Railroad symbol
A line crossed by short ticks, like a track seen from above, is a railroad on a topographic map. Pairs of ticks or extra lines mean more than one track.
Easily confused with
How to read it
The USGS symbol sheet lists railroads by gauge and number of tracks: standard gauge single track, standard gauge multiple track and narrow gauge single track, all in black with the other cultural features. Its legend also has symbols for sidings, bridges, tunnels and yards. Natural Resources Canada prints railways in black, with a separate symbol for a railway that is not operational.
Also searched as: line with cross marks on a map, railroad tracks symbol, railway symbol, train tracks on a map.
These pages describe what each symbol on a map shows. They are not navigation instructions: the map’s own legend says what each of its symbols means, and symbols differ between map series and editions.
Differences by country
Ordnance Survey maps also separate multiple track from single track, and standard gauge from narrow gauge, tramway or light rail.
Look-alikes
A line with dots, or a small square, where it bends is a Power line symbol, not a railroad.
Read next
- Next in Topographic map symbolsPower line symbolA thin line with dots at intervals is a power transmission line; the dots are poles and a small square is a tower.
- The same shape in European flagsFlag of GreeceGreece’s flag is nine horizontal stripes, five blue and four white, with a white cross on a blue square in the top corner by the pole. Law 851/1978 fixes the design but gives it no meaning; readings of the nine stripes, such as the nine syllables of “Freedom or Death”, are popular tradition.
More topographic map symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with crosses or lines.
Sources
- Topographic Map Symbols, USGS General Information Product (first posted 2005), U.S. Geological Survey, Railroads and related features
- Toporama Legend, Edition 1.2, 2013 (after the NTS 1:50,000 standards and specifications), Natural Resources Canada, Legend
- Topographic Maps: The Basics, Centre for Topographic Information guide, Natural Resources Canada, What do the colours mean?
- OS Explorer map legend (1:25 000), Generic legend, version 2022-09, Ordnance Survey, Railways
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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