Real-time map of Great Britain's rail network

Data sources & “real-time” tech

• Most commenters think the map is driven mainly by Network Rail signalling feeds (Train Describer, TRUST, Darwin), not GPS.
• Signalling reports which “block/berth” a headcode is in; blocks can be long, so the site likely interpolates position using line speed, train class, and typical timings.
• Some newer fleets have GPS, but this is not universal and not standardized; any GPS data would be lower-frequency than what the animation suggests.
• The “Find My Train” feature and API need device location to identify which train you are on, but that’s separate from generating the base map.

Accuracy and reliability

• Multiple people living next to lines report large discrepancies: invisible trains, missing trains, wrong track, trains shown moving when stopped, or apparently crossing fields and the sea.
• The icons aren’t snapped to track geometry, so they visually “drive” off the rails.
• Several note this is fine as a visual toy or rough indicator, but not for anything operationally critical.
• There is “smoke and mirrors”: high refresh rate with much coarser underlying data.

Coverage and omissions

• Focus is on Great Britain mainline overground trains; some local metros (e.g., Tyne and Wear) appear, but London Underground and many light-rail/heritage systems are absent.
• Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man are not covered.
• Station data looks outdated or incomplete: new stations (e.g., Cambridge South) and even major ones (e.g., Sheffield) are missing on the map or in search.

Privacy and surveillance concerns

• One comment calls it “surveillance”, but others respond that knowing train locations is inherent to running a safe railway.
• Clarified that core train positions come from infrastructure sensors, not continuous phone tracking; phones are only used when users/apps actively share location.

Comparisons to other systems

• Many links to similar or richer maps in France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany (via travic.app), Eastern Europe, India, Japan (notably a 3D Tokyo map), the US, etc.
• Several of those rely purely on timetables plus delay data, so they also “fake” continuous movement.

User experience & feature requests

• Generally seen as visually appealing and snappy.
• Appreciated features: selecting a train to see stops.
• Desired features: select a station to see arrival boards; better station search; clearer handling of time zones; improved accuracy/line snapping.

Wider commentary on UK rail

• Thread drifts into criticisms of UK rail: underinvestment, overcrowding, high fares, and HS2/privatisation politics.
• Others note that punctuality statistics are better than popular perception, and that structural/geographic constraints limit easy fixes.