National Public Transport Gazetteer (NPTG) Overview
 
  1. What is the NPTG For?
  2. How are NPTG Localities identified?
  3. How can NPTG localities be described?
  4. What is the NPTG database?
  5. What is the NPTG XML schema?
  6. What is the NPTG Discovery XML schema?
  7. What is the NPTG CSV format?
  8. What is the NPTG UML Model?
  9. How are NPTG elements edited?
  10. How do I download  NPTG elements?

What is NPTG for?

NPTG provides a unique identifier for every of town and settlement in the UK to which  passengers might want to travel, together with meaningful text descriptions.  This enables both computerised transport systems and the general public to find and reference the locality unambiguously. NPTG is used to organise  NaPTAN stop points.

NPTG consists of the following elements:

  1. A standard for identifying and naming localities.
  2. A database of all the localities points in the UK.
  3. An XML Schema for exchanging localities as XML documents content.  All or part of the database may be exchanged in this format.
  4. An exchange format for exchanging localities as csv files.

Underpinning NaPTAN & NPTG are UML Models.

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NPTG Locality Identifiers 

NPTG locality identifiers are a systematic way of identifying of all UK localities where there is access to public transport.  .  

  • Every UK village, town, settlement and metropolitan area  is allocated a unique NPTG locality Identifier.

  • Localities can be organised into a hierarchy of geographical containment

  • Localities can be assigned a classification.

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NPTG Stop Point Descriptors

NPTG localities have a  text descriptor elements associated with them including a qualifier to distinguish them from any similarly named localities.  These elements can be combined with NaPTAN Stop Point names in different ways to provide  presentations of PT access point names useful for  many different contexts, for example on maps, stop finders, timetables etc.

  • NPTG localities may also have alternative names, for example for aliases for  different national languages.

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The NPTG database

The NPTG  database holds a current copy of all UK localities. It is maintained with an on-line tool. 

The NPTG  database is maintained centrally by Thales under contract to the Department of Transport by Thales.

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The NPTG CSV Exchange Format

NPTG  data can be exchanged in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) format. The structure of this format is described in full by the NaPTAN documentation.

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The NPTG XML Schemas

NPTG  data is described by two related XML schemas; these  can be used to describe NPTG data when exchanging it between systems as XML documents.

  • NPTG Schema: Describes topographical data
  • NPTG Discovery Schema : Describes computers services associated with topographical areas, and configuration data for interfacing them, such as Adjacent Area Exchange Points.

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The NPTG UML Models

NPTG & NaPTAN data conforms to a family of consistent, interlocking data models. The models are described in the NPTG & NaPTAN Schema Guide using UML notation. 

NPTG Models

NPTG  NPTG Discovery 

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