I really enjoy photographing trains. One can spend hours waiting for a train to pass. I remember as a child spending hours waiting for Amtrak’s Cape Codder to make its way through Middleboro, MA on Sunday afternoons. Sometimes the Cape Codder was delayed and I had no way of knowing. With a smartphone and the right app/websites, however, they can help us track the trains. I’ve found two amazing tool for tracking Amtrak trains across the country.
Amtrak Location Map
This map will show you trains across the USA. On the map, each train is numbered by its corresponding train schedule number. The numbers on the map are color coded by their on-time status. By clicking on the train number you can see the name of the train, speed, destination and on-time status.
Check out a similar system for MBTA Commuter Rail
Amtrak Mobile App
Using Amtrak’s official mobile app you can search by schedule train numbers or stations and get projected station arrival times. This app is also great for buying tickets and looking at train schedules too.
I tend to use both the website and the app to track trains when I’m out photographing Amtrak trains. I would still recommend have a scanner in hand, that is also a huge asset when tracking trains as well.
