OS 50K Symbols - Railways
Great Britain 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster Mapping Extracts © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey. All Rights Reserved. Educational licence 100045616.
Contents
on Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps, with map extracts showing the symbols. On the maps a blue circle is on or near
the symbol. Use the mouse to move the pointer over the blue circle on a map to hide it.
Click on a thumbnail to see a page with a larger photo, other photo details, and a larger section of the
1:50,000 Ordnance Survey map.
The article Ordnance Survey Map Symbols
gives an introduction, and links to others in the set of articles.
Track multiple or single
SP5012 : Oxford to Bicester railway single track
TQ5346 : Railway between Penshurst and Leigh Stations (This railway is multiple track, in a cutting)
Bridges
SE2537 : Railway Bridge over Ring Road, Horsforth / West Park (railway over road)
SE5036 : Road Bridge by Church Fenton Station (road over railway)
Footbridge
NS8547 : Fiddler's Grill
Track under construction
NO7396 : Railway revival 2
(In October 2007 this map shows the dashed black line symbol for a railway under construction - but this will change when the railway is finished and the map is redrawn)
Dismantled and disused railways
These are not shown on the OS key. They may have the words "dismantled" (or an abbreviation) which generally applies where there have been rails but they have been removed, "disused" where the rails are still in existence.NO7596 : Up-line near Upper Mills of Crathes Dashed line with words "dismantled railway"
SJ2824 : Morton Common road crosses the Oswestry to Welshpool railway Word "disused" beside black line symbol for railway
Level crossing
NN9915 : Private level crossing (Symbol is abbreviation "LC")
Siding
TQ2182 : Old Oak Common Sidings
Viaduct
TL8928 : Chappel Viaduct, Near Wakes Colne, Essex
Tunnel
SP5769 : Kilsby Tunnel
Some tunnels have air shafts, shown by a small circle within the tunnel line, as here:
SE2441 : Air shaft, Bramhope Tunnel
Stations
SO5174 : Looking South from Ludlow Station Station
ST1875 : Cardiff Central Station Principal station
Light rapid transit system, narrow gauge or tramway
The OS symbol for the line of these is a continuous narrow black line with short lines across it; but in many cases the line is shown by a wider black line, the symbol used for other railways. Also, there is a special symbol for stations on these lines, a yellow circle; but often the symbol is a red circle, as for other railway stations.)
SP0090 : West Bromwich Midland Metro Tram Station Light rapid transit system
TQ4380 : King George V Station, Docklands Light Railway Note that station has a yellow symbol, but light railway has a wider black line as for other railways. (The DLR was extended to Woolwich in January 2009 so this is no longer the end of the line).
SH6054 : Snowdon Mountain Railway narrow gauge (note that station is a red circle, not a yellow one)
SJ2007 : Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway narrow gauge (symbol in this case is continuous black line with pairs of short lines across it)
TQ2768 : Croydon Tramlink track West of A217. tramway
Station on light rapid transit system
SJ7891 : Brooklands Metrolink Station (symbol is yellow circle)
Railway cutting and embankment are shown under "land features"
Great Britain 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster Mapping Extracts © Crown copyright Ordnance Survey. All Rights Reserved. Educational licence 100045616.