Group: Railways
Used on these elements
Useful combination
ref=*
See also
railway=derail railway=buffer_stop
Status: de facto
Tools for this tag
taginfo · CH · CZ · FR · GB · HU · IE · IN · JP · PL overpass-turbo
Wikidata
Q82818

A railway switch (or railway turnout or railway point) is a point where trains can change from one track to another track. Add a node where the two tracks diverge and add railway=switch.

Additional Tags

• railway=switch – switch
• ref=* – switch number
• railway:switch=* – type of switch
  • railway:switch=default – normal switch, default (does not have to be tagged)
  • railway:switch=three_way – three-way switch
  • railway:switch=single_slip – slip switch, combines a switch and a railway crossing
  • railway:switch=double_slip – double switch
  • railway:switch=wye – wye switch
  • railway:switch=abt – Abt switch (funiculars only)

• 

  normal right switch

• 

  normal left switch

• 

  three-way switch

• 

  double outside slip

• 

  Abt switch

• 

  wye switch

• railway:turnout_side=left/right - turnout direction (left/right)
• railway:switch:heated=yes/no – switch heating (to prevent freezing)
• railway:maxspeed:straight=* – speed limit in km/h if used in straight direction
• railway:maxspeed:diverging=* – speed limit in km/h if not used in straight direction
• railway:switch:electric=* – electric switch motor?
  • railway:switch:electric=yes – yes (default)
  • railway:switch:electric=no – no
• railway:switch:local_operated=yes/no – Is the switch operated in field (yes) or by a person at the signal box (no)?
• railway:switch:movable_frog=* - movable frog
  • railway:switch:movable_frog=yes – movable frog
  • railway:switch:movable_frog=no – default value
• railway:switch:resetting=yes/no – resetting switch (only used on branch lines)

Tags used for single and double slips

You can use railway:switch:configuration=inside/outside to describe if the movable rails are inside or outside.

• 

  inside

• 

  outside

Rendering

switches and their numbers rendered by OpenRailwayMap

Possible Tagging Mistakes

• railway=junction

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!

See also

• OpenRailwayMap/Tagging
• railway=railway_crossing – Crossing rails that do not interconnect / flat crossing (point where to tracks crosses but trains cannot switch from one track to another)
• railway=level_crossing - A crossing between a railway and a road
• railway=crossing - Pedestrians can cross a railway here
• highway=crossing - Pedestrians can cross a street here