Wikipedia:Notability (Railway lines and stations)
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This essay contains comments and advice of one or more Wikipedia contributors on the topic of notability. Essays may represent widespread norms or minority viewpoints. Consider these views with discretion. Essays are not Wikipedia policies or guidelines. |
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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. |
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[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.
[edit] Transport and parent article
- General information about transport is included within a parent article on a place, often with a dedicated section, example Kraków#Transport, and then split out per WP:Summary style into a standalone article when there is sufficient material, example Transport in Kraków
- Specific information about transport, such as stations, routes, and transport companies, is also included within an article on a place, often with a dedicated section, example Manchester#Transport, and then split out per WP:Summary style into standalone articles or lists when there is sufficient material, examples Manchester Airport, List of railway stations in Greater Manchester, First TransPennine Express, Greater Manchester bus route 192, etc.
- While there is generally some relation between transport and a place, some transport topics cover the vehicles, safety, occupations or some other non-geographic aspect of transport that doesn't require a place parent article, or the connection may be to a larger geographic location, such as British Airways to United Kingdom
- Where possible, start a transport article within the appropriate parent article, splitting out per summary style when the material becomes large enough
[edit] Rail transport specific criteria
Crieria that may make a rail transport article notable enough for a standalone article (all such crieria must be supported by a reliable source):
- Railroad and rail transport operating companies
- Railroads that have been honored at the national level with an award, i.e. Short Line Railroad of the Year or E.H. Harriman Award.
- Railroads that were first to enter or be built in major political divisions (states, provinces or nations).
- see also Wikipedia:Notability (companies and corporations)
- Rolling stock
- Generic classes by manufacturer for diesel and electric locomotives, i.e. EMD GP30 or GE U30C.
- Generic classes by railroad for steam locomotives, i.e. PRR K5 or Southern Pacific class AC-12.
- Individual equipment that has been labeled as a superlative type (only, first, last, largest, longest, smallest, oldest, etc.), i.e. El Gobernador or C. P. Huntington.
- Individual equipment labeled as historically significant by reputable and verifiable external sources, such as the National Register of Historic Places, i.e. Pere Marquette 1225. See also Wikipedia:WikiProject National Register of Historic Places.
- Equipment manufacturers
- Companies that have been labeled as a superlative type (first, largest, etc.).
- Railroad infrastructure and buildings
- Any structure labeled as historically significant by reputable and verifiable external sources, such as the National Register of Historic Places.
- Any piece of equipment or equipment part where a history of the development can be described (more than just a dictionary definition).
- 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.
- 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.
- Railroaders who have been honored at the national level in any country with an award, such as Railroader of the Year.
- 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.
- 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.
- Historical, technical and preservation organizations
- Organizations that have been recognized as superlative (i.e. first, oldest, largest, etc.) by multiple reputable external sources.
- Organizations that are stewards of equipment or facilities of historical or cultural significance (i.e. listed buildings or equipment or structures on the National Register of Historic Places, etc.).
- see also Wikipedia:Notability (organizations) (proposed) and Wikipedia:Notability (companies and corporations)
This list is not intended to be used as minimum requirements.
[edit] Transport companies and their lines and stations
If a transport company is notable, information on its products and services such as routes and stations should generally be included in the article on the company itself, unless the company article is so large that this would make the article unwieldy.
When discussion of products and services would make the article unwieldy, some editorial judgement is called for. If the products and services are considered notable enough on their own, one option is to break out the discussion of them into a separate article following WP:Summary style. If the products and services are not notable enough for their own article, the discussion of them should be trimmed and summarized into a shorter format, or even cut entirely.
If a non-notable line or station has its own article, be bold and merge the article into a parent article such as the company or geographic place article or propose it for deletion.
Note that a specific line or station may be notable on its own, without the company providing it being notable in its own right. In this case, an article on the line or station may be appropriate, and notability of the company itself is not inherited as a result.
[edit] Stations
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 or parent company. If no source material, or only directory-type information (location, function, name, address) can be provided, the subject may not merit mention at all.
[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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
[edit] Audience
When considering reliable sources, the audience must be considered per WP:CORPDEPTH. Evidence of attention by international or national, or at least regional, media is a strong indication of notability. On the other hand, attention solely from local media, or media of limited interest and circulation, is not an indication of notability.
