Foreign Train Trackers / Schedules

[chrisjo]

You can see the train moving

Hmm. The phrase 'tiempo real' seems to be doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

Sounds good, but in practice I can occasionally see a train actually moving a few hundred meters, but then it either stops or it de-materialises and re-appears up to 10 minutes later several stations along the line.

I've looked at the Malaga and Alicante Circanias so far as those are the ones with which I am familiar, maybe it's better elsewhere? Better than nothing anyway.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==

From the RTVE link that @stadler gives above...(I paraphrase)

According to Renfe’s director of digital transformation and technology, Sonia Segade Blanco, the exact position of each train comes from a GPS device on the train, but depending on the location, such as in a tunnel, the position cannot always be obtained. The data from each train is combined with data from the passage of sensors provided by Adif (Spanish version of Network Rail), and with actual arrival and departure from stations.

Which is about what you'd expect I suppose.

 

[CarrotPie]

No other country anywhere has anything quite at the level that we have. I think the UK is very unique in having such a high level of detailed open railway data available. Things like RTT and OTT and Traksy are simply not possible in most other countries.

But there are a few countries that will let you track the locations of trains on maps and sometimes even see the unit numbers.

You already mentioned the map feature, but Julia has so more than that. It's basically a combination of almost every feature RTT, OTT, Traksy, the Sectional Appendix and Darwin in one website.

It also has routes set (example)+track sections (example) occupied for each train and a signalling map covering the entire country, plus speed limits, speed/operating restrictions, track geometry, passenger information, historical GPS+speed data of almost every train going back 8 years (example) and train running data going back almost 12 years (including delay codes, example!), not to mention 11 years's worth of passenger+ECS allocations (with unit numbers for commuter trains, although their data is only stored for 14 days) - in total, virtually all the data that the railway has in Finland is open data, and all of that is available somewhere on Julia. You can also query all of it from the API yourself, if you're weird like that

Arguably the best bit is the sightings bit, where you can add sightings of trains and see other peoples' sightings over a 20-year period, and you can also set up Telegram+email alerts for specific trains. The only drawback, of course, is that the site is all in Finnish...but that's why they invented Google Translate!

 

[Trainguy34]

You already mentioned the map feature, but Julia has so more than that. It's basically a combination of almost every feature RTT, OTT, Traksy, the Sectional Appendix and Darwin in one website.

It also has routes set (example)+track sections (example) occupied for each train and a signalling map covering the entire country, plus speed limits, speed/operating restrictions, track geometry, passenger information, historical GPS+speed data of almost every train going back 8 years (example) and train running data going back almost 12 years (including delay codes, example!), not to mention 11 years's worth of passenger+ECS allocations (with unit numbers for commuter trains, although their data is only stored for 14 days) - in total, virtually all the data that the railway has in Finland is open data, and all of that is available somewhere on Julia. You can also query all of it from the API yourself, if you're weird like that

Arguably the best bit is the sightings bit, where you can add sightings of trains and see other peoples' sightings over a 20-year period, and you can also set up Telegram+email alerts for specific trains. The only drawback, of course, is that the site is all in Finnish...but that's why they invented Google Translate!

Sounds like a megaproject for some of the more technology-based people here...

 

[stadler]

You already mentioned the map feature, but Julia has so more than that. It's basically a combination of almost every feature RTT, OTT, Traksy, the Sectional Appendix and Darwin in one website.

It also has routes set (example)+track sections (example) occupied for each train and a signalling map covering the entire country, plus speed limits, speed/operating restrictions, track geometry, passenger information, historical GPS+speed data of almost every train going back 8 years (example) and train running data going back almost 12 years (including delay codes, example!), not to mention 11 years's worth of passenger+ECS allocations (with unit numbers for commuter trains, although their data is only stored for 14 days) - in total, virtually all the data that the railway has in Finland is open data, and all of that is available somewhere on Julia. You can also query all of it from the API yourself, if you're weird like that

Arguably the best bit is the sightings bit, where you can add sightings of trains and see other peoples' sightings over a 20-year period, and you can also set up Telegram+email alerts for specific trains. The only drawback, of course, is that the site is all in Finnish...but that's why they invented Google Translate!

Thank you for that. I was aware of some of that but not all. It is a fantastic site. I think that Finland is likely the only other country in the entire world to have the same level of railway open data that the UK has. In some cases Julia seems to have even more than us. They have done a fantastic job creating that site.

 

[jpl]

Thank you for that. I was aware of some of that but not all. It is a fantastic site. I think that Finland is likely the only other country in the entire world to have the same level of railway open data that the UK has. In some cases Julia seems to have even more than us. They have done a fantastic job creating that site.

Things are changing, though. The Finnish authorities are currently reviewing the open data and it is unfortunately entirely possible that most if not all datasets will be removed this year. Opening up the rail data was seen encouraged by the government at first, but the stance has changed more negative in the long run. Securing critical infrastructure has become a core issue which is being handled by reducing the availability of data.

 

[CarrotPie]

Things are changing, though. The Finnish authorities are currently reviewing the open data and it is unfortunately entirely possible that most if not all datasets will be removed this year. Opening up the rail data was seen encouraged by the government at first, but the stance has changed more negative in the long run. Securing critical infrastructure has become a core issue which is being handled by reducing the availability of data.

Information on signals, derailers, gradients (eh?), point speeds and, most intriguingly, whether or not a point can be electrically controlled, will be removed from open data in the future. They've already been taken off Julia, but they're still available online (here) for at least a little while longer.

It really feels like the people at the infrastructure manager watched Nightsleeper and that's what made them decide to choose the categories they did, especially the control methods of points. Oh well, the downfall of Finnish open rail data has begun...

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

Greek railway authorities have launched railway.gov.gr/train-tracker where you can track train GPS positions live.

It's got real-time info for a service (apparently a first in Greek railways), it's quite exact down to the track and there's also a live video feed of the front outlook of the train.
Currently only passenger trains between Athens and Thessaloniki are supported but it's supposed to be extended to all trains

 

[jpl]

Currently only passenger trains between Athens and Thessaloniki are supported but it's supposed to be extended to all trains

I've tried the site several times but yet to see any active train. I suspect only a minority of trains are equipped and supported at this time.

Another live information site: https://www.hellenictrain.gr/en/stations-live-itineraries

 

[stadler]

A new very detailed tracking site for Spain has recently been launched:

SpainTrainRadar | Mapa y radar de trenes en España

Visualiza y trackea trenes en España en tiempo real con un mapa estilo FlightRadar24 para ferrocarril.

spaintrainradar.com

This is a very detailed site. It even shows the unit numbers for most trains. If you click on a train then it shows you the unit number and current status and any delay. If you click on a station then it shows you the live departures. This is a fantastic new site.

 

[martin2345uk]

A new very detailed tracking site for Spain has recently been launched:

SpainTrainRadar | Mapa y radar de trenes en España

Visualiza y trackea trenes en España en tiempo real con un mapa estilo FlightRadar24 para ferrocarril.

spaintrainradar.com

This is a very detailed site. It even shows the unit numbers for most trains. If you click on a train then it shows you the unit number and current status and any delay. If you click on a station then it shows you the live departures. This is a fantastic new site.

I’d only France would folllow suit!

 

[LesS]

AUSTRALIA
To clarify the position; the app ANYTRIP gives real time positioning and other information for trains, trams, buses, ferries, as appropriate for the following cities:
Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Brisbane, Cairns North Queensland, and New Zealand.
The amount of detail is considerable and in the case of Sydney they recieve the information directly from NSW Transport. In the Sydney Trains area there is usally enough useful infomation about freight, service and heritage trains although this requires a nominal annual subscition which also eliminates advertising.

 

[Iskra]

The Italian Train Tracking App that I previously used seems to have stopped working as they’ve been taken over by The Trainline, is there an alternative please?

 

[dubscottie]

TrainTimes Ireland runs of the signalling system.
It's only available now as a APK download and only works on android.

 

[Trainrouter]

We have this in Norway: https://www.banenor.no/reise-og-trafikk/togkart-i-sanntid/#toc-togkart-0

The only downside is that the whole thing is only in Norwegian....

 

[LUYMun]

European Sleeper has got an unofficial real-time tracker of its services and stock composition: https://whereisthe.es/

 

[chrisjo]

Saw this advertisement for TrainTracker24 on Twitter just now. It says:

Have you ever dreamed of a Flightradar24... for trains? Good news, in 48H, TrainTracker24 will go public! This Wednesday, August 26 at 9am Paris time, the map opens to everyone. From launch, #TrainTracker24 will cover several countries: France, Spain, Belgium, as well as the cross-border Eurostar, ICE, Renfe, Frecciarossa connections. Track trains live, discover network statistics, save your trips, map infrastructure, share your photos... Here's the ultimate tool for travelers and enthusiasts. The map will be accessible to everyone and ad-free. Advanced options will arrive starting Wednesday.