Building Real Routes/Tutorial

While its certainly possible to make fictional routes, many users prefer to re-create a real route from somewhere in the world to operate.

With these routes it is particularly important that signal placement, speed limits, and distances are all set correctly to allow an accurate timetable to operate.

Some possible resources are suggested below for these purposes.

Worldwide

Track Layout

• Open Railway Map
• Map Meurisse - also useful for measuring distances

Timetables

• Timetable World

Asia & Pacific

Australia

Track Layout & Signal Placement

• RailSafe

United Arab Emirates

Track Layout

• CartoMetro - Dubai

Europe

Austria

Track Layout

• Sporenplan

Belgium

Track Layout

• Sporenplan
• CartoMetro

France

Track Layout

• Sporenplan
• CartoMetro

Germany

Track Layout

• Sporenplan

Italy

Track Layout

• Sporenplan
• CartoMetro

Luxemburg

Track Layout

• Sporenplan

Netherlands

Track Layout

• Sporenplan

Spain

Track Layout

• CartoMetro

Sweden

Track Layout

• CartoMetro
• Trafikverket
• Bangårdar - Station track plans
• Ritningar Drawings - Track plans and some other stuff

Timetables

• 1409 - Based on data from the Swedish Transport Administration, seems to be only real-time data

Switzerland

Track Layout

• Sporenplan
• CartoMetro

United Kingdom

Track Layout & Signal Placement

• Traksy
• Open Train Times
• CartoMetro - London & Glasgow
• Signalbox Track Layouts - especially useful for historic routes
• Railway Guide - information about infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels and level crossings

Speed Limits and Distances

• Network Rail Sectional Appendix - No need to subscribe, just scroll down and they are all available at the bottom of the page

Timetables

• RealTimeTrains - Live running data (particularly useful for planned platform allocations)
• Open Train Times - Live running data, although less accurate than RealTimeTrains
• TfL Working Timetables
• Network Rail Public Timetable
• Network Rail Working Timetable
• DPSimulation Timetable Archive - timetables for the last few decades

North America

Canada

Track Layout

• CartoMetro

United States of America

Track Layout & Signal Placement

• Chicago Metra
• Chicago Amtrak
• CartoMetro - Los Angeles
• Vanshnookenraggen - NYC and Boston