OS MasterMap Highways Network – November 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the November 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – October 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the October 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – September 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the September 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – August 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the August 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – July 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the July 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – June 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the June 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – May 2024 release note

This release note provides information about the May 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

The following OS MasterMap Highways Network core principle pages provide an overview of MasterMap Highways Network products. They cover core elements of the product such as product supply, coverage, file naming, and feature validation amongst other topics.

These pages should be used in conjunction with the detailed technical specifications found under the top-level product pages for each product.

This release note provides information about the August 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network.

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Roads feature count table

Paths feature count table

Data issues

In the August 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

• There are 5 instances of overlapping road links.

• There are 216 instances of overlapping path links.

• There are 34 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature.

• There are 191 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

• There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

• There are 292 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

• There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

• There are 9 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

• There are 2 instances of connecting nodes referencing a motorway.

Product updates

TEN-T lookup table withdrawal

The Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network forms a set of road, rail, air and water transport networks spanning the European Union. As a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union, the UK is no longer a part of the TEN-T network; therefore, the TEN-T lookup table has been withdrawn as of October 2023.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for September 2024.

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Data issues

In the September 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

• There are 4 instances of overlapping road links.

• There are 140 instances of overlapping path links.

• There are 25 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature.

• There are 199 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

• There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

• There are 290 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

• There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

• There are 12 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

• There are 0 instances of connecting nodes referencing a motorway.

Product updates

TEN-T lookup table withdrawal

The Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network forms a set of road, rail, air and water transport networks spanning the European Union. As a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union, the UK is no longer a part of the TEN-T network; therefore, the TEN-T lookup table has been withdrawn as of October 2023.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for November 2024.

OS MasterMap Highways Network products' features are classified into feature types. Each feature type has associated attribution, and further detail of this can be found in each product's technical specification.

Core features included in the Roads product

• Road Link

• Road Node

• Road

• Street

• Road Junction

• Ferry Link

• Ferry Node

• Ferry Terminal

Core features included in the RAMI product

• Road Link

• Road Node

• Road

• Street

• Road Junction

• Ferry Link

• Ferry Node

• Ferry Terminal

• Access Restrictions

• Turn Restrictions

• Restrictions For Vehicles

• Hazards

• Structures

• Maintenance

• Reinstatement

• Highways Dedication

• Special Designation

Core features included in the Paths product

• Path Link

• Path Node

• Connecting Link

• Connecting Node

• Path

• Street

• Ferry Link

• Ferry Node

• Ferry Terminal

• Maintenance

• Reinstatement

• Highways Dedication

• Special Designation

Comparison of the feature types included across the three products

The following comparison table details the feature types present within the OS MasterMap Highways Network products. The letter Y indicates that a feature type is present in a product, whereas the letter N indicates that a feature type is not present in a product.

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Data issues

In the May 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

• There are 10 instances of overlapping road links.

• There are 316 instances of overlapping path links.

• There are 50 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature.

• There are 152 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

• There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

• There are 294 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

• There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

• There are 2 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

• There are 5 instances of connecting nodes referencing a motorway.

Product updates

TEN-T lookup table withdrawal

The Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network forms a set of road, rail, air and water transport networks spanning the European Union. As a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union, the UK is no longer a part of the TEN-T network; therefore, the TEN-T lookup table has been withdrawn as of October 2023.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for June 2024.

OS MasterMap Highways Network integrates Ordnance Survey's detailed road and path information with the authoritative sources of the National Street Gazetteer (NSG), the Trunk Road Street Gazetteer (TRSG) and the Scottish Street Gazetteer (SSG). These sources contain the definitive information provided by the Local and National Roads and Highways Authorities.

To bring this information together, where possible the geometry of streets captured by a Roads or Highway Authority is spatially matched to the geometry of OS Road Links and Path Links. Where this match is successful, the OS geometry is the base geometry used for the Highways Network, enabling the amalgamation of the NSG, SSG and TRSG with OS data. Where spatial matching cannot match the geometry captured by the Roads or Highway Authority to OS geometry, the Roads or Highway Authority geometry is used as the source geometry to represent the extent of the Street, ensuring that all USRNs and associated data provided are included in the product.

The OS MasterMap Highways Network product family includes three products:

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Routing and Asset Management Information (RAMI)

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths

Product summaries

OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads

The Roads product provides a topologically structured link and node representation of the road network and gives connectivity across Great Britain through ferry features. It provides information on names associated with the road network, being either the legal definitive view of a road name or the plated road name, plus road numbering, junction names and junction numbers.

In addition to naming information, the product also provides information on road classification, road function, primary routes and road node classification.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – Routing and Asset Management Information

The Routing and Asset Management Information (RAMI) product provides the same functionality as the Roads product, with additional information on both managing the road as an asset and routing information, which aids navigation.

The routing and asset management information integrates data from Ordnance Survey's large-scale information and the additional street data held within the NSG, TRSG and SSG. The routing information includes such aspects as vehicle restrictions, covering access, manoeuvres, and physical characteristics. The asset management information, on the other hand, provides details on the authority responsible for maintaining a road, how a road should be restored following street works and if there are any unusual conditions that the local highway authority have associated with a road.

OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths

The Paths product provides a topologically structured link and node representation of the pedestrian path and ferry network throughout Great Britain. The path network will provide connectivity between the road network but will not provide a route which can be inferred from the road network. Instead, the path network can be connected to the road network within the Roads or RAMI products.

The Paths product provides information on names associated with the path network, the path function and its surface type. In addition to the network information, the product also provides asset management information which identifies the authority responsible for maintaining the path, how the path should be restored following street works and if there are any unusual conditions that the local highways or roads authority have associated to the path.

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Data issues

In the November 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

• There are 4 instances of overlapping road links.

• There are 133 instances of overlapping path links.

• There are 25 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature (example below).

• There are 204 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

• There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

• There are 290 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

• There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

• There are 17 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for December 2024.

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Data issues

In the July 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

There are 6 instances of overlapping road links.

There are 242 instances of overlapping path links.

There are 40 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature.

There are 179 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

There are 293 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

There are 2 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

There are 5 instances of connecting nodes referencing a motorway.

Product updates

TEN-T lookup table withdrawal

The Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network forms a set of road, rail, air and water transport networks spanning the European Union. As a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union, the UK is no longer a part of the TEN-T network; therefore, the TEN-T lookup table has been withdrawn as of October 2023.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for August 2024.

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Data issues

In the May 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

There are 10 instances of overlapping road links.

There are 316 instances of overlapping path links.

There are 50 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature.

There are 152 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

There are 294 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

There are 2 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

There are 5 instances of connecting nodes referencing a motorway.

Product updates

TEN-T lookup table withdrawal

The Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network forms a set of road, rail, air and water transport networks spanning the European Union. As a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union, the UK is no longer a part of the TEN-T network; therefore, the TEN-T lookup table has been withdrawn as of October 2023.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for July 2024.

The OS MasterMap Highways Network product family provides an authoritative road and path network for Great Britain. The products are the result of collaboration between Ordnance Survey, GeoPlace and Improvement Service to bring together Ordnance Survey’s detailed road and path information, the National Street Gazetteer (NSG), the Trunk Road Street Gazetteer (TRSG) and the Scottish Street Gazetteer (SSG).

The Highways Network integrates the Unique Street Reference Number (USRN) from the gazetteers with the most detailed definitive geometry from Ordnance Survey. The OS MasterMap Highways Network was produced in partnership with GeoPlace and the Local Government Association, and as of March 2021, it contains data created and maintained by Scottish Local Government.

The OS MasterMap Highways Network family of products includes a road network, a path network, connectivity across British islands through a ferry network, plus routing and asset management information.

The product family includes three products:

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Routing and Asset Management Information (RAMI)

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths

About GeoPlace

GeoPlace is a limited liability partnership jointly owned by the Local Government Association and Ordnance Survey. It is responsible for compiling and maintaining the National Street Gazetteer (NSG).

This is the definitive referencing system used in the notification process and the coordination of street works. Under legislation, each highway authority in England and Wales is required to create and maintain its own Local Street Gazetteer (LSG) and Associated Street Data (ASD); these are then compiled into the only master index built to the national standard (BS 7666).

Standards

Technical specifications

OS MasterMap Highways Network specifications have also been extended to include additional properties included in British Standard 7666-1:2006, spatial datasets for geographical referencing.

Coordinate reference system

Key features of the products

OS MasterMap Highways Network products contain several features, including the following:

• Unique Street Reference Number (USRN)

• Road names from the naming and numbering authority

• Department for Transport (DfT) road classifications

• Road maintenance authority

• Motorway junction to junction information

• Routing information

• Vehicle height, weight, width and length restrictions information

• Special designations

• Road reinstatement information

• Connected network across Great Britain, including islands, through the Ferry Network

One of the key strengths of the products is the collection of street information at the local highway authority level. The benefit of this is that the data capture is at the earliest point of creation within a local highway authority and there is detailed local knowledge driven by statutory requirements.

Product applications

OS MasterMap Highways Network is designed to be used as a single source of highway asset management by private and public sectors alike. It can be used for the following applications:

• As a source for legal road identifications

• To estimate costs or benefits of road policies

• For efficient funding allocations and evidence-based policy making, including:

  • Managing policies

  • Producing statistics

  • Allocating funding

  • Supporting legislation

• Asset management

• Journey planning, routing and navigation

• Emergency service and civil contingency planning

• Transport planning

• Smart cities

A Rode Node is a topological node connecting to at least one Road Link, providing network connectivity. It is a point used to represent connectivity between road links or the end of a road. A Road Node will hold information on its classification, and if it forms a part of a numbered junction, then the Road Node will provide this number.

A Path Link is a line segment representing the alignment of a path. Path links hold information about the name of the path, its length and its nature, alongside other attribution which is detailed in the . Path Links define the geometry and connectivity of the Path Network between two points.

Path Links will be captured where:

• They provide a route that cannot be inferred from the Road Network.

• They provide connectivity between road networks.

• There is a canal path or tow path

• There are paths over footbridges and under subways Path Links will not be captured where:

  • They run parallel to the Road Network, for example, a pavement.

  • They are within school boundaries and cemeteries where there are closing times.

  • They are connected to a Motorway.

  • There is a physical obstruction which prevents connectivity.

  • There are multiple paths that essentially serve the same purpose when some rationalisation is applied.

A Road Link is a line segment representing the general alignment of the road carriageway. It can represent single carriageways, dual carriageways, slip roads, roundabouts and indicative trajectories across traffic squares. It defines the geometry and connectivity of a road network between two points. Road Links hold information on the road name, classification, form, length and other attributes which are specified in the .

Source data currency

The following information relates to the currency of the source data used in the creation of this release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

OS MasterMap Highways Network feature counts

Data issues

In the September 2024 release of OS MasterMap Highways Network:

• There are 5 instances of overlapping road links.

• There are 169 instances of overlapping path links.

• There are 30 instances where a road link and a path link overlap, representing the same real-world feature.

• There are 203 road links disconnected from main network or not properly connected at a node; these are not on major parts of the network.

• There are 3 road links which are less than 1m in length.

• There are 290 connecting links which are less than 1m in length.

• There is 1 path link which is less than 1m in length.

• There are 10 features in the Street table which have a street type of either Designated Street Name or Officially Described Street and have no associated maintenance record.

• There are 0 instances of connecting nodes referencing a motorway.

Product updates

TEN-T lookup table withdrawal

The Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network forms a set of road, rail, air and water transport networks spanning the European Union. As a result of the UK withdrawing from the European Union, the UK is no longer a part of the TEN-T network; therefore, the TEN-T lookup table has been withdrawn as of October 2023.

Next release

The next release of OS MasterMap Highways Network is scheduled for October 2024.

A Path feature is like a Road feature as it holds information about path names which have been captured by Ordnance Survey. A Path feature is a link set which will reference the Path Links which share the same name, irrespective of which local authority is responsible for it. A Path Link could be referenced by multiple Path features.

A Ferry Link is a line segment that connects the road network and path networks across bodies of water. The link can represent the route a ferry may take between terminals; otherwise, the link will be a straight line between two terminals. In addition to connectivity information, a Ferry Link also provides data on who operates the service and if the service is limited to pedestrians. A Ferry Link will only be captured where both terminals are within Great Britain and where there is a timetabled service available to the public.

The Street feature is the definition of the street as defined in the National or Scottish Street Gazetteer. Local authorities have a statutory responsibility which means that they are the source of information for both street naming and managing the highways/roads network.

Each Street feature has a USRN, a unique and persistent identifier for a street contained in either the National or Scottish Street Gazetteer. Every street, road, track, path, cycle track or way is assigned a USRN by a Roads Authority, Local Highway Authority or Highways England. Each authority is provided a USRN range that is centrally allocated and managed by GeoPlace in England and Wales and by Improvement Service in Scotland.

A Street feature encompasses both Roads and Paths. Therefore, a Street feature will reference the Road Links or Path Links. Where a Street crosses an administrative boundary, a new Street feature will be created. A Road Link or Path Link could be referenced by multiple Street features.

The Street features which are supplied with the Routing and Asset Management Information product will contain all Street features which have either been matched to at least one Road Link or have not been matched. The Street features which are supplied with the Paths product will only contain Street features which have only been matched to a Path Link.

A Connecting Node is a point feature which identifies where a Path connects to the Road Network. The Connecting Node connects to the start or end of one or more RoadLinks and are spatially coincident with RoadNodes.

The Road and Path Network are topologically structured together. Connecting Links enable this connection between the Road Network and the Path Network. A Connecting Link is a line segment which represents a logical connection between the Path Network and the Road Network; it does not represent a real-world feature.

A Road feature holds information about road names and road numbers which have been captured by Ordnance Survey. A Road feature will reference the Road Links which share the same name (for example, Wellington Road in the image below) or number (for example, the A41 in the lower image), irrespective of which local authority is responsible for it. The link set may not be contiguous across junctions or where a road consists of separate sections, which may be separated by some considerable distance. A Road Link could be referenced by multiple Road features.

A Road Junction holds information about junction names and numbers. The feature will reference all the Road Nodes which correspond to the junction the feature is representing. Multiple Road Junction features could reference a Road Node. In the current release, the Road Junction feature will only identify Numbered Motorway Junctions.

A Path Node is a topological node connecting to at least one Path Link, providing network connectivity. It is a point used to represent connectivity between path links or the end of a road.

Hazards are locations which are hazardous and where caution should be taken to ensure safe travel. Hazards are usually signed using a warning sign. Hazards include Fords and Dangerous Bends.

A Turn Restriction is a restriction based upon a vehicle manoeuvre. The types of restriction include a prohibitive driving instruction, a mandatory driving instruction and implicit restrictions. Prohibited instructions are indicated by road signs within a red circle; examples include No U-turns, No Right Turn and No Left Turn. These can include exceptions to the instruction and are typically elements like Except for Buses. Mandatory driving instructions are indicated by road signs within a blue circle or are painted on the roadway; examples include Turn Right and Ahead Only. Implicit restrictions occur where a turn is not signed as prohibited but would not be a normal manoeuvre, for example, where a road splits around a traffic island or at complex junctions where additional geometry has been captured to reflect the traffic flow. These are not differentiated from actual signed restrictions.

An Access Restriction is a feature where access to a road or area by vehicles can be legally prohibited. Prohibited access restrictions are indicated by regulatory signs with a red circle or a no entry sign. In addition, access could be limited for use by particular classes of vehicle; these are indicated by regulatory signs with a blue circle. Access restrictions may also include exemptions to the restriction. The Access Restriction feature type comprises these types of restrictions.

Restrictions For Vehicles are restrictions that apply to the physical characteristics of vehicles. These are required to protect structures such as bridges and tunnels from damage, or to restrict/prohibit use by vehicles that exceed dimensions, usually for physical reasons. In addition, Restrictions For Vehicles includes exemption to the restriction when specific use conditions apply (for example, loading and unloading). The restrictions include:

• Maximum Height

• Maximum Width

• Maximum Length

• Maximum Weight

Height, width, length and weight restrictions may be defined using either regulatory signs or warning signs. By default, the restriction is always provided in the metric unit, and the imperial measure will be provided where it is signed.

Maintenance provides information about whether a path is maintained at public expense by a national or local highway authority, by a road authority or is maintained by another responsible organisation (i.e., not maintained at public expense). If a path is prospectively maintainable at public expense, then this is not currently maintained by a road or highway authority, but the responsible organisation has started the process for a highway or road authority to become responsible for the maintenance of the street at public expense.

Reinstatement defines the standard to which the highway must be restored to, following opening due to works in the highway, as defined in the New Roads and Street Works Act Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways in England and Walesand the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Roads in Scotland.

A Ferry Node is a point feature which identifies where the Ferry Network terminates. They will always be referenced by at least one Ferry Link.

Average Speed is the detailed historical speed information collected by in-vehicle telematics devices that collect data for all major roads. The Average Speed information is based on a year’s worth of collected data and is given for six distinct times of each day and for both directions of a road link. The Average Speed is provided in kilometres per hour (km/h) for each road link.

Highway Dedications provide an indication of the type of user who has access to that particular section of the Highway. Highway Dedications may reference public rights of way but are not a definitive record of such.

Every section of geometry supplied by a local highway authority will have a type of dedication associated, in line with the Highways Act 1980 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which determine the highway user access.

The road and path networks are connected to the ferry network through the Ferry Terminal feature, which acts as a network connection feature. The Ferry Terminal is a logical connection and therefore no geometry is supplied. In addition to connecting the networks together, the Ferry Terminal feature will also provide the terminal name and the three-letter NaPTAN code used by the Government to identify terminals uniquely.

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products (Roads, Routing and Asset Management Information, and Paths)

When a customer receives an order from the OS Data Hub, the product will be packaged with the following elements:

Data folder

The data folder will contain the GML, Geopackage or Vector tiles files which make up the ordered product. The data folder will have been compressed to data.zip to enable a single download of the product. Once this has been downloaded, the data.zip file will contain all the data files which make up the ordered product and these files will have been compressed using gzip.

Doc folder

For GML, the doc folder will contain a summary.gml file which will contain specific information about the customer order, including:

• The order number

• Query extent polygon(s) of the order

• The order type: Full supply or COU

• For COU orders, the change-since date

The doc folder will have been compressed to doc.zip to enable a single download of the associated documents.

The Geopackage and Vector Tiles formats will have the same folder structure but will be available for GB coverage only so will not contain COU files.

Resources folder

The resources folder will contain the product’s Feature Validation Data Set (FVDS), and a lookup table to the OS Open Roads product. For further information on these resources, please refer to the Feature validation data set, and OS Open Roads lookup table sections within this document. The folder will have been compressed to resource.zip to enable a single download of the resources; within the zipped folder, the contents will have been compressed.

OS MasterMap Highways Network speed products

When a partner receives an order from the OS Data Hub, the product will be packaged as follows:

Data folder

The data folder will contain the CSV (for Average Speed product) or shapefile (for Speed Limits product) which make up the ordered product. The data folder will have been compressed to either hnavsp_csv_gb.zip (for Average Speed) or hnsplm_shp_gb.zip (for Speed Limits) to enable a single download of the product.

Once this has been downloaded, the zip file will contain the corresponding CSV (Highways_AverageSpeed_GB.csv) or shapefiles (Highways_SpeedLimits_GB.shp) which make up the ordered product, and these files will have been compressed using zip.

Text file

A text file named Readme.txt will contain notes on the product supply and release information.

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products (Roads, Routing and Asset Management Information, and Paths)

The file naming for the OS MasterMap Highways Network GML will be constructed as Highways_ProductName_FeatureType_SupplyType_NullorDelete_volumenumber.gml.gz, where:

• Highways identifies that the GML is from the OS MasterMap Highways Network product family.

• ProductName is the name of the product that is being supplied, for example, Roads.

• FeatureType is the name of the feature type that is being supplied in the GML file, for example, RoadLink.

• SupplyType is the type of supply the GML is, for example, Full or COU.

• NullorDelete will not be present in any GML file names if the GML forms part of a full supply. If the GML forms part of a COU supply, then Delete will identify if the file contains all the features which need removing from the customer holding as a part of the COU application.

• volumenumber will be the volume number for the file, which will be three digits, and the first volume will be 001.

Examples of the GML file names

• Highways_Roads_RoadLink_Full_001.gml.gz

• Highways_RoadsAndRAM_AccessRestriction_Full_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Paths_Maintenance_Full_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Roads_RoadNode_COU_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Roads_RoadNode_COU_Delete_001.gml.gz

• Highways_RoadsAndRAM_RoadLink_COU_001.gml.gz

• Highways_RoadsAndRAM_RoadLink_COU_Delete_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Paths_PathLink_COU_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Paths_PathLink_COU_Delete_001.gml.gz

The file naming for the OS MasterMap Highways Network Geopackage will be constructed as OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkProductName_gb.gpkg

Examples of Geopackage file names:

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkRoad_gb.gpkg

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkPath_gb.gpkg

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkRAMI_gb.gpkg

The file naming for the OS MasterMap Highways Network Vector Tiles will be constructed as OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkProductName_gb.mbtiles

Examples of the Vector Tiles file names:

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkRoad_gb.mbtiles

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkPath_gb.mbtiles

OS MasterMap Highways Network speed products

OS MasterMap Highways Network with Routing and Asset Management Information and Average Speed is supplied within a zip file with the following name: hnavsp_csv_gb.zip. Within the zip file, you will find the CSV file which will contain all records and will have the following name: Highways_AverageSpeed_GB.csv.

OS MasterMap Highways Network with Routing and Asset Management Information and Speed Limits is supplied within a zip file with the following name: hnsplm_shp_gb.zip. Within the zip file, you will find the shapefile which will contain all records and will have the following named file extensions:

• Highways_SpeedLimits_GB.shp

• Highways_SpeedLimits_GB.prj

• Highways_SpeedLimits_GB.qpj

• Highways_SpeedLimits_GB.dbf

• Highways_SpeedLimits_GB.shx

Structures are the location of key built features that relate to the highway network. The types of features provided include bridges; barriers which can control, obstruct or prevent passage or access; tunnels, and equipment which would control the flow of traffic.

Special Designations are statutory and advisory designations that can be applied to protect a highway when street works are to be undertaken. Special Designations exist to reduce the bureaucracy involved in managing street works, with an emphasis on minimising delay and inconvenience to road users, whilst protecting the integrity of the street and any apparatus on it.

The Speed Limits feature identifies the speed limit for each stretch of road in Great Britain and is based on road traffic signs. The speed limit is provided in miles per hour (mph).

Non-geographic chunks

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products will only be supplied as non-geographic chunks. Non- geographic chunking is a way of dividing up data into chunks that are supplied in separate volumes that have a feature count, as opposed to a given geographic National Grid area. For this reason, it is possible for features from various geographic locations to appear in one volume and for adjacent features to appear in different volumes. Non-geographic chunk volumes are designed to be loaded into spatial databases but can be used in a file format if all chunks are translated or imported into the system at the same time. For information on the volume feature counts for each feature type in OS MasterMap Highways Network, please see Volume feature count.

Supply format

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products

OS MasterMap Highways Network– Roads and OS MasterMap Highways Network– Paths are supplied in three formats: Geography Markup Language (GML 3.2.1), Geopackage and Vector Tiles. All formats are compressed into a regular zip file (.ZIP).

OS MasterMap Highways Network – RAMI is supplied in two formats: Geography Markup Language (GML 3.2.1) and Geopackage. All formats are compressed into a regular zip file (.ZIP).

OS MasterMap Highways Network speed products

OS MasterMap Highways Network with Routing and Asset Management Information and Average Speed is available in comma-separated value (CSV) file format only. The CSV file will be supplied with headers. The data is provided zipped as single file (.zip). Data is provided as full supply only and is refreshed annually (in May).

OS MasterMap Highways Network with Routing and Asset Management Information and Speed Limits is available in shapefile format only. The data is provided zipped as single file (.zip). Data is provided as full supply only and is refreshed quarterly (in April, July, October and January).

Supply media

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products (Roads, Routing and Asset Management Information, and Paths) are available to PSGA, commercial customers and partners through the OS Data Hub. The products are available as both full supply and change-only update (COU) and customers can order an area of interest (AOI) or a Managed GB Set. The products are available as a download for all customers, and DVD for customers ordering a Managed GB Set.

OS MasterMap Highways Network speed products

OS MasterMap Highways Network with Routing and Asset Management Information and Average Speed data is supplied as download only. OS MasterMap Highways Network with Routing and Asset Management Information and Speed Limits data is also supplied as download only. Both speed products are available for partners only and can be ordered from the OS Data Hub. New OS MasterMap Highways Network with Speed contracts cannot be entered into after 29th March 2023.

OS Open Roads is part of Ordnance Survey’s open data portfolio and is a structured road network which has been generalised to 1:15 000 scale. The OS Open Roads lookup table provides the ID of the OS MasterMap Highways Network RoadLink feature and the ID of the feature which represents the same feature in the OS Open Roads product which could be either a RoadLink or a RoadNode. The lookup table will enable a customer to share information they have calculated and pinned to the OS MasterMap Highways Network easily through the OS Open Roads product. Not all RoadLink IDs from OS MasterMap Highways Network are included in the lookup table, particularly where the RoadLinks are shorter than 20m.

The lookup table has been provided as a comma-separated value (.csv) file so the attributes are separated by a comma. Each row will be terminated by Carriage Return / Line Feed, and where an attribute has no value in a record, two commas will be placed together in the record (one for the end of the previous attribute and one for the end of the null attribute). The file will be supplied with headers, and the information is detailed in the following table.

The file will be supplied with all orders of OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads or OS MasterMap Highways Network – Routing and Asset Management Information and will be a national set, including with area of interest (AOI) orders. The lookup table is updated every six months, aligned to when OS Open Roads is released. During this period, some of the OS MasterMap Highways Network RoadLink IDs could change, be removed from the product or have new IDs inserted which will not be represented in the lookup table because the OS Open Roads product has not been updated to reflect this change. The version of OS MasterMap Highways Network with which the OS Open Roads lookup table is aligned can be identified in the file name.

The file is named OSOpenRoadLookUpTable_YYYY_MM.csv, where YYYY is the four-digit year and MM is the two-digit month (for example, OSOpenRoadLookUpTable_2017_09.csv).

OS Open Roads lookup table

Constraint:

• When OSOpenRoads_RoadLinkIdentifier is null, OSOpenRoads_RoadNodeIdentifier cannot be null.

• When OSOpenRoads_RoadNodeIdentifier is null, OSOpenRoads_RoadLinkIdentifier cannot be null.

RoadLink_ID attributes

The ID of the OS MasterMap Highways Network RoadLink feature being represented in OS Open Roads.

• Size: 20

• Multiplicity: [1]

OSOpenRoads_RoadLinkIdentifier

The RoadLink identifier in OS Open Roads that the Highways feature has been generalised to.

• Size: 38

• Multiplicity: [0..1]

OSOpenRoads_RoadNodeIdentifier

The RoadNode identifier in OS Open Roads which the Highways feature has been generalised to (for example, a collapsed roundabout).

• Size: 38

• Multiplicity: [0..1]

Supply format

OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads and OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths are supplied in three formats: Geography Markup Language (GML 3.2.1), GeoPackage and vector tiles. All three formats are compressed into a regular zip file (.ZIP).

OS MasterMap Highways Network – RAMI is supplied in two formats: GML 3.2.1 and GeoPackage. Both formats are compressed into a regular zip file (.ZIP).

Supply media

OS MasterMap Highways Network core products (Roads, RAMI, and Paths) are available to Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) Members, commercial customers and OS Partners through the OS Data Hub. The products are available as both Full Supply and change-only update (COU) and customers can order an area of interest (AOI) or a Managed Great Britain Set (MGBS). The products are available as a download for all customers, and as a DVD for customers ordering a MGBS.

A feature validation data set (FVDS) reports on all the data it expects to find in the customer’s holding after the application of the supply. It does not identify what is contained in the supply if the order is not full supply. This enables a customer to validate that the data holding contains the correct set of features after loading the data with which it was supplied. All orders of the OS MasterMap Highways Network products will be supplied with a FVDS.

A FVDS is divided into files on a non-geographic basis, and each FVDS will contain up to 4 million rows in a single volume. Where a file will exceed 4 million rows, a new FVDS volume will be created. The FVDS is a comma-separated value (.csv) file that provides the ID, version date and feature type of every feature that should exist in the current data holding; the fields are separated by a comma. Each row will be terminated by Carriage Return / Line Feed, and where a field has no value in a record, two commas will be placed together in the record (one for the end of the previous field and one for the end of the null field). The FVDS will not contain any header information, but the following table identifies the different columns within the file. Each file is compressed using gzip.

Feature validation data set

ID

The ID (gml:id) of the OS MasterMap Highways Network feature.

Version Date

The 'beginLifespanVersion' attribute of the feature. This is the date when this feature came into existence, and it will be formatted as follows: YYYY-MM-DD. For example, 2016-06-12.

Feature Type

A textual description of the feature type that the record refers to.

The OS MasterMap Highways Network products are only being supplied as non-geographic chunks, so the data will be supplied in volumes based on a feature count. The following table identifies the volume feature count used for each volume per feature type (maximum number of features per GML file):

The products cover Great Britain. Information from the National Street Gazetteer will only be provided for England and Wales. Information from the Scottish Street Gazetteer will only be provided for Scotland.

Non-geographic chunks

OS MasterMap Highways Network products will only be supplied as non-geographic chunks. Non- geographic chunking is a way of dividing up data into chunks that are supplied in separate volumes that have a feature count, as opposed to a given geographic National Grid area. For this reason, it is possible for features from various geographic locations to appear in one volume and for adjacent features to appear in different volumes.

Non-geographic chunk volumes are designed to be loaded into spatial databases but can be used in a file format, provided all chunks are translated or imported into the system at the same time. For information on the volume feature counts for each feature type in OS MasterMap Highways Network, please see the volume feature count in the OS MasterMap Highways Network Product Guide.

System requirements

OS MasterMap Highways Network is designed for use in a geographical information system (GIS). For details of Ordnance Survey’s Licensed Partners who can assist you with incorporating the product in their systems, please see the .

Ordnance Survey does not recommend either suppliers or software products, as the most appropriate system will depend on many factors, such as the amount of data being taken, resources available within the organisation, the existing and planned information technology infrastructure and last but by no means least, the applications that the data will be used for.

However, the following minimum elements will be required in any system:

• A means of reading the data, either in its native format, or by translating it into a file format or for storage in a database.

• A means of storing and distributing the data, perhaps in a database or through a web-based service.

• A way of visualising and / or querying the data, typically a GIS.

Backup provision of the product

You are advised to copy the supplied data to a backup medium before following the steps in this guide.

Typical data volumes

For reading purposes, it is recommended that users store the data on a single hard disc. This will speed up the ability of your computer to read the data.

Uncompressed file sizes for the Full Supply of England, Scotland and Wales are as follows:

Geography Markup Language (GML)

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads: 29GB

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – RAMI: 43GB

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths: 11GB

GeoPackage (GPKG)

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads: 8.5GB

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – RAMI: 3GB

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths: 5GB

Vector tiles (MBTiles)

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads: 1.5GB

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths: 0.4GB

OS MasterMap Highways Network schema files

Ordnance Survey, GeoPlace and Improvement Service have collaborated to bring together Ordnance Survey’s detailed road and path information, the National Street Gazetteer (NSG), the Trunk Road Street Gazetteer (TRSG), and the Scottish Street Gazetteer (SSG) to create an authoritative road and path network for Great Britain: OS MasterMap Highways Network.

OS MasterMap Highways Network integrates the Unique Street Reference Number (USRN) from the gazetteers with the most detailed definitive geometry from Ordnance Survey. It is produced in partnership with GeoPlace and the Local Government Association, and as of March 2021, contains data created and maintained by Scottish Local Government.

The OS MasterMap Highways Network product family includes three core products:

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Roads

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Routing and Asset Management Information (RAMI)

• OS MasterMap Highways Network – Paths

OS MasterMap Highways Network products contain a wide range of features, including:

• Unique Street Reference Number (USRN).

• Road names from the naming and numbering authority.

• Department for Transport (DfT) road classifications.

• Road maintenance authority.

• Motorway junction to junction information.

• Routing information.

• Information on height, weight, width and length restrictions.

• Special designations.

• Road reinstatement information.

• Connected network across Great Britain (GB), including islands through the Ferry Network.

Product benefits

• OS MasterMap Highways Network is a single authoritative view of the road and path network that underpins decision making across government as it:

  • Reduces duplication of effort on maintaining highways information across multiple departments and datasets.

  • Facilitates data-sharing.

• The product provides OS detailed geometry and routing information on highways together with the best asset management information from authoritative sources into one central location.

• It enables planning, routing and navigation for a variety of vehicle types.

• The USRN as the key identifier for a Street enables systems to share information about the same entities without the need to match multiple datasets. With the USRN, you can also easily link to OS's AddressBase products, which lets you search for or navigate to an address and find the property access and delivery points.

• The product provides accurate and precise asset management information on who maintains the road network, special designations and the type of surface reinstatement value.

Product applications

OS MasterMap Highways Network is designed to be used as a single source of highway asset management by private and public sectors alike. The following table describes some of the key product applications:

Key applications for OS MasterMap Highways Network products.

When a customer receives an order, the product will be packaged as follows:

• Data folder: Contains the GML, GeoPackage or vector tiles files which make up the ordered product.

• Doc folder: Contains a summary.gml file which will contain specific information about the customer order, including the order number, extent and order type information (‘Full Supply’ or ‘COU’).

• Resources folder: Contains the product’s Feature Validation Data Set (FVDS). For further information on these resources, please refer to the .

The GeoPackage and vector tiles formats will be available for GB coverage only, so will not contain COU files.

GML file names

The file naming for the OS MasterMap Highways Network GML will be constructed as:

Highways_ProductName_FeatureType_SupplyType_NullorDelete_volumenumber.gml.gz.

The name is composed of the following elements:

• Highways: Identifies that the GML is from the OS MasterMap Highways Network product family.

• ProductName: Is the name of the product that is being supplied, for example, Roads.

• FeatureType: Is the name of the feature type that is being supplied in the GML file, for example, RoadLink.

• SupplyType: Is the type of supply the GML is, for example, Full Supply or COU.

• NullorDelete: This will not be present in any GML file names if the GML forms part of a Full Supply. If the GML forms part of a COU supply, then 'Delete' will identify if the file contains all the features which need removing from the customer holding as a part of the COU application.

• Volumenumber: Will be the volume number for the file which will be three digits and the first volume will be 001.

Examples of the GML file names:

• Highways_Roads_RoadLink_Full_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Rrami_AccessRestriction_Full_001.gml.gz

• Highways_Paths_Maintenance_Full_001.gml.gz

GeoPackage file names

The file naming for the OS MasterMap Highways Network GeoPackage will be constructed as:

OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkProductName_gb.gpkg.

Examples of GeoPackage file names:

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkRoad_gb.gpkg

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkPath_gb.gpkg

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkRAMI_gb.gpkg

Vector tiles file names

The file naming for the OS MasterMap Highways Network vector tiles will be constructed as:

OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkProductName_gb.mbtiles

Examples of the vector tiles file names:

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkRoad_gb.mbtiles

• OSMasterMapHighwaysNetworkPath_gb.mbtiles

How do I unzip the GML files?

The Highways GML data is supplied in a compressed form (gzip). Some software can access these files directly; others will require it to be uncompressed. To uncompress the zipped data files (.gz extension), use an unzipping utility found on most PCs, for example, WinZip. Open-source zipping / unzipping software can be downloaded from the Internet, for example, 7-Zip.

How do I unzip the GeoPackage and vector tiles files?

Before loading the data, you will need to unzip it by using any of the regular zip programs available or via the facility within the Windows 10 operating system.

This getting started guide focuses solely on loading the product in GML format. For guidance on using the products in GeoPackage or vector tiles formats, please see the following two format-specific getting started guides:

• Getting Started with GeoPackage guide

• Getting Started with Vector Tiles guide

GML is an XML dialect, which can be used to model geographic features. It was designed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) as a means for people to share information regardless of the applications or technology that they use. In the first instance, GML was used to overcome the differences between different GIS applications by providing an open standards file format as an alternative to proprietary formats.

The data can be loaded into several GIS. This section describes how to translate the GML and load it into some commonly used GIS. However, as the data is based on a relational data model, not all GIS formats will support this and storing the data in a relational database is recommended. For more information about other GIS that OS MasterMap Highways Network is compatible with, please speak to your OS Relationship Manager.

The common GIS software applications covered in this section are:

• QGIS

• ArcMap

• MapInfo Professional

• Cadcorp SIS Desktop

Software for loading into a database:

• Go Loader – PostGreSQL

Query the Streets table using this string:

Snowflake Software provides standard project templates for several OS products. Users can use these templates to load data to a standard data model to meet the requirements of most end-users.

Snowflake has created a standard project to support the new OS MasterMap Highways Network dataset. This can be downloaded from the Snowflake support portal.

The project also includes columns to help support styling / MapInfo styling if needed.

1. Open GO Loader, File/Download Templates, and download the new standard GO Loader project for Highways, from the Customer portal (Products/GO Loader/Resources/Project Templates).

2. Save the file to your drive and unzip it.

1. In GO Loader, open the new extracted OS_Highways.glp GO Loader Standard project (or drag it into the Project File area of the screen).

1. Select the Loader Configuration tab to set your target database details.

1. Set a directory location on your hard drive for ‘load lists’ (choose any valid local location).

1. Create all the tables defined in the GO Loader Highways project (ideally choose a new database or schema without other existing tables).

1. Load all your Highways data files.

1. Create the Spatial Indexes and other indexes.

OS MasterMap Highways Tips for Success

• Focus on the core job that you ultimately trying to get done.

• Consider what other products will help to meet your goals

• Don’t overcomplicate the task.

Steps

1. Start by doing a data backup.

2. Translate the data using our FME workbenches.

3. Follow the steps outline in the scenarios below to success.

Scenarios

The OS MasterMap Highways playbook is broken down into a series of data scenarios that might be used in data projects and step-by-step instructions on how to solve these challenges. These are:

OS MasterMap Highways contains USRN as a unique reference for each street. This is really important as this provides a better link to addressing than the TOID information in the AddressBase Premium cross-reference table. This also gives more accurate results to users planning and using services by allowing them to link more effectively to a road. This improves a user's ability to identify properties, for use in routing; planning services such as waste management; calculating routes to school; reviewing service location and provision; identifying those affected by street works.

Use Cases:

• Identify delivery/collection addresses

• Optimising waste collection

• Metering

• Service review and optimisation

Question: How do I connect addresses to a road?

A: AddressBase will give you a basic answer, but OSMM Highways can tell you much more… By linking across the relational mode using the unique keys in the data you can link the Roadlink geometry to AddressBase data. This will give a more reliable match than using the Cross Reference table in AddressBase as it is based upon gazetteer data.

What You Will Need

Data

• Roads Specification

• Roadlink

• RoadLink_FormsPartof *

• Roadlink TOID

And to go one step further:

• Road

• Street

* = SQL wildcard. This will display all columns in the data in the query result. As an alternative you can list only the columns you need separated by a comma e.g. column1, column2, column3….

Software

• Translation software is required to convert data from GML into your chosen format. FME workbenches are available on GitHub to help with this.

• Data storage – once translated the data will need to be stored in a format compatible with your systems, this may be on your file system as a shape file, geopackage or tab file or in a database.

• GIS or web application to manipulate and display your results.

Steps to Success: Connecting to Address Data

1. Using your preferred method translate the GML for Roadlink, Road and Street into a format of your choosing.

2. To join the RoadLink geometry to addresses in AddressBase the USRN* can be used as a cross-reference. In the technical specification the USRN of the Street the RoadLink forms part is held in the RoadLink table. However, some translators will split this out into a separate table to avoid duplication into a RoadLink_FormsPartOf.

3. Either in your database or GIS query select the RoadLink you want to find the addresses for. In the example I want to select all properties along the A3026

1. Next is to link to RoadLink_FormsPartOF on TOID in both tables.

1. This will return a list or RoadLinks with a reference to both the Street and Road it forms part of. As the USRN is a reference to the Street we can exclude Road from our query. In the GML formsPartOf includes these references, some translators may join these in one field or create a separate column.

1. The final step is to link to either AddressBase Plus or Premium using the USRN. (AddressBase does not contain the USRN).

* USRN not currently populated in Scotland

The Results

Remember…

• USRN in AddressBase is an integer

• To remain INSPIRE compliant, OSMM Highways needs to have the USRN integer value prefixed by ‘USRN’

Solution:

• Create a lookup table to combine values from AddressBase with a character field with USRN added or

• Concatenate the 2 fields within your SQL query something like CONCAT(‘usrn’, usrn)