Rail data requirements

Rail station codes have varying systems of identification, especially compared to air data. Whilst airports are well identified by IATA (a system for airport identification which is widely accepted), train station codes vary by region, and there are no widely accepted code systems. 

A few of the systems that are used:

Good rail data will provide

- Travel date

- Distance

- Country code

This quality of data will allow us to:

1. Apply a region specific distance-based methodology (based on the country code). Providing the distance directly reduces the requirement to provide specific stations for the origin and destination, as the distance is what we need to apply a distance-based methodology.

Better rail data will provide

- Travel date

- Distance

- Origin country code

- Destination country code

This quality of data will allow us to:

1. Apply a region specific distance-based methodology (based on the country code)

2. Adjust the emission factor for international rail travel

Best rail data will provide

- Travel date

- Distance 

- Origin country code

- Origin station code (the system used for the code is identified and correct)

- Destination country code

- Destination station code (the system used for the code is identified and correct)

- Supplier

This quality of data will allow us to:

1. Apply a region specific distance-based methodology (based on the country code and the origin/destination regions)

2. Adjust the emission factor for international rail travel

3. Adjust the emission factor based on the supplier used (where available)

4. Provide insights and nudges based on your organisation's rail travel habits

The station code systems used in this tier can be any, but it's important to either limit the location codes to a identifiable system, or be able to specify which system is being used in each case.