NaPTAN

Documentation

There are various websites and documents available:

www.naptan.org.uk - schemas and technical information for NaPTAN2.
Thales website - NaPTAN, National Gazetteer, uploading.
TD data guide
NaPTAN viewer Guidance Notes (November 2009) - 2.3Mb PDF

A quick guide to NaPTAN stop point naming

A Simple Guide to the Key Features of NaPTAN was published in Spring 2007. Download a Word version (4Mb)

Most data currently in use has been based on the guidance notes for NaPTAN1 which are provided in PDF format (1822k) or Word format (2428k).

Most data has been changed to NaPTAN2 format which, if the relevant fields are populated, allows more precision to the stop naming, features to assist real time bus tracking systems, and better control of dating of records. How does NaPTAN2 compare with NaPTAN1?

Downloading and Viewing NaPTAN

A snapshot of NaPTAN, updated every quarter is available at data.gov.uk

If you need more regularly updated NaPTAN you can find out when NaPTAN data for each area was last updated.

If you can meet terms and conditions for use of NaPTAN you can obtain a password to download NaPTAN and the National Gazetteer for particular areas or for the whole of UK.

With the appropriate passwords you can view NaPTAN points and associated data in the NaPTAN viewer or ITO

If you are not eligible for a password NaPTAN points are also visible to the public in Tranport Direct maps and you can search for particular bus stops by name if you use the "all stops" option. If you know the SMS number you can enter that in the "all stops" search.

GoogleMaps now show NaPTAN points with a blue bus stop symbol.

OpenStreetMap are importing NaPTAN bus stops into their maps in many areas of the UK. more details

Filtering NaPTAN downloads

When downloading and importing NaPTAN to a system, perhaps a journey planner or a scheduling system, the names in NaPTAN2 need to be assembled to meet the needs of the system. It is suggested that a series of filters may be required:

a) Default Filter. The recommended naming combines Locality+CommonName+Indicator
b) Area Filter. You may decide that the NaPTAN data for a particular local authority area does not suit the default filter and needs to be put together in a different way to be compatable with your system and preferences. eg CommonName+Street
c) Exceptions file. If the above fail, a specific NaPTAN point could be added to the exceptions file and given the name or other characteristics that you need in your system.

When NaPTAN data is imported each record is first checked for a match against the Exceptions file, then the area filter. If no match is found the default filter is used.

The process may also be able to look for duplicates and remove them, for instance when the Locality is repeated in the Common Name.

Dating on the filters and exception records will allow them to be reviewed in a consistent way against updates to NaPTAN. Eventually we may get to the ideal position where no filters or exceptions are needed but realistically this is a long way off.