Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 44, 2006

A train station or railway station (also called a railroad station, rail station, or depot) is a facility at which passengers may board and alight from trains and/or goods may be loaded or unloaded. It usually consists of at least one building for passengers (and possibly goods) plus other installations associated with the functioning of the railway or railroad. Early stations were usually built with both passenger and goods facilities. This dual purpose is less common today, and in many cases goods facilities are restricted to major stations. Generally stations are sited next to a railway line, or form the terminus for a particular route. Usually platforms are present to allow passengers to access trains easily and safely. 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). 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 trams and buses may also be referred to as interchanges, as may stations offering both metro/subway and heavy-rail services.

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