World Train Map project maps 1,247 global railway routes

The World Train Map project, an interactive atlas created by a Norwegian developer known as ‘Flightmussy_CEO’, maps 1,247 notable passenger train routes across 120 countries. Originally launched as TrainRouter, the platform was rebranded to better reflect its function as a data atlas rather than a journey planner or ticket booking service.

The project utilizes OpenStreetMap (OSM) via the Overpass API to retrieve geographic coordinates for rail networks. To map actual passenger routes, the system employs a ‘snapping’ process that aligns General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) timetable data with the physical rail graphs found in OSM.

However, the project highlights significant challenges in global geodata quality. Technical issues such as ‘snapping’ errors occur when parallel tracks cause algorithmic misassignments, and discrepancies exist between physical infrastructure and active passenger service, such as historical lines that no longer host trains.