Public transport stops
A stop is a place where a bus, tram, metro, train or boat picks up and drops off passengers. In Norway, all stops are collected in Nasjonalt stoppestedsregister (NSR, the national stop place register), operated by the state-owned company Entur. Each stop has a stable identifier (NSR ID), a position, names in several languages, and details about platforms, accessibility and which lines stop there.
Responsibility for the physical design is shared. Statens vegvesen (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration) and county public transport companies such as Ruter, Skyss, AtB and Kolumbus own and operate the stops within their own area, while Bane NOR owns the railway stations. NSR brings this together in one register, and the data is published as open APIs under the NLOD licence so that both journey planners and third-party tools can build on the same basis.
For property developers, the stop is rarely interesting on its own, but the distance to it is. Many municipalities use walking distance to public transport (typically 400 to 1,000 metres) as a criterion for densification, parking standards and sequencing requirements in zoning. A new housing project within 500 metres of a high-frequency stop can get away with considerably fewer parking spaces than one located 1,200 metres away, and the difference can be decisive for both project economics and rental value. For commercial property, accessibility forms part of analyses of the target group and trade area: an office building at a transport hub recruits from a different commuter catchment than one out along a main road.
Stops are linked to public transport routes: a stop with no lines that actually stop there has little value. It is the combination of stop, frequency and route network that tells you how well an area is served by public transport.
In Placepoint you see stops as a transport map layer together with the public transport routes, and you can measure the walking distance from a property to the nearest stop directly in the map.
How the dataset appears in the map
The dataset is part of the map layer Infrastructure as Public transport stops:
From Placepoint's dictionary: Public transport stops
More information: Entur: about Nasjonalt stoppestedsregister, Statens vegvesen: stop place manual V123
Norwegian: Holdeplasser.
Frequently asked questions
What is a public transport stop?
Stops are places along a bus route, tram line or metro line where passengers can get on and off. Access to good public transport stops increases the attractiveness of homes and commercial properties.
Why do stops matter for property value?
The distance to the nearest stop affects both housing prices and commercial rents. Properties within walking distance of public transport hubs typically have a higher value and attract tenants and buyers.
Where do I find data about stops in Norway?
Stop data is available through Ruter (Oslo), Skyss (Bergen), AtB and other public transport companies. Nasjonalt stoppestedsregister contains data for all stops in Norway. Placepoint shows these as map layers.
What do stops mean for developers?
The distance to public transport is an important sequencing requirement and planning condition. Many municipalities require new homes to be located within walking distance (often 500 to 1,000 metres) of public transport.
Can I see stops on the map in Placepoint?
Yes, Placepoint includes stops and public transport routes as map layers, which makes it easy to assess the public transport offering for a specific property and area.