Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

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. The project was launched in 2013.

Last revised
Jun 6, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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Wikipedia ↗
OpenRailwayMap
OpenRailwayMap section of northeastern US and southeastern Canada
Type of site
Collaborative mapping
OwnerCommunity-owned
ProductsGeographic data
URLwww.openrailwaymap.org
CommercialNo
RegistrationRequired for contributors, not required for viewing
Launched2013 (2013)1
Current statusActive
Content license
Various
OpenRailwayMap-vector
OpenRailwayMap-vector section of Dresden, Germany
Type of site
Collaborative mapping
Available inEnglish
Area servedWorldwide
OwnerCommunity-owned
ProductsGeographic data
URLwww.openrailwaymap.app
AdvertisingNo
CommercialNo
RegistrationRequired for contributors, not required for viewing
Launched2024 (2024)2
Current statusActive
Content license
Various

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.3 The project was launched in 2013.4

History

The project was started in 2011.5 The OpenRailwayMap website was launched in mid 2013.4 The map originally supported both raster tiles and vector tiles, but support for the latter was dropped in 2017 due to poor performance.6 A fork of OpenRailwayMap with a more modern vector tile implementation was announced in 2025.7

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.8

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. 59

As well as the project website there is also a mobile app available for Android devices.10

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.1112

Contributing

JOSM editor source ↗

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.5

References

References

  1. "Whois openrailwaymap.org". www.whois.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  2. "Whois openrailwaymap.app". www.whois.com. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
  3. "Where to find railroad maps online". Trains. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  4. "Whois openrailwaymap.org". www.whois.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  5. "OpenRailwayMap - OpenStreetMap Wiki". wiki.openstreetmap.org. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  6. Matheisen, Alexander (2 April 2017). "Removing vector tile support". openrailwaymap (Mailing list). Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  7. Wieringa, Hidde (6 March 2025). "OpenRailwayMap-vector announcement". openrailwaymap (Mailing list). Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  8. Brebbia, C.A.; Mera, J.M.; Tomii, N.; Tzieropoulos, P., eds. (2016). Computers in Railways XV: Railway Engineering Design and Operation. Great Britain: WIT Press. pp. 119–120. eISSN 1743-3509. ISBN 978-1-78466-123-6.
  9. Blumenschein, Mattias; Babilon, Katherina; Schmidt, Bernd D.; Pfaff, Raphael (2021). "Use cases in autonomous shunting" (PDF). RWTH AACHEN UNIVERSITY. Aachen, Germany. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  10. "Railmap for OpenRailwayMap - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  11. "OpenRailwayMap/API - OpenStreetMap Wiki". wiki.openstreetmap.org. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  12. Gaffuri, Julien (2018). "Generalising OpenRailwayMap to 1:10k and 1:50k" (PDF). TU Dresden. Luxembourg city, Luxembourg. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
External links