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90-396: One-person operation ( OPO ), also known as driver-only operation ( DOO ), one-man operation ( OMO ), single person train operation ( SPTO ), or one-person train operation ( OPTO ), similarly to driver-controlled operation , is operation of a train, bus, or tram by the driver alone, without a conductor . On one-person operated passenger trains, the engineer must be able to see

180-404: A bar or pub . Other station facilities may include: toilets , left-luggage , lost-and-found , departures and arrivals schedules , luggage carts, waiting rooms , taxi ranks , bus bays and even car parks . Larger or staffed stations tend to have a greater range of facilities including also a station security office. These are usually open for travellers when there is sufficient traffic over

270-411: A conductor are indicated by a sign reading wanman ( ワンマン , "one man") , often accompanied by a pre-recorded in-car announcement mentioning that the train is a "one man train". Most buses are also one-person operations. In most cases, when not using an IC card , a boarding voucher ( 整理券 ) is taken when boarding the vehicle. This slip of paper has a number which corresponds to the station at which

360-476: A bureaucratic safety approval system with an independent safety assessor as the main reason for the lack of progress. On 7 June 2013, the Danish Ministry of Transport decided to implement one-person operation on the tendered Coastal Line , which led to the sacking of 50 guards. The one-person operation was set to start from 15 December 2013. Meanwhile, sickness absence among the sacked guards rose to six times

450-406: A bypass line, used by freight trains that do not need to stop at the terminus. Some termini have a newer set of through platforms underneath (or above, or alongside) the terminal platforms on the main level. They are used by a cross-city extension of the main line, often for commuter trains , while the terminal platforms may serve long-distance services. Examples of underground through lines include

540-426: A conductor and engineer in the cab, as well as a conductor called a "Customer Service Ambassador" located within the train who is responsible for controlling the doors and making announcements. Via Rail operates with two locomotive cngineers and several on-board staff. The Montreal Metro operates with one-person crews. All Canadian light rail systems are either DOO or driver-controlled operation . In Denmark,

630-468: A conductor were in London on AEC Routemaster double-deck buses (primarily withdrawn in 2005), otherwise, all UK buses are one-person operated. Driver-controlled operation Currently, only around 30% of Britain's journeys are either DCO or DOO, meaning the remainder require a guard to operate and thus, if there is no available guard, the service must be cancelled. DCO means only the unavailability of

720-560: A conversion of Line 2 to ATC and OPTO has been pushed out indefinitely. In 2020, a Mainstreet Research survey of Torontonians revealed that the public strongly opposed OPTO on Line 1 Yonge-University. More than 6-in-10 respondents disapproved of OPTO, and three-quarters disapproved of the TTC's decision not to inform the public of the plan to implement OPTO. In 2021, a Corbett Communications survey of Torontonians produced similar results: 7-in-10 respondents disapproved of OPTO, and 7-in-10 disapproved of

810-477: A deal was agreed between South Western Railway and RMT. Whilst South Western Railway claimed to have implemented a DCO method for their inner suburban routes, unlike Southern , the guard would still be an essential crew member on the train and would be required to be onboard. Terminal train station A train station , railroad station , or railroad depot (mainly North American terminology) and railway station (mainly UK and other Anglophone countries)

900-552: A driver and at least one conductor on board by rules, even it is not entirely mandatory. In Sweden around two daily departures on the Swedish part of the Oresundtrain system operated by Veolia Transport is one-person operated. This practice is however only utilized when there is an abrupt shortage of train managers. In 2013 the company's health and safety representative – who (in Sweden)

990-678: A driver would lead to a cancellation of a train. A deal agreed between Greater Anglia (train operating company) and RMT union meant that all of their intercity and regional services would change to DCO. However, unlike other DCO in place in the UK, a guard could still operate the doors in exceptional circumstances and must still be present in order for the service to run. The only exceptions are on intercity services between Liverpool Street and Ipswich , and regional services between Ely and Stansted Airport , where trains were already cleared to run without guards. Arriva Rail North were also hoping to agree

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1080-404: A few intermediate stations that take the form of a stub-end station, for example at some zigzags . If there is a station building , it is usually located to the side of the tracks. In the case of intermediate stations used for both passenger and freight traffic, there is a distinction between those where the station building and goods facilities are on the same side of the tracks and those in which

1170-472: A few small railway stations are designated as "halts" ( Irish : stadanna , sing. stad ). In some Commonwealth countries the term "halt" is used. In Australia, with its sparse rural populations, such stopping places were common on lines that were still open for passenger traffic. In the state of Victoria , for example, a location on a railway line where a small diesel railcar or railmotor could stop on request, allowing passengers to board or alight,

1260-794: A further 40 from other companies at the Grouping of 1923. Peak building periods were before the First World War (145 built) and 1928–1939 (198 built). Ten more were opened by British Rail on ex-GWR lines. The GWR also built 34 "platforms". Many such stops remain on the national railway networks in the United Kingdom, such as Penmaenmawr in North Wales , Yorton in Shropshire , and The Lakes in Warwickshire , where passengers are requested to inform

1350-571: A line was dual-purpose there would often be a freight depot apart from the passenger station. This type of dual-purpose station can sometimes still be found today, though in many cases goods facilities are restricted to major stations. Many stations date from the 19th century and reflect the grandiose architecture of the time, lending prestige to the city as well as to railway operations. Countries where railways arrived later may still have such architecture, as later stations often imitated 19th-century styles. Various forms of architecture have been used in

1440-407: A long enough period of time to warrant the cost. In large cities this may mean facilities available around the clock. A basic station might only have platforms, though it may still be distinguished from a halt , a stopping or halting place that may not even have platforms. Many stations, either larger or smaller, offer interchange with local transportation; this can vary from a simple bus stop across

1530-504: A member of on-board train staff if they wish to alight, or, if catching a train from the station, to make themselves clearly visible to the driver and use a hand signal as the train approaches. Most have had "Halt" removed from their names. Two publicly advertised and publicly accessible National Rail stations retain it: Coombe Junction Halt and St Keyne Wishing Well Halt . A number of other halts are still open and operational on privately owned, heritage, and preserved railways throughout

1620-663: A new through-station, including the cases of Berlin Hauptbahnhof , Vienna Hauptbahnhof and numerous examples throughout the first century of railroading. Stuttgart 21 is a controversial project involving the replacement of a terminus station by a through-station. An American example of a terminal with this feature is Union Station in Washington, DC , where there are bay platforms on the main concourse level to serve terminating trains and standard island platforms one level below to serve trains continuing southward. The lower tracks run in

1710-696: A signal from the Train Manager for the driver to begin the Close Door process, following a deal reached by the RMT after disputes with Merseyrail previously planning to run the trains with DOO. South Western Railway are planning to implement DCO on London suburban services for when its new fleet of British Rail Class 701 trains arrive. The RMT has opposed to these changes and have held various strikes on many occasions including 27 days in December 2019. In April 2021,

1800-501: A similar deal, however this was not achieved and on 1 March 2020, the Department for Transport took over operations as Northern Trains , who are also looking to implement DCO, so could be implemented in the future. Other examples of DCO within the UK includes Abellio ScotRail and Southern and Southeastern longer distance routes and services. Merseyrail have implemented DCO onboard their British Rail Class 777 fleet, requiring

1890-407: A spot at the station to board and disembark trains is called station track or house track regardless of whether it is a main line or loop line. If such track is served by a platform , the track may be called platform track. A loop line without a platform, which is used to allow a train to clear the main line at the station only, is called passing track. A track at the station without a platform which

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1980-417: A station and various other features set certain types apart. The first is the level of the tracks . Stations are often sited where a road crosses the railway: unless the crossing is a level crossing , the road and railway will be at different levels. The platforms will often be raised or lowered relative to the station entrance: the station buildings may be on either level, or both. The other arrangement, where

2070-576: A station stop does not. A station stop usually does not have any tracks other than the main tracks, and may or may not have switches (points, crossovers). An intermediate station does not have any other connecting route, unlike branch-off stations , connecting stations, transfer stations and railway junctions . In a broader sense, an intermediate station is generally any station on the route between its two terminal stations . The majority of stations are, in practice, intermediate stations. They are mostly designed as through stations ; there are only

2160-405: A station track as a temporary storage of a disabled train. A "terminus" or "terminal" is a station at the end of a railway line. Trains arriving there have to end their journeys (terminate) or reverse out of the station. Depending on the layout of the station, this usually permits travellers to reach all the platforms without the need to cross any tracks – the public entrance to the station and

2250-503: A station – on the busy central lines the train on one side of the platform did often have to wait for the train in the opposite direction on the other side of the platform to be dispatched. Although most of the central lines will be converted to ZAT-FM, there will be about 20 stations left in the network that will continue to have platform dispatchers. Most trains operating in Ireland are driver-only operated. In Japan, passenger trains without

2340-405: A three-way junction and platforms are built on all three sides, for example Shipley and Earlestown stations. In a station, there are different types of tracks to serve different purposes. A station may also have a passing loop with a loop line that comes off the straight main line and merge back to the main line on the other end by railroad switches to allow trains to pass. A track with

2430-461: A train can safely start for the next section. Although there were a couple of test runs since the 1970s these mass rapid transit systems were the last train systems in Germany to be converted to a one-person operation as rapid transit requires to ensure a minimum time to call at a station especially in rush hours. In Hamburg the " Selbstabfertigung durch den Triebfahrzeugführer " SAT (self-dispatching by

2520-449: A train, sometimes consisting of a short platform and a waiting area but sometimes indicated by no more than a sign, are variously referred to as "stops", " flag stops ", " halts ", or "provisional stopping places". The stations themselves may be at ground level, underground, or elevated. Connections may be available to intersecting rail lines or other transport modes such as buses , trams , or other rapid transit systems. Train station

2610-636: A tunnel beneath the concourse and emerge a few blocks away to cross the Potomac River into Virginia. Terminus stations in large cities are by far the biggest stations, with the largest being Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Other major cities, such as London, Boston , Paris, Istanbul , Tokyo, and Milan have more than one terminus, rather than routes straight through the city. Train journeys through such cities often require alternative transport ( metro , bus , taxi or ferry ) from one terminus to

2700-441: A wider reform of public transport by the newly elected Kennett government. By 22 November 1995, all suburban trains were one-person operated. The entire Transperth network is driver-only operated. Conversion to DOO initiated in the early 1990s when then new A-series trains were introduced. Pacific National trains between Kewdale and West Merriden are occasionally driver-only operated. The Toronto subway system , operated by

2790-464: Is Arbroath . Occasionally, a station serves two or more railway lines at differing levels. This may be due to the station's position at a point where two lines cross (example: Berlin Hauptbahnhof ), or may be to provide separate station capacity for two types of service, such as intercity and suburban (examples: Paris-Gare de Lyon and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station ), or for two different destinations. Stations may also be classified according to

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2880-470: Is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers , freight , or both. It generally consists of at least one platform , one track , and a station building providing such ancillary services as ticket sales, waiting rooms , and baggage/freight service. Stations on a single-track line often have a passing loop to accommodate trains travelling in the opposite direction. Locations at which passengers only occasionally board or leave

2970-555: Is a train driver appointed by a trade union – deemed it to be an unsafe practice demanding it be stopped. An important safety check done mainly by the conductor is to check that all doors get closed without any passenger stuck in any. This is hard to check in long trains, and long trains usually have at least two conductors. Trams and metro trains are however in general one-person operated. Freight trains are in general also one-person operated. The Barcelona Metro , Bilbao Metro , and Madrid Metro systems are all driver-only operated. On

3060-455: Is any longer served by trains), or military base (such as Lympstone Commando ) or railway yard. The only two such "private" stopping places on the national system, where the "halt" designation is still officially used, seem to be Staff Halt (at Durnsford Road, Wimbledon) and Battersea Pier Sidings Staff Halt, both of which are solely for railway staff. In Portugal , railway stops are called halts ( Portuguese : apeadeiro ). In Ireland ,

3150-404: Is frequently, but not always, the final destination of trains arriving at the station. Especially in continental Europe, a city may have a terminus as its main railway station, and all main lines converge on it. In such cases all trains arriving at the terminus must leave in the reverse direction from that of their arrival. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished: There may also be

3240-413: Is the old " Zugabfertigung durch den Triebfahrzeugführer ohne technische Unterstützung " ZAT-oU (train dispatching by train driver without technical support) or the new " Zugabfertigung durch den Triebfahrzeugführer mittels Führerraum-Monitor " ZAT-FM (train dispatching by train driver with driver cab monitor). Officials pointed out that the one-person operation does even lower the time a train halts on

3330-507: Is the terminology typically used in the U.S. In Europe, the terms train station and railway station are both commonly used, with railroad being obsolete. In British Commonwealth usage, where railway station is the traditional term, the word station is commonly understood to mean a railway station unless otherwise specified. In the United States, the term depot is sometimes used as an alternative name for station , along with

3420-411: Is used for trains to pass the station without stopping is called through track. There may be other sidings at the station which are lower speed tracks for other purposes. A maintenance track or a maintenance siding, usually connected to a passing track, is used for parking maintenance equipment, trains not in service, autoracks or sleepers . A refuge track is a dead-end siding that is connected to

3510-611: The Shinkansen in Japan, THSR in Taiwan, TGV lines in France, and ICE lines in Germany. Stations normally have staffed ticket sales offices, automated ticket machines , or both, although on some lines tickets are sold on board the trains. Many stations include a shop or convenience store . Larger stations usually have fast-food or restaurant facilities. In some countries, stations may also have

3600-912: The Thameslink platforms at St Pancras in London, the Argyle and North Clyde lines of Glasgow's suburban rail network , in Antwerp in Belgium, the RER at the Gare du Nord in Paris, the Milan suburban railway service 's Passante railway , and many of the numerous S-Bahn lines at terminal stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, such as at Zürich Hauptbahnhof . Due to the disadvantages of terminus stations there have been multiple cases in which one or several terminus stations were replaced with

3690-491: The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), uses a mix of one-person and two-person train operation. Since its opening in 1985, the light-metro Line 3 Scarborough has operated with a single operator, while the heavy-rail Line 1 Yonge-University , Line 2 Bloor-Danforth and Line 4 Sheppard all originally operated with two-person crews of a train operator and guard (conductor). The guard is responsible for operating

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3780-587: The British Isles. The word is often used informally to describe national rail network stations with limited service and low usage, such as the Oxfordshire Halts on the Cotswold Line . It has also sometimes been used for stations served by public services but accessible only by persons travelling to/from an associated factory (for example IBM near Greenock and British Steel Redcar – although neither of these

3870-490: The British railway network, around 30% of all passenger services are single crewed or 'driver-only operated' ( DOO ). The remaining 70% employ approximately 6,800 guards. The term 'guard' is the common name used for the role which in most countries is referred to as a 'conductor'; it's also the name used in the railway's rule book. Many train companies use alternative names for the role (conductor, senior conductor, train manager), but

3960-592: The Coastal Line. DSB stated at the same time, that they did not expect one man operation to be implemented on the Coastal Line in 2015. The trains operated by Arriva on the rural single-track railways of Jutland have been one-person operated since Arriva won a tender to operate the lines in 2003. The small train company Nordjyske Jernbaner which operates in the sparsely populated most northern parts of Denmark also uses exclusively one-person operated trains. The railway companies Regionstog and Lokalbanen , operating

4050-471: The cameras and simultaneously operate the vehicle. It was expected that Line 1 would have had OPTO implemented in 2019, and Line 2 would follow with OPTO in 2021. However, delays in implementing automatic train control (ATC), which allows trains to be run entirely by computers to remove the need for the guard, has caused those dates to be pushed back. Line 1 was fully converted to OPTO in November 2022; however,

4140-474: The compound forms train depot , railway depot , and railroad depot —it is used for both passenger and freight facilities. The term depot is not used in reference to vehicle maintenance facilities in the U.S., whereas it is used as such in Canada and the United Kingdom. The world's first recorded railway station, for trains drawn by horses rather than engined locomotives , began passenger service in 1807. It

4230-529: The construction of stations, from those boasting grand, intricate, Baroque - or Gothic -style edifices, to plainer utilitarian or modernist styles. Stations in Europe tended to follow British designs and were in some countries, like Italy, financed by British railway companies. Train stations built more recently often have a similar feel to airports, with a simple, abstract style. Examples of modern stations include those on newer high-speed rail networks, such as

4320-451: The dissatisfaction of the train drivers. On 17 July 2013 DSB abandoned these temporary manual safety procedures and resumed to operate the Jutlandic regional trains with guards, on the grounds that the safety of their trains was not to be cast in doubt and that this was more important than "whether or not one-man operation was implemented a month or two latter than planned". DSBs preparations of

4410-454: The doors, as well as observing the platform. On 9 October 2016, OPTO was implemented on the heavy-rail Line 4, which uses four-car sets of Bombardier Toronto Rockets . According to a 2016 presentation, OPTO is "one of the TTC's key modernization efforts" as a cost-saving measure. The Toronto Rocket trains were altered to include a train door monitor system uses cameras to display a clear view of train doors while maintaining unobstructed views of

4500-553: The doors, but PSAs are also able to. The Ghan , the Indian Pacific and The Overland all feature train managers who perform a similar role, as did the Great Southern . Pacific National trains between Adelaide and Port Augusta are occasionally driver-only operated. The Melbourne suburban railway network (currently operated by train operating company Metro Trains Melbourne ) began one-person operation in 1993, as part of

4590-456: The driver's cab. There is a camera on the platform that transmits the images via wireless LAN to the train and the train has a connection back to the (existing) loudspeakers on the platform. The system was tested since 2007 but safety concerns caused its introduction to be held off for several years. Since its introduction, platforms may be served in one-person operation by ZAT-oU or the ZAT-FM, which

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4680-480: The fact that the TTC decided to not offer public consultation on the issue. This survey also revealed that 6-in-10 Torontonians would feel unsafe riding in a train operated by just one staff member. Line 5 Eglinton and Line 6 Finch West , the TTC's future light rail lines under construction as of 2022, will use one-person operation. Line 5 will also use ATC in its tunneled section. GO Transit in Ontario operates with

4770-469: The first examples of a public transport vehicle that was developed specifically for one-person operation is the Birney streetcar introduced in the United States in 1916. The Birney was pre-equipped with one of the most important safety devices for enabling one-person operation – the dead man's switch . At the time (and to a certain extent also today) one of the most cited arguments against one-person operation

4860-470: The goods facilities are on the opposite side of the tracks from the station building. Intermediate stations also occur on some funicular and cable car routes. A halt , in railway parlance in the Commonwealth of Nations , Ireland and Portugal , is a small station, usually unstaffed or with very few staff, and with few or no facilities. In some cases, trains stop only on request , when passengers on

4950-427: The larger North American freight trains are almost exclusively crewed by a conductor as well as the engineer . While one-person operation is popular and on the rise among the train operating companies as it reduces the number of crew required and correspondingly reduces costs, it is for that reason controversial and is often strongly opposed by trade unions , often claiming that it is an unsafe practice. One of

5040-401: The layout of the platforms. Apart from single-track lines, the most basic arrangement is a pair of tracks for the two directions; there is then a basic choice of an island platform between, two separate platforms outside the tracks ( side platforms ), or a combination of the two. With more tracks, the possibilities expand. Some stations have unusual platform layouts due to space constraints of

5130-417: The less developed KTM East Coast railway line to serve rural 'kampongs' (villages), that require train services to stay connected to important nodes, but do not have a need for staff. People boarding at halts who have not bought tickets online can buy it through staff on board. In rural and remote communities across Canada and the United States, passengers wanting to board the train at such places had to flag

5220-426: The lines permanent standard procedures for one-person operation did however prove to be more difficult than first anticipated. As of September 2015 DSB was only planning to use one-person operation at the local lines north and south of Aalborg – and far from all the way to Aarhus. DSB has also stated that the rest of the remaining timeline for implementing one-person operations will be re-evaluated DSB has pointed to

5310-530: The loading and unloading of goods and may well have marshalling yards (classification yards) for the sorting of wagons. The world's first goods terminal was the 1830 Park Lane Goods Station at the South End Liverpool Docks. Built in 1830, the terminal was reached by a 1.24-mile (2 km) tunnel. As goods are increasingly moved by road, many former goods stations, as well as the goods sheds at passenger stations, have closed. Many are used purely for

5400-403: The main reception facilities being at the far end of the platforms. Sometimes the track continues for a short distance beyond the station, and terminating trains continue forward after depositing their passengers, before either proceeding to sidings or reversing to the station to pick up departing passengers. Bondi Junction , Australia and Kristiansand Station , Norway are examples. A terminus

5490-600: The normal levels, resembling "sick-out" strike action . This compelled the train operating company DSB Øresund to offer the sacked guards a "stay healthy bonus" of up to 5000 Danish kroner per month (about US$ 900 or GB£600). The safety approval of one-person operation on the Coastal Line is part of a joint DSB one-person operation project, which entails that the Coastal Line will not be one-person operated before DSB has managed to obtain safety approval for other lines first. In August 2015 DSB stated that they would reevaluate whether or not they would implement one person operation on

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5580-528: The number of doors to a single one. In the US, regardless of various technological solutions to resolve the safety issues of one-person operation, there was consistent resistance towards one-person operation among the drivers and conductors of the streetcars. Whenever the workforce was well-organized in unions – which was the case in around half of all cities with streetcar companies – any proposal of one-person operation would generally be challenged, regardless of whether

5670-784: The other. For instance, in Istanbul transfers from the Sirkeci Terminal (the European terminus) and the Haydarpaşa Terminal (the Asian terminus) historically required crossing the Bosphorus via alternative means, before the Marmaray railway tunnel linking Europe and Asia was completed. Some cities, including New York, have both termini and through lines. Terminals that have competing rail lines using

5760-541: The passenger boarded; since fare is typically calculated by distance traveled, the current fare from each previous stop is shown by a screen on board. When disembarking, passengers pay at a fare collection box at the exit. An increasing number of subways are becoming one-person operation, including the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line , which was designed to operate on one-person operation, the Toei Ōedo Line , which

5850-585: The platform indicate that they wish to board, or passengers on the train inform the crew that they wish to alight. These can sometimes appear with signals and sometimes without. The Great Western Railway in Great Britain began opening haltes on 12 October 1903; from 1905, the French spelling was Anglicised to "halt". These GWR halts had the most basic facilities, with platforms long enough for just one or two carriages; some had no raised platform at all, necessitating

5940-466: The provision of steps on the carriages. Halts were normally unstaffed, tickets being sold on the train. On 1 September 1904, a larger version, known on the GWR as a "platform" instead of a "halt", was introduced; these had longer platforms, and were usually staffed by a senior grade porter, who sold tickets and sometimes booked parcels or milk consignments. From 1903 to 1947 the GWR built 379 halts and inherited

6030-489: The role is mostly the same regardless of operator. Since 1985, freight trains have steadily converted to one-person operation. On the UK light railways and tramways, conductors have all but disappeared in an operational sense and now the term 'conductor' is commonly used for revenue and customer service staff. Historically 'operational' conductors were the 'norm' on all systems including the London Underground (who used

6120-744: The single-track railways of Zealand , use solely one-person operated trains as well. On all Danish one-person operated passenger trains, ticket inspectors still board the train now and then to perform spot checks . Several systems within France are DOO. The Marseille Metro is entirely operated using driver-only operation. Various Paris Métro lines and all of the Tramways in Île-de-France routes and lines are driver only operated, with 2 metro lines currently operating completely unattended. The S-Bahn rapid transit system in Berlin and Hamburg were using platform train dispatchers to ensure all doors are closed and

6210-639: The state owned railway company DSB started implementing one-person operation on the commuter rail S-train system in 1975. The S-train system has been completely one-person operated since 1978. At the start of 2013 DSB also used one-person operated trains on the two small regional rail lines Svendborgbanen and Aarhus nærbane. As a result of several years of major annual deficits, DSB started implementing one-person operation on several rail lines on 29 June 2013. This led to reductions in staff, followed by widespread protest and some small illegal strikes by train drivers, who accused DSB of using rolling stock which

6300-405: The station entrance and platforms are on the same level, is also common, but is perhaps rarer in urban areas , except when the station is a terminus. Stations located at level crossings can be problematic if the train blocks the roadway while it stops, causing road traffic to wait for an extended period of time. Stations also exist where the station buildings are above the tracks. An example of this

6390-477: The station frequently set up a jointly owned terminal railroad to own and operate the station and its associated tracks and switching operations. During a journey, the term station stop may be used in announcements, to differentiate halts during which passengers may alight and halts for another reasons, such as a locomotive change . While a junction or interlocking usually divides two or more lines or routes, and thus has remotely or locally operated signals ,

6480-561: The station location, or the alignment of the tracks. Examples include staggered platforms, such as at Tutbury and Hatton railway station on the Crewe–Derby line , and curved platforms, such as Cheadle Hulme railway station on the Macclesfield to Manchester Line. Stations at junctions can also have unusual shapes – a Keilbahnhof (or "wedge-shaped" station) is sited where two lines split. Triangular stations also exist where two lines form

6570-557: The street to underground rapid-transit urban rail stations. In many African, South American, and Asian countries, stations are also used as a place for public markets and other informal businesses. This is especially true on tourist routes or stations near tourist destinations . As well as providing services for passengers and loading facilities for goods, stations can sometimes have locomotive and rolling stock depots, usually with facilities for storing and refuelling rolling stock and carrying out minor repairs. The basic configuration of

6660-452: The streetcar company was in serious financial difficulties. In many cities, it took a municipal ordinance to authorize one-person operation, thus also politicizing the subject. The result of all this was typically strikes and other industrial action whenever one-person operation was implemented. While the Birney was one of the first public transport vehicles designed for one-person operation, it

6750-484: The term 'guard' like the mainline railway). With exception to the Blackpool system , London Underground and Glasgow Subway – all current UK light rail systems are of modern construction and were built as 'new' for one-person operation. British buses also once had operational conductors on most services, most buses were front-engined, meaning the passenger saloon door had to be behind the driver's cab. The last buses to have

6840-461: The track and signals. The cameras replace the role of the train guard who used to observe the platform for safety. However, this system was not adequate to keep passengers safe, as there has been a 50% increase of dangerous "red light violations", or train operators not stopping for stop signals, after OPTO implementation on the Sheppard subway, due in part to the sole train operator having to both monitor

6930-442: The train down to stop it, hence the name " flag stops " or "flag stations". Accessibility for disabled people is mandated by law in some countries. Considerations include: In the United Kingdom, rail operators will arrange alternative transport (typically a taxi ) at no extra cost to the ticket holder if the station they intend to travel to or from is inaccessible. Goods or freight stations deal exclusively or predominantly with

7020-503: The train driver) was first introduced in 2000 and the last station was becoming unstaffed in 2006. On the bigger Berlin S-Bahn network the " Zugabfertigung durch den Triebfahrzeugführer " ZAT (train dispatching by the train driver) was introduced in 2006. However it was only used on straight platforms so far. Since 2014 the Berlin S-Bahn has used a system where an electronic monitor is in

7110-473: The trains one-person operated – seeing as the trains were still operated with a guard – it was one of the first steps towards it. Besides the dead man's switch, the electrification and dieselisation of railways also helped reduce the required staff in the locomotive to a sole operator – as diesel and electric traction does not require a fireman to shovel coal into a boiler. On the London Underground,

7200-410: The use of multiple units ended the need for a second crew member in the driving cab to assist with coupling at the terminal train station . Adelaide Metro's metropolitan rail network is configured for driver-only operation, but also operates with Passenger Service Assistants (PSA). This is a safety role, but with a focus on customer service and revenue protection. Normally, the train driver operates

7290-667: The whole train to make sure that all the doors are safe for departure. On curved platforms a CCTV system, mirror or station dispatch staff are required. Although extra infrastructure such as cameras and mirrors might require additional investment, one-person operation is usually faster and cheaper to implement than automatic train operation , requiring a smaller investment in, for example, platform intruder detection systems and track protection (fencing, bridge-caging, CCTV etc.). In some cases, one-person operation can be seen as an intermediate step towards automatic train operation. While European freight trains are normally one-person operated,

7380-602: The world was Crown Street railway station in Liverpool, England , built in 1830, on the locomotive-hauled Liverpool to Manchester line. The station was slightly older than the still extant Liverpool Road railway station terminal in Manchester. The station was the first to incorporate a train shed . Crown Street station was demolished in 1836, as the Liverpool terminal station moved to Lime Street railway station . Crown Street station

7470-575: Was The Mount in Swansea , Wales, on the Oystermouth (later the Swansea and Mumbles ) Railway. The world's oldest station for engined trains was at Heighington , on the Stockton and Darlington railway in north-east England built by George Stephenson in the early 19th century, operated by locomotive Locomotion No. 1 . The station opened in 1827 and was in use until the 1970s. The building, Grade II*-listed ,

7560-526: Was called a "rail motor stopping place" (RMSP). Usually situated near a level crossing , it was often designated solely by a sign beside the railway. The passenger could hail the driver to stop, and could buy a ticket from the train guard or conductor. In South Australia, such facilities were called "provisional stopping places". They were often placed on routes on which "school trains" (services conveying children from rural localities to and from school) operated. In West Malaysia , halts are commonplace along

7650-623: Was converted to a goods station terminal. The first stations had little in the way of buildings or amenities. The first stations in the modern sense were on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway , opened in 1830. Manchester's Liverpool Road Station , the second oldest terminal station in the world, is preserved as part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester . It resembles a row of Georgian houses. Early stations were sometimes built with both passenger and freight facilities, though some railway lines were goods-only or passenger-only, and if

7740-514: Was in bad condition, but was restored in 1984 as an inn. The inn closed in 2017; in 2024 there were plans to renovate the derelict station in time for the 200th anniversary of the opening of the railway line. The two-storey Mount Clare station in Baltimore , Maryland , United States, which survives as a museum, first saw passenger service as the terminus of the horse-drawn Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on 22 May 1830. The oldest terminal station in

7830-472: Was not the first public transport vehicle to be equipped with a dead man's switch. In 1903, the Metropolitan District Railway equipped two of its A Stock trains with a dead man's switch. The switch was introduced so that one person could operate in the driving cab on their own, which became standard for all train companies operating the London Underground in 1908. Even though this did not make

7920-582: Was one-person operated since its opening in the year 1990, and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line , which became driver-only operated from 2009. By 1997, more than 90 percent of all trains – both passenger and freight – operated by the then main freight and passenger rail operator in New Zealand, Tranz Rail , had only one person in the loco cab. In general all passenger trains on railways in Sweden have

8010-466: Was the safety risks to passengers and bystanders if the operator fell ill. The dead man switch ensured that the tram would stop in the event of an incapacitated driver. For this reason, the Birneys were also called "safety cars". Another critical feature of the Birney in dealing with safety issues from the critics of one-person operation was its compact size which eased the driver's view of the road and reducing

8100-462: Was unsafe for one-person operation. The Danish Railway Union stated in 2011 "that one-person operation wasn't their cup of tea". The lines that were planned to become one-person operated were: Copenhagen-Ringsted, Copenhagen-Kalundborg, Copenhagen-Nykøbing F., Aarhus-Aalborg, Fredericia-Esbjerg and Roskild-Køge-Ringsted The one-person operation of the railway line Aarhus-Aalborg was implemented using temporary and very manual safety procedures – much to

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