Page 469 - 360.revista de Alta Velocidad - Nº 6

Atlas-rail: geo-referenced database on high-speed

Figure 2. Coordinate System selection in QGIS

Source: Independently produced

Therefore, both the railroad tracks of the Atlas-Rail Project and the high-speed stations will be
referenced in these systems.

2.2.2 GIS geo-referenced layers

In Atlas-Rail project, information is organized in two layers (lines/sections and stations),
independent of each other. This implies that a train station can act as a start or end of a
highspeed line and start of another or be placed in a intermediate position within a line. Thus,
to change a section or line, it is necessary, at least, one change in the value of one of the
attributes of the line layer.
Regarding attributes, different fields have been included in line layer: an unique identification
code, name of the line or section, state of implementation (in operation or under construction),
year of opening, the country it belongs to, distance in kilometres and maximum speed.
For the latter attribute, kilometres per hour are used as a unit. Reference is made to the
maximum commercial speed at which the fastest train traveling on that line or section can
travel.
According to data available or accessible, more attributes can be added to the table, for
example: gauge, electrification system, signalling, traffic type (passengers or mixed), maximum
gradient…

International Congress on High-speed Rail: Technologies and Long Term Impacts - Ciudad Real (Spain) - 25th anniversary Madrid-Sevilla corridor 467