OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap (ORM) 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.^[2] The project was launched in 2013.^[3]

OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap section of northeastern US and southeastern Canada
Type of site	Collaborative mapping
Owner	Community-owned
Products	Geographic data
URL	www.openrailwaymap.org
Commercial	No
Registration	Required for contributors, not required for viewing
Launched	2013; 12 years ago (2013)[1]
Current status	Active
Content license	Various

History

The project was started in 2011.^[4] The OpenRailwayMap website was launched in mid 2013.^[3] The map originally supported both raster tiles and vector tiles, but support for the latter was dropped in 2017 due to poor performance.^[5] A fork of OpenRailwayMap with a more modern vector tile implementation was announced in 2025.^[6]

Contents

OpenRailwayMap contains data for railway line positions, as well as the following information about them: track type (i.e. bridge, tunnel, regular line); track line type and current use (i.e. main, branch, yard; construction, disused, abandoned); max rail speeds; train protection; track electrification and track voltage if applicable; and track gauge.^[7]

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. ^[4][8]

As well as the project website there is also a mobile app available for Android devices.^[9]

API

OpenRailwayMap has a public and free (albeit limited-use) API. It is designed for small-scale applications. Users can query for information such as rail locations and data related to the rail.^[10][11]

Contributing

JOSM editor

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 (Registration required with a verified email address, no registration required to view data)
• Contributing to the project's open source code

Internationalization

OpenRailwayMap is available to users in around 22 languages.^[4]