Common train operations involve two trains that are joined at a station and then continue the journey as one train, or one train that is split at a station into two trains headed in different directions. Model joining and splitting in GTFS with two separate trips, one for each lineup of vehicles. Use pickup and drop off restrictions to prevent routing results that show duplicated trips for the shared part of the trip.
Joining trains
Set each section of a joined train to display the same destination on the trip_headsign. Specify that the departure board for stops C and D show only one trip direction.
Train section 1
| trip_id | stop_id | pickup_type | drop_off_type | trip_headsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trip_1 | A | 0 | 0 | E |
| trip_1 | B | 0 | 0 | E |
| trip_1 | C | 0 | 0 | E |
| trip_1 | D | 0 | 0 | E |
| trip_1 | E | 0 | 0 | E |
Train section 2
| trip_id | stop_id | pickup_type | drop_off_type | trip_headsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trip_2 | X | 0 | 0 | E |
| trip_2 | Y | 0 | 0 | E |
| trip_2 | C | 1 | 0 | E |
| trip_2 | D | 1 | 0 | E |
| trip_2 | E | 1 | 0 | E |
Splitting trains
Set each section of the split train to display a different destination trip_headsign. Specify that the departure boards for stops E, D, and C show two trips departing at the same time (one in direction A and one in direction X).
Train section 1
| trip_id | stop_id | pickup_type | drop_off_type | trip_headsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trip_1 | E | 0 | 0 | A |
| trip_1 | D | 0 | 0 | A |
| trip_1 | C | 0 | 0 | A |
| trip_1 | B | 0 | 0 | A |
| trip_1 | A | 0 | 0 | A |
Train section 2
| trip_id | stop_id | pickup_type | drop_off_type | trip_headsign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trip_2 | E | 0 | 1 | X |
| trip_2 | D | 0 | 1 | X |
| trip_2 | C | 0 | 1 | X |
| trip_2 | Y | 0 | 0 | X |
| trip_2 | X | 0 | 0 | X |
Alternative solutions
Using three trips or two trips with one long and one short trip will not work properly because the transfer information cannot be described correctly. In routing results, users would be asked to transfer although passengers can stay on board.