I. Project Positioning and Data Overview World Train Map Atlas (repository name trainrouter-atlas) comes from worldtrainmap.com (formerly TrainRouter, renamed on August 11, 2026; the old domain redirects by path). It organizes world-famous train routes into an open dataset and provides it to AI assistants in the form of an MCP server. The dataset contains 961 routes, 118 countries, and approximately 432,800 kilometers of lines; each route has both engineering/operational facts and geometric lines (LineString coordinates). Coverage includes high-speed trunk lines (Eurostar, TGV, Shinkansen, AVE), classic long-distance routes (Trans-Siberian, California Zephyr), night trains (Nightjet, the Ghan), and scenic lines that people make special trips to ride (Glacier Express, Bernina Express, the Jacobite).
II. Main Capabilities and Data Content Fact fields include distance, maximum speed, journey time, operator, opening year, and approximate passenger traffic, all compiled from public reference materials (operator data, timetables, press materials, encyclopedia articles); they are approximate public values, suitable for exploration and visualization, not for operational use. The geometry consists of manually traced coordinates for each route or coordinates retraced based on OpenStreetMap. The dataset deliberately excludes per-route stories and scenery, photos (Wikimedia Commons, separately licensed), and intercity travel guides (derived from public timetable data), which exist only on the website.
III. How to Use The CSV/JSON/GeoJSON files can be used directly for offline analysis or map visualization; they can also be used in AI assistants through the free MCP server, at https://worldtrainmap.com/mcp（连接方式见仓库说明），或在本地仓库的 In the mcp/ directory, run npm install && npm start. The MCP server provides tools for Claude and other MCP clients to query, and its atlas_stats tool can be used to confirm the current service content.
IV. Licensing and Source Notes Factual data (all non-geometry fields in data/) uses CC BY 4.0, and may be freely used, shared, and adapted; attribution to World Train Map along with https://worldtrainmap.com or the specific route url satisfies attribution. Geometry: manually traced lines are CC BY 4.0; lines retraced based on OpenStreetMap follow ODbL 1.0. If reusing geometry as a whole, treating it under ODbL and attributing OpenStreetMap is the safe default; the next version will mark this clearly per route. The mcp/ code is MIT. The data is also published on Hugging Face, Kaggle (facts files only), and Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21322030).
V. Version Differences and Release Notes The data/ in the repository is the refreshed version of July 23, 2026, in which most geometry is still manually traced, and a few corridors (Brenner, Oslo–Göteborg, Oslo–Stockholm, Pustertalbahn) have been retraced based on OSM. Because since late July 2026 route geometry has gradually been retraced using OpenStreetMap railway relations, bringing ODbL derivative licensing requirements, while the current package as a whole uses CC BY 4.0, the exporter was intentionally blocked before the per-route license split is completed; data/ has not been updated since July 23, and the latest release is still v1.1.0. If data newer than the July version is needed, the MCP server is the closest available option; it is deployed from the website's own atlas and is usually ahead of the repository files, but may also be slightly behind the website itself.
VI. Applicable Scenarios and Limitations Suitable for railway enthusiasts, data visualization projects, map application prototypes, teaching and research exploration, and scenarios where users want to query facts and geometry of famous train routes through AI assistants. Limitations include: the data covers manually curated well-known routes, not all railway lines worldwide; the facts are approximate; geometry is licensed differently depending on the source; downloaded data lags behind the website, and the timeline for restoring the exporter is not yet available; route names and one-sentence descriptions are the author's own wording.
