feeder line
Noun 1. A secondary transportation route: A feeder line is a branch route that connects to a main transportation line, such as a railway, airline, or bus route, to collect and distribute traffic. 2. A connecting subsidiary route: Specifically in air travel, a feeder line is a shorter airline route that transports passengers or cargo to a major hub airport where they connect to longer, mainline flights.
A "feeder line" is used to describe the supporting infrastructure of a larger network. It is a singular, countable noun.
Examples - The small regional airline operates as a feeder line, bringing passengers from rural towns to the international hub. - Several bus feeder lines were established to increase ridership on the new subway. - The railway company is expanding its network of feeder lines to improve connectivity.
- Economic/Logistics Context: In supply chain management, a "feeder line" can refer to a secondary shipping route that consolidates cargo from smaller ports to a major port for transoceanic transport.
- Example: The container ship serves as a feeder line between the regional port and the deep-water terminal.
- Feeder (noun): A more general term for something that supplies or leads into a main system. (e.g., a tributary is a river; a branch airport is a ).
- Feeder Service (noun phrase): Often used interchangeably with "feeder line" to describe the transportation service itself.
- Branch Line (noun): A very close synonym, especially in rail transport.
- Branch line
- Spur line
- Connecting line
- Secondary line
(This term is technical and is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions.)
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a branching path off of a main transportation line (especially an airline)
