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- The typical grand edifice of Broad Street Station in London (demolished 1986).]] in Paris , recognizable with its clock tower.]] A train station or '''railway station''' (also called a '''railroad station'''http://www.infovisual.info/05/048_en.html, '''rail station'''http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/stationsandinterchanges/2351.aspx, '''depot'''http://www.answers.com/depot&r=67 or commonly in the UK '''station'''http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/765.aspx) is a facility at which . Early stations were sometimes built with both passenger and goods facilities; though a number of railway lines were goods only or passenger only, and if a line was dual purpose, there would often be a goods depot apart from the passenger stationhttp://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0066-622X(1961)4%3C63%3ATIOTER%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q. Dual purpose stations can sometimes still be found today, though in many cases goods facilities are restricted to major stations. Stations are sited either adjacent to a railway line, or at the end of one (in which case they are said to form the Terminus of the line). Usually raised Platforms are present to allow passengers to access trains easily and safely. Platforms may be connected by Subways , Footbridge s, or Level Crossing s; passenger facilities such as Shelter , Ticket sales and Benches can be found on the platforms or (at larger stations, where buildings exist) in the station's public buildingshttp://www.netherlandsrailways.co.uk/NS%20Station%20Furniture.htm. As well as providing services for passengers and loading facilities for goods, stations often had locomotive and rolling stock depots (which usually had facilities for storing and refuelling locomotives and rolling stock and carrying out minor repair jobs). In the USA, a railway station that is jointly used by several Rail Transport companies is sometimes called a Union Station , or an Interchange Station . Stations co-located with other transport systems such as Tram s and Bus es may also be referred to as interchangeshttp://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/bus/chorley_interchange/chorley.asp, as may stations offering both metro/subway and heavy-rail services. DEVELOPMENT railway station, Manchester . Opened in 1830, it is the oldest surviving railway station in the world.]] 's modern TGV station.]] The first stations resembled 's '' Liverpool Road Station '' is preserved as part of the Museum Of Science And Industry In Manchester . It resembles a row of Georgian houses. In rural and remote communities across Canada and the United States passengers wanting to board the train had to flag the train down in order for it to stop. Such stations were known as "Flag stops" or "Flag stations".1 Many stations — unsurprisingly — date from the 19th century and reflect the architecture of the time, grand in scale and size, lending prestige to the city as well as to railway operationshttp://www.swissinfo.org/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=5050460. 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 the construction of railway stations, from those boasting grand and intricate almost Baroque or Gothic -style edifices, to more stark Utilitarian or Modern styles. Stations in Europe followed British designs, and were in some countries, like Italy , financed by English railway companies http://members.aol.com/Zacarious1/his.italy.html. Stations built more recently often have a similar feel to airports, with a cold and plain abstract style. Examples of modern stations include those on newer High-speed Rail networks, such as the Shinkansen in Japan , TGV lines in France , Berlin's new Hauptbahnhof station, or ICE lines in Germany . Britain boasts a new modern rail terminus at Waterloo International , the end-point for the Eurostar Channel Tunnel rail services to France and Belgium . This station will cease to be the Eurostar terminal when the new St Pancras Railway Station , connected to the high-speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link , opens in 2007. TERMINUS STATIONS , Germany .]] A terminus or terminal station refers to the termination of the railway line or service at that point. All Platforms may be accessed without having to cross the Rail Tracks . This may not be true if the station yard lies behind the passenger station, but in this case the station may not strictly be regarded as a terminus. The largest and most famous rail terminal in the United States is Grand Central Terminal in New York City , USA . Often major cities, such as London , Boston , Paris or Milan will have one or more termini, rather than routes straight through the city. Train journeys through such cities often require alternative transport ( Metro , Bus or Taxi ) from one terminus to the other. Some cities, including New York, have both situations. Chicago has four major rail terminals presently in service, of which only one provides Amtrak intercity service (see Rail Stations Of Chicago ). A terminus is usually the final destination of , or Push-pull Train which can operate in either direction; use two locomotives, one at each end; or the locomotive which brought the train into the station must detach from its train and either 'run around' to the other end of the formation or be replaced at the other end by another locomotive, which takes the train out. , one of the six terminus stations of Paris .]] All of Chicago 's Metra trains reverse direction in their downtown termini, either by means of push-pull or electric multiple units; The Hague Central , Netherlands uses multiple unit at night only; Antwerp Central , Belgium has a locomotive at one end and a passenger car with driver's Cabin at the other; while Eastbourne Railway Station reverses trains running from Lewes to Hastings and vice-versa. Some stations may operate a reverse service, even though the station is not a terminal, such as Redhill , for trains from Gatwick Airport to Reading ; and Konstanz Bahnhof, for trains to and from Germany as well as trains to and from Schaffhausen in Switzerland . STATION FACILITIES Railway stations usually include either ticket booths, or s, Left-luggage , Lost-and-found , Departures And Arrivals Boards , luggage carts, Waiting Room s, Taxi Rank s and Bus bays. Larger or manned stations tend to have a greater range of facilities. A most basic station might only have platforms, though it would still be distinguished from a halt, a stopping or halting place that may not even have platforms., In many Africa n and South America n countries, stations are used as a place for public markets and other informal business. This is especially true on Tourist routes or stations near Tourist Destination s as souvenirs can be made and sold to "wealthy" visitors to the county. CONFIGURATIONS OF RAILWAY STATIONS ''See also Railway Station Layouts '' in East Sussex , England serves trains passing through the station. Passengers reach the island platform (on right) by a pedestrian footbridge.]] In addition to the basic configuration of a railway station, various features set certain types of station apart. The first is the , 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 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. Elevated stations are more common, not including metro stations. Stations located at level crossings can be problematic if the train blocks the roadway while it stops, causing drivers to wait for an extended period of time. An unusual configuration is where the station serves railway lines at differing levels. This may be due to the station's situation at a point where two lines cross (example: or Philadelphia's 30th Street Station ), or simply two different destinations. Stations may also be classified on the layout of the platforms. Apart from single-track lines, the most basic arrangement is a pair of railway tracks for the two directions; but even there there is a basic choice of an island platform between the tracks, or two separate platforms outside the tracks. With more tracks, the possibilities expand. Some stations have unusual platform layouts, due to space constraints of the station location, or the alignment of the railway lines. Examples include staggered platforms, such as Tutbury And Hatton Railway Station on the Derby - Crewe line, and curved stations (and platforms), such as Cheadle Hulme Railway Station on the Macclesfield to Manchester Line. STOPS During a journey, the term station stop may be used in announcements, to differentiate a halt during which passengers may alight, from a halt for another reason, such as a Locomotive Change . A railway stop is a spot along a Railway Line , where Passenger s can board and exit the Train ; US usage is '''flag stop'''. The term station stop is used to differentiate a stop for a station from a stop for another reason, such as an engine change or a flag stop, which is usually between two Stations or at a seldom-used station. While a junction or Interlocking usually divides two or more Railway lines or routes, and thus has remotely or locally operated Signals , a station stop does not. A station stop usually does not have any other tracks than the main tracks, and no Switches , although many exceptions exist where a station stop is within Interlocking limits. Halts A halt, in railway parlance, is a small Railway Station , usually unstaffed and with few facilities. Despite the name, trains only halt there "on request"; i.e. when a passenger on the platform indicates that they wish to board, or a passenger on the train informs the crew that they wish to alight. In the United Kingdom most, if still in existence, have had the word ''halt'' removed from their title in recent years. Where the description is still used (verbally, if not actually on the station signs) it is usually a station served by public services but not available for use by the general public, being accessible only by persons travelling to/from an associated factory (e.g. IBM Halt ), military base (e.g. Lympstone Commando ) or railway yard. ACCESSIBILITY Accessibility for people with disabilities is important in station design and mandated by law in some countries. Considerations include: elevator or ramp access to all platforms, matching platform height to train floors, making wheelchair lifts available when platforms do not match vehicle floors, accessible toilets and pay phones, audible station announcements, safety measures such as tactile marking of platform edges. SUPERLATIVES is the world's tallest railway station building.]] is Europe's busiest station.]] The world's busiest station, in terms of daily passenger throughput, is Shinjuku Station in Tokyo , Japan http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/machines_and_engineering/building_the_biggest/busiest_railway/index.shtml. Ikebukuro Station , just minutes away, is the world's second-busiest. The Gare Du Nord , in Paris , is the world's third-busiest and Europe's busiest. The world's largest station, in terms of floor area, is Nagoya Station in Nagoya , Japan http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/travel/nagoya_station.htm. However, the Nagoya Station complex incorporates two office towers and an underground shopping concourse, so the railway terminal itself is not large in comparison to others. Its title of world's largest station complex building will be soon lost to London Bridge . Shinjuku Station is the second largest. In terms of platform capacity, the world's largest station is Grand Central Terminal in New York City , USA http://grandcentralterminal.com/pages/getpage.aspx?id=D5951371-A00A-49AC-8ED6-4542CB719A69. The Shanghai South Railway Station , opened in June 2006, has the world's largest circular transparent roofhttp://english.people.com.cn/200606/26/eng20060626_277464.html. Berlin Hauptbahnhof , opened May 2006, is Europe's largest stationhttp://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2032338,00.html. Clapham Junction , in South London is the busiest in terms of Rail Traffic with, at peak times, a train every 13 seconds. Châtelet-Les Halles , in the centre of Paris , is the world's largest underground stationhttp://www.ratp.fr/common/ressources/concertation_p1.pdf. SEE ALSO
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