Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart (VVS)

Some trips have stop times whose distances along the route go backwards.

Apps can show transit vehicles jumping backwards or mis-order stops.

Fix: Re-generate shape distances in your export; flag to your vendor if it persists. (Usually an export-tool fix, not hand editing.)

Validator rule: decreasing_or_equal_stop_time_distance · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Equal shape distance diff coordinates (flagged by the MobilityData validator).

See the linked rule for what this affects.

Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)

Validator rule: equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

137504 of 137504 trips don't say whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible.

Even with accessible stops, riders need to know the transit vehicle itself can take them.

Fix: Set wheelchair_accessible on every trip. If every vehicle is accessible, this may be one default; otherwise use the value for each trip. (A default or per-trip field in your export.)

Validator rule: scorecard_wheelchair_accessible_unknown · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

10123 of 10123 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there.

Riders who use wheelchairs can't plan a trip when accessibility is marked 'unknown'; apps show no information at all.

Fix: Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops. (A column in stops.txt; your scheduling software likely has it.)

Validator rule: scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

Some stops sit far from the route line they belong to.

Trip planners may draw the transit vehicle route through the wrong path or point riders to the wrong boarding location.

Fix: Check the flagged stops' coordinates and the route shape in your scheduling software; re-snap whichever is misplaced. (A few minutes per flagged stop.)

Validator rule: stop_too_far_from_shape · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some values have extra spaces at the start or end.

A stray space can break a match, so a stop or route may fail to link across files.

Fix: Trim leading and trailing spaces on export. The scorecard's auto-fixed copy already does this. (Usually one export setting.)

Validator rule: leading_or_trailing_whitespaces · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Unexpected enum value (flagged by the MobilityData validator).

See the linked rule for what this affects.

Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'unexpected_enum_value' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)

Validator rule: unexpected_enum_value · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some service calendars in the feed have already ended.

Expired calendars are dead weight and can hide real schedule problems from your staff and vendors.

Fix: Remove past service periods the next time you export the feed. (One setting in most export tools.)

Validator rule: expired_calendar · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some scheduled trips move faster between stops than a transit vehicle can.

Usually a typo'd stop time; riders get arrival times no transit vehicle can meet.

Fix: Check the flagged stop times for transposed minutes. (A few minutes per flagged trip.)

Validator rule: fast_travel_between_consecutive_stops · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some stops sit far from the route line, going by the feed's own distance values.

Trip planners may draw the route down the wrong path or point riders to the wrong boarding location.

Fix: Check the flagged stops' shape_dist_traveled against the route shape, and re-generate it on export if they disagree. (Usually an export-tool fix, not hand editing.)

Validator rule: stop_too_far_from_shape_using_user_distance · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some route lines list the same point twice in a row.

Repeated points don't hurt riders, but they can skew distance math and hint at a shaky export.

Fix: Turn on shape cleanup in your export tool, or drop the repeated points from shapes.txt. (Usually one export setting.)

Validator rule: equal_shape_distance_same_coordinates · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Equal shape distance diff coordinates distance below threshold (flagged by the MobilityData validator).

See the linked rule for what this affects.

Fix: Review the rule documentation for 'equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates_distance_below_threshold' at https://gtfs-validator.mobilitydata.org/rules.html and check the flagged rows in your feed. (Varies.)

Validator rule: equal_shape_distance_diff_coordinates_distance_below_threshold · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

On some trips the stops fall along the route line in a different order than the schedule lists.

Trip planners can draw the transit vehicle doubling back or skipping ahead, which confuses riders reading the map.

Fix: Check the stop order and the shape direction in your scheduling software; the shape is often drawn backwards. (A few minutes per flagged trip.)

Validator rule: stops_match_shape_out_of_order · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Two or more routes share the same name.

Riders can't tell the routes apart in apps.

Fix: Give each route a distinct short or long name. (One field per route.)

Validator rule: duplicate_route_name · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

feed_info.txt lists no contact email and no contact URL.

Without a contact, apps like Google Maps can't reach you when they find a problem in the feed.

Fix: Add feed_contact_email or feed_contact_url to feed_info.txt. (One field, set once in export settings.)

Validator rule: missing_feed_contact_email_and_url · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Many of the feed's trips don't run at all in the next 7 days.

It usually means old service periods are still in the export, making the feed bigger and harder to check.

Fix: Trim past service periods the next time you export. (One setting in most export tools.)

Validator rule: trip_coverage_not_active_for_next7_days · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

The feed contains no fare information.

Riders see 'fare unknown' in trip planners and can't budget their trip; visitors are most affected.

Fix: Add fare_attributes.txt (or Fares v2 files) with your fare structure. If your service is fare-free, ask to have it marked fare-free instead. (A small file for most flat-fare systems.)

Validator rule: scorecard_no_fare_data · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Best Practices (opens GTFS Best Practices on an external site)

This feed models stations or entrances but has no pathways.txt.

Trip planners can't guide riders through the station, and there is no step-free route information for wheelchair users.

Fix: Add pathways.txt connecting entrances, platforms, and any elevators, with a level for each. (Worth it for multi-level or large stations; flat stops don't need it.)

Validator rule: scorecard_station_no_pathways · Read the fix guide · See GTFS Schedule reference (opens the GTFS Schedule reference on an external site)

Some trip headsigns name a stop along the way, not the final destination.

The sign should tell riders where the transit vehicle ends up, so a midpoint name can send them the wrong way.

Fix: Set trip_headsign to the trip's last stop or its overall destination. (Usually a bulk edit in your scheduling software.)

Validator rule: trip_headsign_matches_intermediate_stop · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

The feed has a stretch of two weeks or more with no service running.

A long gap can mean dates were left out of the calendar. Apps then show no trips on those days.

Fix: Check whether the gap is real, like a seasonal break; if not, add the missing dates to the calendar. (A review of your calendar dates.)

Validator rule: big_gap_in_service · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

Some files contain columns that are not part of the GTFS spec.

Harmless to riders, but apps ignore these columns and they can hide typos in real column names.

Fix: Check the flagged column names for misspellings of standard GTFS fields; remove them if they are vendor extras. (A quick look at the flagged files.)

Validator rule: unknown_column · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

The feed includes a file that is not part of the GTFS spec.

Apps ignore files they don't know, and a stray file can hide a misspelled standard file name.

Fix: Check the flagged file name for a typo of a standard GTFS file. Remove it if it is a vendor extra. (A quick look at the flagged file.)

Validator rule: unknown_file · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)

feed_info.txt has no technical contact (feed_contact_email or feed_contact_url).

Trip-planning apps and regional data coordinators have nobody to email when they spot a problem with your feed, so problems linger.

Fix: Add feed_contact_email to feed_info.txt. (One field.)

Validator rule: scorecard_no_feed_contact · Read the fix guide · See MobilityData GTFS Validator rules (opens the validator rules on an external site)