Frequently asked questions

What is MapRail?

MapRail is an independent railway information service that combines a live map, station arrival and departure boards, service timetables and historical schedule information in one place. It is designed for passengers, railway enthusiasts and anyone interested in how the network is operating.

What can I do on the live map?

You can explore passenger and freight movements, click a train to view its service details and calling points, select stations for upcoming arrivals and departures, and search for a station code, station name or train headcode.

Does MapRail cover the whole of Great Britain?

MapRail is intended to cover the national rail network in Great Britain. Coverage can vary by service type, location and the availability of live operational data. Some private sidings, depots, heritage lines and unusual movements may have limited information.

Is MapRail an official journey-planning service?

No. MapRail is an independent information and visualisation project. Always use official passenger information and operator announcements before making a journey or taking action based on disruption information.

Do I need an account?

No. The live map, station boards, searches and timetable pages are available without creating an account.

Does MapRail work on phones and tablets?

Yes. The interface adapts to smaller screens, supports touch interaction on the map and provides the same station and timetable information available on desktop devices.

What types of railway data feeds does MapRail use?

MapRail combines several kinds of railway data. These include planned schedule records, live passenger-position information, signalling and berth movement messages, confirmed train movement reports, short-notice timetable changes, cancellations, and reference data used to translate railway codes into understandable locations.

What does planned schedule data provide?

Schedule data supplies the planned identity and structure of a service: its dates of operation, origin, destination, calling points, passing points, arrival and departure times, platforms where supplied, operator code, train characteristics and other planning details.

What does live movement data provide?

Live movement messages report operational events such as a train arriving, departing or passing a recognised railway location. MapRail uses these events to show confirmed times and to estimate later times using the most recently reported delay.

How are passenger train positions obtained?

Passenger markers use a live location feed containing geographic positions and service identifiers. Where route geometry is available, MapRail can move the marker along the railway route between updates and show the selected train’s route on the map.

How are freight train positions obtained?

Freight and other operational trains are observed through signalling berth movements. A marker is shown when a movement can be associated with a known, mapped signalling location. This is different from receiving a continuous GPS position.

Does MapRail receive every railway movement?

No single feed guarantees every movement. Passenger coverage is generally broad, while freight, departmental, charter and special services depend on identifiers, schedules and mapped signalling locations being available. A train may be running even if it is temporarily absent from the map.

Are short-notice and special services included?

MapRail imports short-notice schedule updates and attempts to associate them with live movements. This can include freight trains, empty coaching stock, test trains, charters and special workings, but late publication or incomplete identifiers can prevent a timetable match.

Why do some trains have no timetable link?

A live marker and a planned schedule arrive through different data paths. If the matching schedule has not yet been imported, uses an unexpected identifier, was created at very short notice or falls outside current coverage, the marker can still appear without a timetable link.

Why do passenger train markers animate?

Passenger location updates are separated by time. When suitable route information is available, MapRail moves the marker smoothly along that route between confirmed updates. This makes movement easier to follow without claiming that every intermediate point is a new measured position.

Why do freight markers not animate?

Freight positions are based on discrete signalling observations rather than a continuous geographic feed. MapRail could infer movement between two locations, but the path and progress would be a best guess. Freight markers therefore move only when a new trustworthy mapped position is received.

Are the markers exact GPS positions?

Not necessarily. A marker represents the best position available from the relevant live feed. Passenger positions may be interpolated between updates, while freight positions identify a mapped signalling berth or area. They should not be treated as safety-critical or metre-accurate locations.

Why can a marker pause and then jump forward?

The source feed may publish in intervals, a message may arrive late, connectivity may briefly be interrupted, or the train may enter an area with less detailed mapping. MapRail updates the marker when newer usable information becomes available.

What do the marker colours mean?

Purple markers represent passenger services, dark green markers represent freight or other operational services, and white markers with purple borders represent stations. Delay status is shown separately using green, orange and red badges.

How do I display a passenger train’s route?

Click the passenger marker. Its route is highlighted in cyan with a dark outline and remains visible while you pan or zoom the map. Close the service panel with the X button to remove the route.

Why is a route not available for every train?

Detailed route geometry is currently available for passenger services when the location provider supplies it. Freight feeds do not contain equivalent complete route geometry, so drawing a precise freight route would risk presenting an inferred path as fact.

Why does the map show an old position?

The most recent trustworthy position can remain visible until the service expires from the live feed. The information panel and timetable should be used alongside the marker, particularly when a service is delayed, diverted or has stopped reporting.

What is the difference between Scheduled and Actual?

Scheduled shows the published timetable. Actual shows confirmed movement times when reports have been received, or predicted times calculated from the latest confirmed delay when the event has not happened yet.

Why are some Actual times bold and others italic?

Bold times are confirmed movement reports. Italic times are predictions based on the latest available delay and the remaining scheduled timings. A prediction can change when a newer movement report is received.

How are delay badges coloured?

On-time and early running use green. Delays of one to five minutes use orange, and delays over five minutes use red. The same thresholds are used on train panels, timetable rows and station boards.

What is the difference between standard and detailed timetables?

The standard timetable concentrates on locations where the train is planned to call. The detailed timetable also includes operational timing points and locations the train is planned to pass without stopping.

Why does the detailed timetable say “pass”?

A pass entry is a timing point used for planning and regulating the train, but the service is not scheduled to stop there for passengers. Its planned passing time is displayed in the departure side of the timetable.

What do abbreviations such as Junction, Sidings and Loop mean?

Railway schedules include operational locations as well as passenger stations. MapRail expands common abbreviations where possible: Junction is where routes meet or divide, Sidings are tracks used for holding or handling trains, and a Loop is a line that allows another train to pass or provides operational flexibility.

Does the absence of Actual data mean a service was cancelled?

Not by itself. It can mean the service did not run, but it can also mean that movement reports were unavailable or could not be matched. A service is only labelled cancelled when MapRail has received a cancellation record it can associate with that run.

Does MapRail show cancellation reasons?

MapRail currently records that a service was cancelled but does not display a detailed cancellation reason. Operational reason codes are not consistently available through every feed used by the system.

Why can the same headcode produce several results?

Headcodes are reused by different operators and services, sometimes more than once on the same day. MapRail keeps each scheduled run separate and asks you to choose when a search has more than one valid match.

How do I find a station?

Use the search field with a station name, part of a name or a three-letter station code. Searches such as “Liverpool” can return several matching stations, while a precise code such as KGX identifies London Kings Cross directly.

What is shown on a station board?

Station boards show scheduled and actual times, the origin or destination, the service headcode and its current delay status. Boards display fifteen services at a time with links for earlier and later trains.

Can I search between two stations?

Yes. Open Departures & arrivals, choose the board direction, enter the main station and optionally a second station, then select a date. Leaving the second station blank displays the full station board.

How are trains after midnight assigned to a date?

A train can begin before midnight and call at later stations on the following calendar day. MapRail follows the service through midnight so the station call appears on the date when it actually occurs while retaining the original service-run identity.

Does MapRail keep historical timetables?

Yes. Historical availability is an important part of MapRail. Timetable pages use a date and unique schedule identity so past services can remain distinct from another train that later reused the same headcode.

Can historical pages contain live movement information?

When confirmed movement reports have been received and retained, a historical timetable can show what actually happened alongside the published schedule. Coverage depends on when collection began and whether the events could be matched correctly.

Why do railway location names sometimes look unusual?

Operational schedules use railway-specific names that may differ from public station branding. MapRail expands common abbreviations and uses human-readable station names where reliable reference data exists, but some specialist locations retain their established railway name.

How current is the information?

The map checks for new data frequently, but the underlying feeds update at different intervals. Signalling, movement and timetable messages can also be delayed, corrected or delivered out of order.

Why does MapRail differ from another railway website?

Different services may use different feeds, matching rules, prediction methods, location databases and refresh intervals. One service may also have received a message that another has not yet processed.

Can I rely on MapRail to catch a train?

MapRail is useful for exploration and supplementary information, but it should not be your only source when travelling. Check station displays, announcements and official operator information before making journey decisions.

Why is a station or train temporarily missing?

The marker may be outside the current time window, the service may not have a usable position, a feed may be delayed, or the relevant reference location may not yet be mapped. Refreshing later may restore it when new information arrives.

What should I do if a timetable looks wrong?

First check that the service date and unique run are correct, especially around midnight. Differences can also be caused by a short-notice alteration or an unmatched live message. Persistent problems can be investigated using the headcode, date, UID and affected location.

Why does a predicted time change?

Predictions apply the latest known variation to later scheduled events. When the train makes up time, loses more time or receives a new confirmed report, the prediction is recalculated.