OpenRailwayMap
OpenRailwayMap is an online collaborative mapping project developing a worldwide railway map using technology based on the OpenStreetMap project. The project is part of the OpenStreetMap database, and acts as a renderer for the existing OpenStreetMap database to include additional information for railroad lines worldwide. The project was launched in 2013.
History
The project was started in 2011. The OpenRailwayMap website was launched in mid 2013. The map originally supported both Tiled [web map|raster tiles] and vector tiles, but support for the latter was dropped in 2017 due to poor performance. A fork of OpenRailwayMap with a more modern vector tile implementation was announced in 2025.Contents
OpenRailwayMap contains data for railway line positions, as well as the following information about them: track type ; track line type and current use ; max rail speeds; Train [protection system|train protection]; track electrification and track voltage if applicable; and track gauge.Applications
Some of the uses for OpenRailwayMap are as follows: scientific models/simulations, data for model train enthusiasts, track information for trainspotters, and routing/public transport.As well as the project website there is also a mobile app available for Android devices.
API
OpenRailwayMap has a public and free API. It is designed for small-scale applications. Users can query for information such as rail locations and data related to the rail.Contributing
OpenRailwayMap allows anyone to contribute in many ways, such as:- Creating data using photography or GPS trackers and sending it to experienced project editors
- Using the JOSM desktop editing tool to expand the database
- Contributing to the project's open source code
Internationalization