way station

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A station between principal stations on a route, as of a railroad.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A station intermediate between principal stations on a railroad.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A small railway station between the principal stations or a station where the train stops only on a signal.
• noun figuratively A service area or temporary lodging used during a longer journey.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a stopping place on a journey
• noun a small railway station between the principal stations or a station where the train stops only on a signal