Coding MET light rail stops

Understanding MET codes

MET is one of the Stop Type codes in the NaPTAN numbering system for public transport access nodes.

The MET code denotes that the stop is a station on a tram, underground or light rail system. It is used in conjunction with other codes for the platforms (PLT) and station entrances (TMU) and together they describe the layout of the station and reference it into the national and local numbering systems. This overcomes problems where tram stops have appeared as bus stops, or underground stations cannot be found listed as rail stations.

There are definitive notes on how to use MET codes available which support the brief explanation given here.

Is there a tram or light rail system in my area?

Because there are about 90 heritage railways and 20 tram systems around the UK many authorities may need to use the MET codes. The following is a list of rail systems which have been identified so far:

Railway	MET status	In NaPTAN?
Blackpool Trams	DfT poposed
Croydon Tramlink	Completed	Yes
Docklands Light Railway	Completed	Yes
Festiniog Railway	DfT poposed
Glasgow Underground	Completed	Yes
Great Orme Railway	DfT proposed
London Underground	Completed	Yes
Manchester MetroLink	DfT oroposed
Midland Metro	DfT proposed
Nottingham Express Transit	DfT poposed
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch	DfT poposed
Sheffield Supertram	DfT poposed
Tyne & Wear Metro	DfT working with NETIS
Wensleydale Railway	DfT proposed

How do I obtain the codes?

Once you have identified the light rail system you can list the stations on the system and the number of platforms at each. If you have OS coordinates for each platform and a central one to describe the whole station these would be useful too. You may already have this information held in your local system. Provide this information through your traveline region to request that Transport Direct, through their contractor Thales, allocate codes for each station and platform, and StopAreas that will relate them.

The MET code for each station will be provided in the form 9400ZZaannn where aa is a code for the rail system and nnn is a code for the station.

The PLT code for each platform at the station will be the same as the MET code but have the plaform number added to it.

940G stopareas will be created too in the Groups/csv file.

The codes that have been allocated so far are in the 940 "National -Tram/Underground" section of the NaPTAN database. In NaPTAN viewer a symbol has been allocated to MET points and their location can be pinpointed they do not seem to appear on the maps yet.

An example is Acton Town Underground Station on London Underground:

9400ZZLUACT         Acton Town Underground Station
9400ZZLUACT1        Acton Town-Underground-1
9400ZZLUACT2        Acton Town-Underground-2
9400ZZLUACT3        Acton Town-Underground-3
9400ZZLUACT4        Acton Town-Underground-4

The data set is completed by the local authority generating TMU (station entrance) codes. They use the local area prefix instead of 940 but the rest of the code is the same as the MET code. A suffix number is attached sequentially for each entrance to the station. For example:

4900ZZLUACT1        Station entrance

where 4900 is the code for NaPTAN points in London.

When these have been allocated they can be notified to Thales to be added to the StopArea files for each station.

How to use the codes?

If you already have data for the tram or light rail service in your data system then you will need to align the existing numbers with the new numbers. Although the MET system can cope with service data that has not been coded to specific platforms, this would be a good opportunity to upgrade your data. If you have provided the OS coordinates from your existing system then these should match up exactly.

If you use full NaPTAN codes in your existing data system then you will be planning to convert your data to the new codes. If you use a look up table then the matches you have found will go into the lookup table.

Before proceeding to implement the scheme you need to discuss the plans with your traveline region and Transport Direct to ensure that all implications are considered and the transition is smooth. You will need to ensure that any implications for walk links, and interchanges are followed through in your data. Exactly how you do this will depend on your data system. One way to proceed may be for a short while to have a copy of your light rail timetable data. One copy with the old station codes the other with the new MET codes. Once the new 9400 codes appear in the National NaPTAN data you will be able to use only the new version.

Once the data has been set up it should be straightforward to maintain data coded in this way. Fortunately changes to stations, platforms and even station entrances will not occur very often.