Is this an official Amtrak service?

No. It relies on a community project that has no relation to Amtrak, so Amtrak's own app and station boards remain the authoritative sources.

Why might a train marker seem to stand still?

Positions update only when a new report arrives, so a marker can be behind the actual train.

Why are trains often late on some routes?

Outside the Northeast Corridor most track is owned by freight railroads, which dispatch their own lines, so passenger trains can be held behind freight traffic or for track work.

Amtrak Live Map Screensaver

The Amtrak Live Map screensaver shows real positions of every Amtrak train currently running, from the key-less community Amtraker API: route, speed and whether it is on time or running late, plotted on a US map. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Amtrak Live Map screensaver works

The saver reads the community Amtraker API directly in your browser — no key and no account.

Real positions of every Amtrak train currently running, from the key-less community Amtraker API: route, speed and whether it is on time or running late, plotted on a US map..

It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.

Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.

Tracking trains in a GPS-and-schedule world

Amtrak is the national passenger railway of the United States, operating long-distance routes, regional corridors and state-supported services. Amtrak owns and maintains most of the track on the Northeast Corridor, but outside it nearly all Amtrak train miles run over track owned and dispatched by freight railroads. The Amtraker project is a community-built API that provides Amtrak train tracking data in a simpler form for developers. Its maintainers state that it has no relation to Amtrak.

On the map, each train is a point carrying its route name, speed and a status derived by comparing its progress to the timetable: on time or late. Amtrak has long cited freight railroads as the largest cause of delay to its customers, since host railroads control dispatching on their lines, and a long-distance run can start late and recover time, or the reverse, over its journey.

A position is only as fresh as its most recent update, so a marker may lag the real train or appear still while it is moving. Lateness is relative to a published schedule, and a train showing as on time can still be stopped at a station. For travel decisions use Amtrak's official status channels.

A worked example

Real positions of every Amtrak train currently running, from the key-less community Amtraker API: route, speed and whether it is on time or running late, plotted on a US map.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display.
Data comes straight from the community Amtraker API in your browser.
Press ESC to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it comes from the community Amtraker API and is refreshed on a schedule.
Is a key needed?: No. This source is fully key-less.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Is this an official Amtrak service?: No. It relies on a community project that has no relation to Amtrak, so Amtrak's own app and station boards remain the authoritative sources.
Why might a train marker seem to stand still?: Positions update only when a new report arrives, so a marker can be behind the actual train.
Why are trains often late on some routes?: Outside the Northeast Corridor most track is owned by freight railroads, which dispatch their own lines, so passenger trains can be held behind freight traffic or for track work.

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