Station building

Reception building ( in Switzerland: Station building or reception building, in Austria also: entrance building) are buildings of facilities of passenger traffic, which in contrast to waiting rooms rooms for the implementation of internal tasks, such as the general business operations for travelers such as ticketing and baggage handling, possibly have also for the customs clearance operations. They are found in railway, air transport, maritime transport, bus transport and cable cars.

Reception building types

Stations

Reception building can additionally include lounges, changing rooms and living quarters for railway employees and sales facilities ( restaurant, newsstand, travel or service center with ticket sales ). Border stations have if the checks are not omitted due to the Schengen Agreement and the EU membership, has rooms for passport and customs control. At railway stations in cities the reception building is often expanded or combined with such a shopping center.

Due to rationalization of the railway station building which many today not staffed railway stations were closed to prevent damage due to vandalism in Germany and Austria. At these stations are the waiting travelers - in part - covered shelters available. For rail operations unneeded reception buildings were rented or sold for residential purposes.

Colloquially, the term station is often used for the reception building. In technical terms, a train station, however, the entire system, including tracks, platforms, operating building, warehouse, etc.

Airports

Reception building in airports are usually named with the English term terminal; earlier you spoke of departures and arrivals hall. Airport terminals are divided into several areas: the arrivals area, departure area and check-in area and check- in counters and boarding gates. Behind the reception buildings begins the apron of an airport or airplane landing field.

An airport can have one or more reception building, which are often connected to each other by (often underground ) moving walkways to facilitate passengers to change trains. In large airports major airlines often have their own terminals.

Ports and ship stations

In deep-sea ports, but also on navigable rivers and lakes, there can be for the clearance of passengers on ship stations reception building. They are similar to operated stations. As with larger ships thousands of passengers can arrive at the same time, the reception building of the respective ports are sometimes very large. Depending on the type of the port, it can also give each a reception building per mole; also competing ferries usually have docks with private reception building.