Conditions Influencing Location.—The features or condi tions which influence the choice of the site are :—(r) The loca tion of existing trackage and working or operating necessities of the railroad. (2) Consolidation with other railroads or the estab lishment of a "union station." (3) Co-ordination with the city street plan. (4) Off line passenger stations.—These are local sta tions for the assemblage and distribution of passengers to be trans ported to and from a principal large station by motor bus as a part of the contract service rendered by the railroad. This sub ordinate service permits the location of the main station beyond the business centre or, if the main station is at the business centre, it provides contact with outlying centres of population. (5) Loca tion and adequacy of the urban and suburban transit facilities.— If these outside agencies of transportation are developed or may be developed and relied upon to collect and distribute passengers locally, they have weight in fixing the station site. (6) Motive power, i.e., steam or electric, used to work or operate the line.— Electric operation usually permits a location nearer the business centre than would be possible with steam.
Parking facilities are an important consideration in the location of a passenger station, not only for the convenience of the rail ways' patrons but also for that of employees. Complete garages are installed in some stations.
Size of Facilities.—The size of facilities is related to the volume of business handled. In rebuilding or enlarging existing stations, due weight should be given to obtainable facts and records of actual performance in the old stations.
The elements influencing the size of the station facilities are Methods of operation.—The length and frequency of the trains generally determines the length of station platforms and the num ber of tracks. Single trains of from 12 to 16 cars (i,000 to 1,300 ft.) are now usual, with a tendency to greater length. The placing of sleeping cars for the reception of passengers in advance of leaving time is an important item in determining the number of station tracks required. Volume of future business.—The ulti mate number of trains and passengers determines the size of most of the facilities to be provided.
Classes of traffic served, such as through or suburban passenger, baggage, mail and express.—Station facilities for all through pas senger service or all suburban service can be made more compact when treated separately than when combined. The handling of baggage, mail and express traffic combined with the passenger busi ness also affects the size. As the volume of each class of traffic increases, the tendency to provide separate facilities therefor becomes stronger. Daily and yearly traffic distribution.—Sub urban traffic has hourly fluctuations with morning and afternoon peaks, and some seasonal variations. Through traffic has some
hourly and seasonal variations. Mail and express show consider able seasonal variations. All such variations influence the size of facilities required. Facilities, once tentatively determined in size, are co-ordinated or balanced one against the other to avoid over or under capacity in any particular.
Necessary Facilities.—Perhaps the most important feature of a large modern station is the concourse. It is the place where most of the services and conveniences required by the traveller are found. It gives access to the train platforms and communica tion from one platform to another. It is usually the station thoroughfare. When enclosed on all sides it becomes in effect an auxiliary waiting room. Where the concourse is either in whole or part a passenger bridge or a subway, a generous width may be provided permitting the placing of seating facilities. The floor areas involved are usually large.
Waiting Rooms.—The sizes and accessories of waiting rooms are influenced by local traffic necessities, such as the proportion of passengers changing from one train to another, the relative volume of suburban or long-distance traffic. The reliability of local trans portation to and from terminals has had its effect in reducing the size of these rooms. The tendency is to more compact waiting rooms, concourses, toilets, and other facilities.
Ticket Office.—This feature is the salesroom of the station's chief commodity, "transport." It should front on the maximum channel of traffic through the station. The ticket windows and counters should be set back from the main current of traffic afford ing room for lines at windows so that they do not interfere with the general circulation. In the earlier stations the ticket office was segregated into separate selling units for the various classes of tickets, and in many stations entirely separate rooms were so used. The modern tendency is towards general selling, that is, all tickets at all windows.
Tracks.—The through station yard has switching ladders at both ends. The stub station yard has a single throat, the tracks of the approach ladders being used in both directions. The stub end tracks terminate at the station end of platforms and are often provided with run-around switches near the dead end so that loco motives and cars on inbound trains can be released. In some cases trains are turned on "Y" tracks before entering the station for the same reason or to proceed further. The loop station yard is a stub yard converted in principle into a through yard by the looping of some or all of the dead end tracks. The composite station yard is any combination of the above types, with the tracks on one or more levels.