National Location Code - Introduction By British Rail

Introduction By British Rail

NLCs were introduced as a method of accounting for and attributing costs and revenue to railway assets. This quotation is taken from the 14th Edition (January 1987) of the National Location Code listing book, published by the British Railways Board:

"With the widespread use of computers within British Railways and the advent of national computer systems for dealing with payroll compilation, stores recording and accounting, wagon control, traffic data, revenue and expenditure accounting, market and traffic surveys etc., the need for a standard location code became increasingly important. In order to meet this need, the Regions were asked in November 1966 to revise and update the publication then known as the Terminals and Mileage Gazetteer Code. At the same time the opportunity was taken to include all sidings, yards, depots, offices, administrative centres, etc., where there is 'railway' activity. A file was developed based on a six-digit code known as the British Railways National Location Code. This was published on 1 January 1968."

Each six-digit code is split into two parts: the first four digits identify the location of the asset or cost centre, and the final two give more information about the specific asset. The "base" location (including all stations and ticket-issuing locations) has 00 after the first four digits; other two-digit combinations signify other types of asset, with the first four digits indicating the "base" location to which they relate. In ticket issuing, only the first four digits are used. Some examples:

• 852400 is Hebden Bridge as a location, asset base and cost centre.
• 852405 is the Up Refuge Siding at Hebden Bridge.
• 8524 is shown on tickets issued at Hebden Bridge.

• 548400 is Crawley as a location, asset base and cost centre.
• 548461 is the (now disused) signalbox controlling the points and level crossings there
• 548465 is the former parcels delivery agency.
• 5484 is shown on tickets issued at Crawley.
  • 548500 is allocated to Crawley New Yard, a goods facility north of nearby Three Bridges station. It had additional codes based on the users of the yard, such as the National Coal Board (which maintained a coal concentration depot there until 1981) and Ready Mixed Concrete.