Swiss Real-Time Train Map

[Alexis Kasperavičius]

Here is an interesting use of Google maps. The Swiss Train system shows you all their trains in real time! You can actually see them moving on the map!

www.swisstrains.ch/

I don't have much more information, but considering the freak-out over a similar system in the US, run by volunteers, which showed planes in a similar manner, I doubt anything like this will be happening in the US anytime soon.

[matthewb]

I at least hope this could be rolled out throughout Europe, and preferably extended to buses, too. Maybe it's easier for trains in a relatively small country like Switzerland as there aren't too many to track and it doesn't overwhelm the server, but I'm guessing the challenges wouldn't be unsurmountable. Once it's more widespread, maybe systems in North America would come around to it having seen its benefits abroad (just kidding).

[James Fujita]

Like a lot of things, that's easier said than done.

In many cases, the information does exist. You just have to make sure that buses and trains have a transponder. At the very least, you would have some sort of central dispatch center which would keep an eye on operations. In some cases, you can have the signal transmitted to bus stops and subway stations.

However real-time, live-internet public links do place a strain on a system. It's not the number of buses and trains, its the number of links which makes all the difference.

I would love to see more accurate information available in Los Angeles, but I am sympathetic to the budget constraints and the technological constraints which prevent this (although less so to the bureaucratic constraints and whatever "what if" security paranoia which may exist... )