Short turn

Short turn services are common on the Toronto streetcar network. Pictured is a Carlton streetcar on a short turn service, terminating at Queen-Coxwell Loop in 1965.

During the era when destination signs were non-electronic types, some transit systems denoted short-turn trips by a slash through the route number.

In public transport, a short turn, short working or turn-back is a service on a bus route or rail line that does not operate along the full length of the route. Short turn trips are often scheduled and published in a timetable, but they may also be unscheduled. Public transport operators use short turns for a variety of reasons, including delays, infrastructure limitations, and uneven passenger demand.

Short turn services often require additional infrastructure to turn vehicles around in the middle of a route. Short turn bus services may not require any infrastructure, using streets to turn around. In comparison, short turn tram or streetcar services may have to use a balloon loop, limiting the locations for short turns. Rail services such as rapid transit and commuter rail have similar limits with short turn locations: they need crossovers, loops, or other special tracks when they short turn.