A station code is a brief, abbreviation, or alphanumeric code, used by to identify a train station uniquely (within a country or region). Codes are mostly used internally but can be seen on railway traffic signs and on some timetables.
In most countries, station codes are purely alphabetic, usually compromising a few capital letters for ease of identification, in some countries one capital and one or some lowercase letters.
Americas
United States
Amtrak encodes a few stations in Canada which it serves.
Asia
Hong Kong
A three-letter code system is in use in the MTR to identify stations. For example,
Whampoa station of the
MTR has the code of WHA.
India
Indian Railways uses one- to four-letter codes.
Most stations of the Indian Railways are assigned three letter codes, for example, the station code for Mumbai Central station is MMCT and for Guwahati is GHY.
One-letter station codes of the Indian Railways
-
G: Gondia Junction railway station
-
J: Jalna railway station
-
R: Raipur Junction railway station
-
S: Shrirangapattana railway station
-
Y: Yeliyur railway station
-
Unallocated one-letter station codes of the Indian Railways include A, B, C, D, E, F, I, H, K, L, M, N, P, Q, T, U, V, W, X and Z.
Japan
In Japan, alphabetic station codes are not used. Japanese railways use station numbering, a
sign system which assigns station codes consisting of a few letters and numbers to train stations.
| +Examples of station numbers | | Shin-nakano station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line |
| | Mizonokuchi station on the Tokyu Ōimachi Line |
| | Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line |
South Korea
In
South Korea, station codes are purely numeric, to reduce the problem of
language and
writing system barriers. For example, Seoul Metropolitan Subway's Singeumho station has the code of 538.
Europe
Denmark and Sweden
In
Sweden[ and Denmark, railway stations are assigned a capital letter followed by a sequence of lowercase letters that represent the station's name. For example, Stockholm commuter rail's Stockholm City Station has the station code Sci.][ Aktuella trafikplatsnamn på järnväg, uppdaterad 2021-03-01] In Sweden the code is in a few cases a single capital letter, such as M for Malmö Central Station.
Germany
Deutsche Bahn in Germany uses an alphabetic station code system called the DS 100 code, for example, Luckenwalde station in Brandenburg has the station code BLD.
Norway
Stations normally have a code of three capital letters, sometimes two letters. They are called "stedskoder" (location codes). Examples: OSL=Oslo Central Station, GAR=Oslo Airport Station, TND=Trondheim Central Station and BO=Bodø Station.[ 1. Generell del (1.1 - 1.4)]
UK
[ List of National Rail Station codes ] Three-letter alpha codes (formerly called CRS codes - Computer Reservation System) are issued by National Rail which is responsible for railways in Great Britain. Station codes are not used by Northern Ireland Railways for stations in Northern Ireland.
In England, Scotland and Wales of the UK, railway stations are assigned three-letter codes and are issued by National Rail and are called the Computer Reservation System (CRS).
See also
