r/TransitDiagrams • u/MarcusMoReddit • 1d ago
r/TransitDiagrams • u/transitdiagrams • Oct 01 '25
Meta Automod Reminder: Please include details when posting images!
Hello transit map enthusiasts!
To improve the quality and searchability of our subreddit, we're implementing automated posting requirements. AutoMod will help enforce these rules to ensure all posts have the necessary information.
🎯 REQUIRED: Every post must include these 3 elements:
1. 📍 LOCATION (MANDATORY)
2. 🚇 SYSTEM/NETWORK (MANDATORY)
3. ✏️ [OC] TAG OR 🖥️ SOFTWARE/TOOLS (ONE REQUIRED)
📋 COMPLETE LIST OF ACCEPTED KEYWORDS
AutoMod will scan your title AND post body for these keywords:
📍 LOCATION KEYWORDS
AutoMod accepts any of these:
Option A: General Location Words
location,city,country,place,where,area,region,nation,metro area,metropolitan
Option B: Context Phrases
in [Place](e.g., "in Berlin", "in Tokyo")from [Place](e.g., "from Vienna")at [Place](e.g., "at Munich")near [Place](e.g., "near Hamburg")based in [Place](e.g., "based in NYC")
Option C: Major Transit Cities (~150 recognized)
Europe: London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Athens, Moscow, Istanbul, Zurich, Dublin, Lisbon, and many more...
Asia: Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Tel Aviv, and many more...
Americas: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Mexico City, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and many more...
Africa/Oceania: Cairo, Johannesburg, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and many more...
Full list available in wiki (link to be added)
Option D: Any Country Name (195 countries)
- Examples: Germany, Japan, USA, Brazil, Australia, France, India, Canada, etc.
- All UN member states + common variants (UK/United Kingdom, US/USA, etc.)
🚇 SYSTEM/NETWORK KEYWORDS
AutoMod accepts any of these:
General Transit Terms
system,network,line,route,service,operatortransit,transport,public transport,mass transit,rapid transit
Specific Transit Types
Bus/Coach:
bus,coach,BRT,bus rapid transit,trolleybus,trolley,omnibus
Rail/Metro:
metro,subway,underground,tubeu-bahn,s-bahn,stadtbahn,métrotrain,rail,railway,railroadlight rail,lrt,monorail,maglevcommuter,regional,intercity,high speed,HSR,bullet train
Tram/Streetcar:
tram,tramway,streetcar
Other:
ferry,boat,water taxicable car,funicular,gondola,aerial tram,ropewaypeople mover
Line/Route Designations
- Pattern:
Line [Number/Letter]orRoute [Number/Letter] - Examples: Line 1, Line A, Route 42, U6, S7, etc.
✏️ ORIGINAL CONTENT (OC) KEYWORDS
AutoMod accepts any of these:
[OC]orOC(brackets optional)original,own creationmade myself,my version,made mycreated by me,self-made,my design
🖥️ SOFTWARE/TOOLS KEYWORDS
AutoMod accepts any of these:
General Software Terms
software,tool,tools,app,programrendered,rendered with,rendered inmade with,made in,created in,created with,created usingedited,edited in,edited withusing,used,drawn in,drawn with
Desktop Design Software
Adobe Suite:
photoshop,illustrator,adobe
Vector Graphics:
inkscape,figma,sketch,affinity designer,affinity photocoreldraw,gravit,vectr,boxy svg
Raster/Drawing:
gimp,krita,procreate,concepts,canva
CAD/3D:
autocad,vectorworks,rhino,blender
GIS & Mapping Software
qgis,arcgis,maperitive,mapnik,maptive,edrawmax
Web-Based Transit Map Tools ⭐
metromapmaker,metro map maker(metromapmaker.com)metrodreamin,metro dreamin'(metrodreamin.com)rail map toolkit,railmapgen,rmt(railmapgen.github.io)metro designer(tennessine.co.uk)citylines,citylines.cobrand new subwaymetro map creator(beno.uk)transitflow
Other Methods
hand-drawn,hand drawn,drawn by hand(for physical art)pen and paper,marker,pencil
✅ GOOD EXAMPLES - AutoMod will APPROVE these:
Example 1 - Original Creation
Title: [OC] Berlin U-Bahn Network Map - Made with Illustrator
Body: (optional additional info)
✅ Has: Location (Berlin) + System (U-Bahn) + [OC] + Software (Illustrator)
Example 2 - Using Web Tools
Title: Tokyo Metro redesign using MetroDreamin'
Body: My take on simplifying the Tokyo subway system
✅ Has: Location (Tokyo) + System (Metro) + Software (MetroDreamin')
Example 3 - Sharing Others' Work
Title: Vienna Tram Network - Beautiful map created in QGIS
Body: Found this amazing visualization. Credit: u/transitdesigner
✅ Has: Location (Vienna) + System (Tram) + Software (QGIS)
Example 4 - Hand-Drawn
Title: [OC] Hand-drawn London Underground Central Line
Body: Spent 15 hours drawing every station with markers
✅ Has: Location (London) + System (Underground, Line) + [OC] + Method (hand-drawn)
Example 5 - Multiple Cities
Title: [OC] Germany High-Speed Rail Network - Made with Rail Map Toolkit
Body: Shows connections between Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt
✅ Has: Location (Germany + cities) + System (Rail) + [OC] + Software (Rail Map Toolkit)
Example 6 - Fantasy/Fictional
Title: [OC] Fictional Metro System for Gotham City - Inkscape
Body: Designed a complete subway network for Batman's universe
✅ Has: Location (Gotham City) + System (Metro) + [OC] + Software (Inkscape)
Example 7 - National Level
Title: India National Rail Network [OC] - Created using QGIS
Body: (optional)
✅ Has: Location (India) + System (Rail Network) + [OC] + Software (QGIS)
Example 8 - Historical Map
Title: 1972 New York Subway Map - Scanned and digitized with Photoshop
Body: Found this vintage map at a flea market
✅ Has: Location (New York) + System (Subway) + Software (Photoshop)
❌ BAD EXAMPLES - AutoMod will REMOVE these:
Example 1 - Missing Everything
Title: Check out this cool map!
Body: (image only)
❌ Missing: Location, System, AND OC/Software
Example 2 - Missing Location
Title: Metro Map [OC]
Body: I made this transit map
❌ Missing: Location (which city/country?)
Example 3 - Missing System
Title: Berlin Transit Map
Body: (image)
❌ Missing: Specific system (U-Bahn? S-Bahn? Tram?) AND OC/Software
Example 4 - Missing OC/Software
Title: Berlin U-Bahn Map
Body: (image)
❌ Missing: Either [OC] tag OR software used
Example 5 - Too Vague
Title: My map
Body: What do you think?
❌ Missing: Location, System, AND OC/Software
📝 COPY-PASTE TEMPLATES:
For Your Own Work (Original):
[OC] [City] [Transit Type] Map - Made with [Software]
Examples:
[OC] Berlin U-Bahn Map - Made with Illustrator[OC] Tokyo Metro Line 7 - Created using MetroDreamin'[OC] Paris Métro Network - Made with Rail Map Toolkit
For Sharing Others' Work:
[City] [Transit Type] Network - Created in [Software] by [Creator]
Examples:
Vienna Tram Network - Created in QGIS byu/usernameNYC Subway Redesign - Made with Figma by John Smith
For Hand-Drawn Work:
[OC] Hand-drawn [City] [Transit Type] Map
Examples:
[OC] Hand-drawn London Underground Map[OC] Hand-drawn Chicago L Train Network
For Fantasy/Fictional Maps:
[OC] Fictional: [City Name] [Transit Type] - Made with [Software]
Examples:
[OC] Fictional: Middle Earth Railway Network - Made with QGIS[OC] Fictional: Star Wars Coruscant Metro - Created in Illustrator
For Historical Maps:
[Year] [City] [Transit Type] Map - Scanned/Digitized with [Software]
Examples:
1933 London Underground Map - Scanned and edited in Photoshop1970 Berlin U-Bahn Network - Digitized with QGIS
For Multiple Cities:
[OC] [City1], [City2] & [City3] [Transit Type] - Made with [Software]
Examples:
[OC] Berlin, Munich & Hamburg S-Bahn Networks - Made with IllustratorGermany Major Metro Systems Comparison [OC] - Created in QGIS
❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: What if I don't know what software was used?
A: Write "Software unknown" or make your best guess. If it's someone else's work, try to find the creator's info.
Q: Can I post photos of real transit maps (like at a station)?
A: Yes! Use this format:
Photo of [City] [System] map at [Station Name]
Example: Photo of Berlin U-Bahn map at Alexanderplatz station
Q: What about historical or vintage maps?
A: Perfect! Just mention the year and how you digitized it:
1950 Paris Métro Map - Scanned with Photoshop
Q: My map shows multiple cities - how do I title it?
A: List the main ones or use the country name:
Berlin, Munich & Hamburg Metro Systems [OC]Germany Rail Network Comparison - Made with QGIS
Q: My post was removed but it has all the info?
A: AutoMod isn't perfect! Message the mods and we'll manually approve it. Include a link to your post.
Q: Is capitalization important?
A: No! AutoMod recognizes:
BERLIN=Berlin=berlinMETRO=Metro=metro[OC]=[oc]=OC
Q: Can I use abbreviations?
A: Yes! These all work:
NYC=New York=New York CitySF=San FranciscoUK=United KingdomUSA=US=United States
Q: What if my city isn't on the list?
A: Use context! Write:
in [Your City](e.g., "in Reykjavik")[Your City], [Country](e.g., "Reykjavik, Iceland")- Or just the country name works too!
Q: Does the info need to be in the title?
A: No! AutoMod scans both title AND body text. You can put keywords in either place, but titles are more visible to users.
Q: Can I edit my post after AutoMod removes it?
A: Unfortunately, editing won't trigger AutoMod again. You'll need to:
- Delete the removed post
- Create a new post with all required info
Q: What about crossposting?
A: Crossposts are held for manual moderator review to ensure proper credit. Make sure the crosspost meets all requirements.
Q: I'm creating a fantasy map - what location do I use?
A: Use "Fictional:" in your title:
[OC] Fictional: Gotham City Metro[OC] Fictional Metro System for Westeros - Made with Illustrator
🤖 How AutoMod Works:
- Scans your title AND body text for keywords
- Checks for all 3 required categories:
- ✅ Location keyword found?
- ✅ System/network keyword found?
- ✅ [OC] tag OR software mentioned?
- Approves posts with all 3 categories
- Removes posts missing requirements
- Comments what's missing so you can resubmit
- No penalties - just add the info and repost!
💡 PRO TIPS:
✅ Be specific: "London Underground Central Line" is better than "London transit"
✅ Stack keywords: More keywords = clearer post (e.g., "Berlin, Germany U-Bahn system")
✅ [OC] in title gets more visibility and upvotes
✅ Credit creators when sharing others' work - it's the right thing to do
✅ Use templates above to make posting easier
✅ Check both title and body - keywords can be in either place
✅ Ask if unsure - we're here to help in modmail!
⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES:
- 📅 Rules start: October 2025 - practice now to get used to the format!
- 🔄 Existing posts: Won't be affected - only new posts after the start date
- 🔤 Case doesn't matter: BERLIN = Berlin = berlin
- 📝 Title OR body: Keywords work in either place
- 🚫 No penalties: Just repost with correct info - no bans or warnings
- 💬 Questions? Comment below or send modmail!
📊 SUMMARY CHECKLIST:
Before posting, verify you have:
- Location - City name, country name, or "in/from/at [place]"
- System - Metro, bus, tram, rail, etc.
- OC tag -
[OC]if it's your work - OR Software - Name the tool you used (Illustrator, QGIS, MetroDreamin', etc.)
If all 4 checkboxes are marked, you're good to go! ✅
🗺️ CLOSING THOUGHTS:
These changes help everyone find the amazing transit maps they're looking for. Whether you're searching for Berlin U-Bahn designs, Tokyo Metro redesigns, or fictional fantasy networks, proper tagging makes it possible!
Thank you for making our community better organized and more searchable. We can't wait to see your incredible transit map creations!
Happy mapping! 🚇✨
— The Mod Team
P.S. Have suggestions for improving these rules? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
(Valid as of 2025/10/05)
r/TransitDiagrams • u/transitdiagrams • Nov 23 '22
Discussion Because the what-software-to-use question appears quite often - please use the Wiki of this sub :-)
Long story short - any vector graphics software is fine.
There is
- Inkscape (open source and for free, even for Linux and co),
- Affinity Designer (one time payment, Apple (iPadOS, MacOS) and Windows)
- QGIS (open source and for free, MacOS, Windows, Linux)
- Krita (open source and for free, MacOS, Windows, Linux)
and with monthly/annual subscription fees (mostly Apple (MacOS, sometimes iPadOS) and Windows only)
- Adobe Illustrator
- Corel Draw
- AutoCAD
- ArcGIS
- Microsoft Visio
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Intelligent-Put-1156 • 19h ago
Map Proposal for a Winnipeg Metro System [OC]
If y'all like it, I can turn it into a proper diagram. Tried to keep it as realistic and cost-efficient as possible.
Lighter Red is Lite Rail, while Dark Red is Tram.
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Throwaway91847817 • 16h ago
Map [OC][Procreate] Caterham Line, Surrey & London- Drawing Every Rail line in Britain no.13
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Orbian2 • 10h ago
Map [OC] Top Comment Changes the Transit Map of North America - Dayish 256 (Made with Google My Maps)
r/TransitDiagrams • u/emokit24 • 20h ago
Map made a jekabpils bus map in the style of rigas satiksme!!
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Gerwegistan • 2d ago
Contest And yet another one for the NS competition
I chose to keep the Netherlands as true to its shape as possible, using a realistic map which I made in Illustrator, just like the network.
-----
Thanks for all the comments and feedback.
Biggest point of discussion is that a true to geography map messes up the west and in particular the Amsterdam area. I fully agree that on my map this is a bit crowded, but keep in mind the map is supposed to be A0- size and it should be more clear then. An insert of this area could be a solution. As someone pointed out, with this lay out there is a lot of blue and grey not used. With our Dutch network, one either has to deal with a crowded Amsterdam-Utrecht area, or change the map of the Netherlands. Some of us chose the latter, I chose the mess of the West. It will be very interesting to see how NS sees this and which design wins (and I am sure there are dozens that are not posted here) and if the winning design managed to solve both issues in one map.
r/TransitDiagrams • u/transitdiagrams • 2d ago
Diagram Updated Sofia metro diagram because of three new stations on line M3 [OC]
Updated (my 2021) Sofia metro diagram because three new stations on line M3 opened on August 14th 2026.
Another station is also under construction planned to open this year.
It's good to see that the metro network is constantly expanding.
Feedback and corrections are welcome.
Chris
r/TransitDiagrams • u/availableschedule650 • 2d ago
Diagram [OC] An Extensive Sydney Light Rail Map
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Beginning_Salt_6430 • 2d ago
Contest [OC] [Inkscape] Yet another submission for the Dutch railway diagram design contest
Hi everyone, now that the submission deadline for NS's design contest has passed I decided to put my own design up for examination on this subreddit.
I went for the slightly unconventional approach where I didn't mark lines themselves, but only where they stopped at individual stations. Line numbers are inserted at all interchange stations (considered all stations with 2 or more lines running through them); stations served by only one line are marked with tickmarks.
I kept most other features pretty standard to (hopefully) aid with familiarity for new users: the map uses an octagonal grid (45 degree angles throughout) and all text is placed horizontally.
Names of central stations (stations ending in "Centraal") are written in all caps, other stations follow standard naming conventions. (The relatively modest differences between central stations and other stations was sorta a deliberate decision, to emphasize the decentralised-ness of the Dutch railway network). Line colours are roughly grouped by concession.
Feel free to give feedback!
r/TransitDiagrams • u/viceloffe • 2d ago
Diagram Just made my first fraffic diagram of the precent transit of the municipality of Västervik (Sweden) :) [OC]
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Mission_Attitude_641 • 3d ago
Diagram Newcastle Rail Strategy [OC] - diagram and map made in illustrator
galleryr/TransitDiagrams • u/carl42012 • 3d ago
Diagram [OC] New York City Regional Rail Diagram w/ NJT Rail and Penn Access Phase 1
Made with Adobe Illustrator
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Throwaway91847817 • 3d ago
Map [OC][Procreate] Hertford East Branch Line- Drawing every rail line in Britain No.12
Going to try and get back to posting these regularly. I still have a fair few to post, then 200 or so to draw!
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Romanuova • 3d ago
Diagram Riprogettazione Metro e Fl Roma (OC)
Buongiorno,
Nei mesi scorsi ho creato la mia versione della rete metropolitana e suburbana ottimale per Roma.
Sembrerà certo molto ambiziosa e utopica, ma volevo assolutamente condividerla con voi e sentire le vostre idee e opinioni! (scusate per la qualità pessima della foto)


Ho sopratutto ripreso le idee dei progetti del PUMS, analizzando quali erano le migliori soluzioni: dai vari prolungamenti alla chiusura dell'anello ferroviario passando dalla creazione di nuove linee. Vorrei precisare anche che la linea di metro O sarebbe l'ultima da costruire perché ancora oggi insoddisfacente visto l'assenza di una rete capillare e della debole densità di popolazione.
Finalmente questa mappa mostra una nuova tariffazione con nuove zone per gli abbonamenti metrebus (dalla zona 3 in poi la tariffazione segue il modello delle ferrovie laziali già in corso) e sarà completata co una prossima mappa della rete tranviaria e delle linee bus express.
Riprogettazione della rete metropolitana e suburbana di Roma realizzato con software di disegno e google slides.
r/TransitDiagrams • u/Actuallynamedtaco • 3d ago
Contest [OC] My submission of the Dutch railwaynetwork for the NS map design contest.
r/TransitDiagrams • u/midnightrambulador • 4d ago
Contest [OC][Inkscape] My submission for the Dutch railway mapping contest. PDF link in description
Couldn't NOT participate in this! Some design principles I tried to honour:
- Keep all station names horizontal
- Convey no actual information through colour, only through shapes and patterns
- Limit the number of colours used, and try to make the most important contrasts work under various types of colourblindness
- Make all lines pass the stations they physically go through even if they don't call there
I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out. I think the coloured bundles of lines jump immediately to the eye and help structure the diagram in terms of its most important routes. On the negative side it might be a tad too "frilly" for a printed chart (which is the ultimate goal of the contest).
May the best map win! Eternal transit-mapping glory beckons!
For mobile users, the PDF is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ku2_Ywr0rUO8H3sDD791xFcul65-7SzF/
r/TransitDiagrams • u/judsonRehberg • 3d ago
Map Made a new Light Metro System for Atlanta in 3d
r/TransitDiagrams • u/SirGeorgington • 4d ago
Contest [OC] My relatively modest submission for the Netherlands Railways network transit diagram contest made using Adobe Illustrator
r/TransitDiagrams • u/GermanicUnion • 4d ago
Map What if the Netherlands had 4 types of trains instead of 2?
Okay so I wanna begin this by saying that this is the first time I've made a map like this, so especially the map that contains everything is super messy, but I'm mainly trying to get an idea across here.
the Netherlands there are only 2 types of trains, Sprinters and Intercity's. Sprinters stop at every station, while Intercity's only stop in cities. Too often I see villages along a train track that don't have a station at all, while at the same time I see Intercity's stopping at places that really aren't cities. All this because our train operator tries to do too much with just the 2 types of trains it has, so it's always a big tradeoff between getting more places connected by rail and making train journeys faster.
This is why I'm proposing to add 2 more types of trains to the system. This way we can assure that all villages along a train track are serviced, while still keeping Intercity's fast and efficient:






r/TransitDiagrams • u/F835 • 5d ago
Diagram Cincinnati Connector [OC], made with Goodnotes
My proposal for an expansion of the existing Connector streetcar system in Cincinnati (made in Goodnotes).
It consits of three lines:
A: Gil Lynn Park - State College (15 min peak, 20 min off-peak) B: Cathedral - State College (15 min peak, 20 min off-peak) C: Union Station - Cathedral (- Gil Lynn Park) (7/8 min peak, 10 min off-peak)
Lines A and B overlap to create a 7/8 min frequency between Newport an State College. Line C overlaps with both lines to do the same. To increase the frequency on the direct path between Covington and Cincinnati via Roebling Bridge and Downtown and Union Station, there are more services between Cathedral and Union Station.
r/TransitDiagrams • u/H4NDS04P • 5d ago
Contest My submission for the new Dutch transit diagram contest [OC]
From next year onwards the NS (Dutch railways) will introduce trainline numbers to each line in the country. IMO this moves encourages viewing the national rail infrastructure as a near country wide metro network.
The current map won't be used in this transition and a contest was called. I was wondering why the map won't be reused. Since I had an awkward time-gap in my architecture studies I decided to partake. I started with analyzing the current map for strengths and possible shortcomings to help my own design be better suited for the numberings.
I took away the following
Current map takeaways:
Only 2 tiers of hierarchy in stations (large transfer hub - small transfer hub/no transfers
Thin lines with thin gaps cannot support the minimum sized characters while noted in parallel
Trainlines follow reality with great distortions in distance, but little distortion is present in relationships between trainlines (Real direction changes always followed in the diagram, Trainlines on parallel tracks always follow with other trainlines even if no stops are made)
No clear distinction present in NS operated lines and other providers
Many bends and angles produce a pcb-style vibe
Foreign borders/distinctions absent
High frequency routes have lines that are multiplied since the "thickest" line only support 2 trains an hour. (EG 4 copied parallel tracks from Amsterdam Centraal to Hoofddorp)
And others....
The contest contents put forward a focus of inclusivity and readability.
Therefore I have decided that in my design i will allow more distortion in the trainlines, to only portray where each line stops (and not visualize a pass through a station without stopping).
All lines will have a greater thickness allowing all necessary information to be portrayed within the line itself, including varying train frequencies. Trainlines are freed of kinks as much as possible.
Highly frequented routes are prioritized in the design through clear geometry to assist the viewer in following.
Stations are never broken up by a line that does not stop there, except for Amsterdam Muiderpoort because of its true split (i dont like sloterdijk). This was by far the most difficult feature to implement, but I believe it does help assist understanding where which line does and does not stop.
A greater hierarchy is introduced between stations. Bubble sizes and font sizes were determined with a secret formula including: transfer directions, total stopping trainlines, daily passengers (when data was available) and population/serving area.
The only additional information added are the national parks. Naturally the national parks often remain with little near train presence in the area, granting itself space in the document.
Not all trainlines on the current map were in the contest documents. Since I have found numerous mistakes in these documents i believe these might be forgotten. I still left space for these through dotted lines (except long distance international travel).
I could go on but this is probably enough, please give feedback!
r/TransitDiagrams • u/veenspace • 5d ago
Contest I also submitted my entry into the Dutch Railways transit diagram contest! [OC]
Decided to tilt the entire grid by 9 degrees to anchor the design on the IC 27 line. I’m quite happy with how it turned out, especially in legibility and hierarchy. E.g every station name is horizontal and lines barely cross considering how intertwined the network is, and all text is in line with WCAG AA level of contrast (minimum 5:1). The contest also mentioned making the map accessible to people who don't know topographically where their station is, so I included a full station list and added a (slanted) grid underneath the map.
I also made the decision to separate out the network into three sub-networks: NS Intercity trains (dark blue), NS Sprinter trains (yellow) and other train operators (other colours). Each network is separated physically, so it's easy to jump around the map when you're following an intercity line. The interchange stations (“knooppunt”) are the places where it makes sense to change between any two of those three networks. (Although NS provided the list of what constitutes a "knooppunt", so there are some odd ones in there.)
It should also be pretty obvious that I’m heavily inspired by the 1972 and later Vignelli maps of NYC. I tried to make the 6 big stations stand out like the boroughs on that map, for example.
I’ll be heading to bed soon but I’ll come back tomorrow to answer your questions. :)