route_long_name_contains_short_name: long name repeats the number Warning
In routes.txt, route_long_name repeats route_short_name, for instance "Route 4 Station - Hospital" for line 4. Why it is redundant and how to correct it.
What this rule means
A route in routes.txt has two names. route_short_name is the label riders read on the bus or the map, short and often a number (4, C2, N). route_long_name describes the line, usually by its termini or the area it serves. The GTFS reference asks that the long name does not repeat the short one. When route_long_name contains route_short_name as a word of its own, the validator raises this notice. Severity: warning.
Why it matters
A warning does not block a delivery in GTFS Express. But most apps show both fields side by side: a "4" badge followed by "Route 4 Station - Hospital" repeats itself, takes room on small screens, and a screen reader says it twice. The long name also stops doing its job, which is to say where the line goes.
Common causes
- The long name was filled with the full public name, number included.
- The feed comes from a system with a single name field, copied into both columns.
- A word like "Route" or "Bus" was put in front of the number to make the long name read better.
How to fix it
Remove the number, and the word that goes with it, from route_long_name, keeping only the description: termini, corridor or area served. Keep the number in route_short_name. If a route has no number, route_long_name alone is enough, and the other way round.
In GTFS Express, the validation report lists the routes involved and "Fix one by one" opens each in the editor with route_long_name flagged. Each corrected name is a retouch in the draft, and "Re-validate" confirms the result.
Example
route_id,route_short_name,route_long_name,route_type
L4,4,Route 4 Station - Hospital,3
LC2,C2,C2 Centre - Campus,3Corrected:
route_id,route_short_name,route_long_name,route_type
L4,4,Station - Hospital,3
LC2,C2,Centre - Campus,3See also the guide Modify a GTFS feed and the list of rules.