Terminijaamad

Terminijaamad are the end points of public transport lines, typically railway or bus routes, where a line’s service ends and vehicles must reverse direction or enter a turnaround. The term is used to describe stations that function as termini rather than through stops, and it is often applied to both railway systems and urban bus networks.

In railway context, terminijaamad may include facilities to manage turning operations, such as turning loops, wyes, or pocket tracks, as well as passenger amenities and sometimes maintenance or storage facilities. They can serve as turning points for a single line or as major hubs where multiple lines terminate or originate. In bus networks, termini are frequently designated layover or turnaround points with space for buses to wait between trips and to organize driver changeovers, schedule buffers, and passenger loading.

Terminijaamad vary in size and complexity. Some are simple, with a single platform and limited services, while others are large interchange terminals handling several routes and providing extensive passenger amenities, accessibility features, and clear wayfinding. In networks with branches, a line may end at more than one terminijaam, creating split routes that converge or diverge at different termini.

See also: terminal station, railway terminus, public transport terminus, bus terminal, interchange.

The term stems from the Estonian language, where jaam means station and terminijaam denotes a terminus station. In practice, terminijaamad play a key logistical role in timetable planning, rolling stock management, and the efficiency of end-to-end journeys.