Wikipedia:Notability (Railway lines and stations)

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This is an essay; it contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. It is not a policy or guideline, and editors are not obliged to follow it.
This page in a nutshell: An article about a railway station or railway line could be created if there's enough referenced information to make it encyclopedic. Otherwise, include the station or line in a parent article.


Contents

[edit] Notability

A topic is presumed to be notable if it has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject. For general advice on notability of articles see WP:N.

The primary Wikipedia notability criteria for organisations (WP:ORG) would also need to be consulted. In particular, a company, corporation, organization, group, product, or service is notable if it has been the subject of coverage in secondary sources. Such sources must be reliable, and independent of the subject. The depth of coverage of the subject by the source must be considered. If the depth of coverage is not substantial, then multiple independent sources should be cited to establish notability. Trivial or incidental coverage of a subject by secondary sources is not sufficient to establish notability. Once notability is established, primary sources may be used to add content. Ultimately, and most importantly, all content must be attributable.

When that has been done, train specific criteria may be considered. That an article meets one or more of these criteria, or doesn't meet any of them, is not by itself proof of notability.

[edit] Rail transport specific criteria

  1. Railroad and rail transport operating companies
  1. Rolling stock
  1. Equipment manufacturers
  • Currently operating manufacturers.
  • Companies that have been labeled as a superlative type (first, largest, etc.).
  • Companies that have been depicted on postage stamps in any country.
  1. Railroad infrastructure and buildings

Note that discussion is ongoing for notability guidelines on railway and rapid transit/subway stations.

  • Any structure labeled as historically significant by reputable and verifiable external sources, such as the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Structures that have appeared on postage stamps in any country.
  • Any piece of equipment or equipment part where a history of the development can be described (more than just a dictionary definition).
  1. Rail transport museums
  • Any museum whose collection includes culturally or historically significant rolling stock or infrastructure, such as equipment or structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  1. People

For articles on living people, the Wikipedia policy Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons applies, and must be consulted. In all cases Wikipedia:Notability (people) should also be consulted.

  • Founders, Presidents, CEOs and Chief Mechanical Engineers of railroad companies.
  • Railroaders who have been honored at the national level in any country with an award, such as Railroader of the Year.
  • Railroaders who have appeared on postage stamps in any country, i.e. Jimmie Rodgers (the "singing brakeman") or Casey Jones.
  • Railroaders who have been identified as noteworthy by reputable and verifiable external sources, such as those who appear in: White, John H., Jr. (Spring 1986). "America's most noteworthy railroaders". Railroad History 154: pp. 9-15. ISSN 0090-7847. OCLC 1785797. 
  1. Events
  • Events that served as important turning points in rail transport history.
  • Accidents where a significant number of casualties or a significant amount of property damage occur (this is purposely not nailed down to a specific number for either criterion).
  • Accidents that form the basis for rail transport legislation.
  • Events that have been labeled as historically significant by reputable and verifiable external sources.
  1. Historical, technical and preservation organizations

This list is not intended to be used as minimum requirements.

[edit] Stations suggestion

There are many thousands of railway and subway stations. The question is sometimes raised as to whether one of these places is notable enough for a standalone article. Wikipedia:Notability says: "A topic is presumed to be notable if it has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject."

It may be considered that if enough attributable information exists about a station or railway line to write a full and comprehensive article about it, it may make sense for the subject to have its own article. If some source material is available, but is insufficient for a comprehensive article, it is better to mention the subject under the article for its parent locality. If no source material, or only directory-type information (location, function, name, address) can be provided, the subject may not merit mention at all.

It is the purpose of this essay to suggest how to apply methods illustrated in existing policies and guidelines to this situation. It is not the purpose of this essay to create new methods of handling concerns about these articles, nor to define additional criteria for inclusion or deletion of these articles.

[edit] Wikipedia is not a timetable

Simply replicating information from published timetables, or repeating information (such as train times or service hours) which is subject to frequent change, may be considered directory writing. Distinguish between stating, for example, that a station is served by a certain number of trains per hour, and specifying the times of those trains. The former is information about the significance of the station; the latter is timetable information.

[edit] Wikipedia is not a travel guide

Articles on stations could include information about their facilities and amenities, but providing a listing of every ordinary or mundane facility may be considered excessive. It is not notable to tell us that a station has toilets, but it may be to tell us that the station had/s Motorail facilities. If the station has a shopping centre attached, tell us this; there is no need to specify the shops.

[edit] Stations are in places and on lines

Articles about stations could be linked to articles about the places they are in (or serve) and the lines or systems they are part of. Where there is no article about a station, information can be presented in the article about the place and/or in the article about the relevant train line or company. Such articles could be linked, and, where possible, linked to the relevant section of the article.

[edit] Stations are more than just places trains stop

An article on a station could include information on any buildings, public art, or associated infrastructure. Ideally, there could be relevant images to illustrate these, and aspects of architectural notability could be included (e.g. the architect, listing on historic registers, unusual elements, etc.).

[edit] Use redirects

A redirect to a section of an article about a place (or about a train line or system) which presents information about a specific station may be more appropriate than an article about that station.

[edit] Include maps and diagrams

Articles on train systems and lines could include maps and diagrams. The former show the geography of a system or line; the latter indicate the relationship of different lines or stations.

[edit] Use tables to summarize lines

Where only basic information about related stations exist, considering presenting it as a table within a relevant article, rather than creating articles for each station.

[edit] Don't repeat information unnecessarily

If information is presented in an article on a line, it does not necessarily need to be repeated in an article about a station (or vice versa). Consider whether the information is appropriate to the station in particular, or the line in general, and place it accordingly. Links between articles should allow a reader to obtain all of the information.