Android App for Identifying Kiwirail Trains

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Bananabob

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#296308 7-Jun-2022 10:42

Does anyone know if there is an Android App for Identifying Kiwirail trains?

I have Fightradar24 for the planes and I know there is an app for marine vessels, but living near the main trunk line I often wonder where the freight is going and an app that helps ID the train would serve my curiosity.

Oblivian

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#2923470 7-Jun-2022 11:19

The other apps work on the craft broadcasting their position based on an international defined set of technology. And lodging to/from details

I don't believe trains do that over a satellite service etc other than in the likes of the Himalayans (it was on a engineering show over the weekend :) ) to keep an eye on long point to point tracks.

If they do, it'll be internal only or done by track side IDs. As you see by the shows on Sydney trains etc they have maps of the tracks and if particular points don't trigger as expected things start going bad. But planes and boats have free roam X/Y compared.

Even their comms is largely over digital radio networks now.

Bananabob

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#2923473 7-Jun-2022 11:27

Oblivian:

The other apps work on the craft broadcasting their position based on an international defined set of technology. And lodging to/from details

I don't believe trains do that over a satellite service etc other than in the likes of the Himalayans (it was on a engineering show over the weekend :) ) to keep an eye on long point to point tracks.

If they do, it'll be internal only or done by track side IDs. As you see by the shows on Sydney trains etc they have maps of the tracks and if particular points don't trigger as expected things start going bad. But planes and boats have free roam X/Y compared.

Even their comms is largely over digital radio networks now.

I understood how the plane and ship apps worked. I know that modern signal systems can show where trains are on the network. I thought that maybe Kiwirail might have made that data available via an app.

Oblivian

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#2923479 7-Jun-2022 11:38

Nopes, Seems not. Else it would be easily found ;)

https://www.taic.org.nz/watchlist/technologies-track-and-locate - outlines the changes in recent times

https://www.kiwirailfreight.co.nz/rail-freight/timetable/

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=556c4a9c73914fe1983529ddf9ae5099

If you could find the individual vehicles. Those could be mashed together the same as the consolidation that goes on on the other trackers.

Bananabob

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#2924623 10-Jun-2022 10:46

Oblivian:

Nopes, Seems not. Else it would be easily found ;)

https://www.taic.org.nz/watchlist/technologies-track-and-locate - outlines the changes in recent times

https://www.kiwirailfreight.co.nz/rail-freight/timetable/

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=556c4a9c73914fe1983529ddf9ae5099

If you could find the individual vehicles. Those could be mashed together the same as the consolidation that goes on on the other trackers.

Thanks for that information. I guess, for now, the destinations will remain a mystery.

MikeAqua

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#2924637 10-Jun-2022 11:21

Bananabob:

there is an app for marine vessels

MarineTraffic.com Works of the AIS system, which most larger vessels have installed. Note that it is often out of date. For example for one of the vessels I'm responsible for its 5 hours and many miles out of date. (we also run a vessel tracking system that works over mobile or satellite and updates every minute)

I recently spent some time in holiday accommodation very close to some train tracks.

When I looked into it, I couldn't find anything for NZ trains. I found one for UK trains. I suspect NZ train operators likely have private tracking installed but the info isn't public.

Mike

josephhinvest

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#2924699 10-Jun-2022 13:06

Regarding KiwiRail trains, yes they have a system that live tracks their trains, gives speed and all sorts of live data. It’s not available publicly, and wasn’t available to me as a KiwiRail locomotive engineer in 2011-2013.

Cheers,
Joseph

Bananabob

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#2924762 10-Jun-2022 15:00

josephhinvest: Regarding KiwiRail trains, yes they have a system that live tracks their trains, gives speed and all sorts of live data. It’s not available publicly, and wasn’t available to me as a KiwiRail locomotive engineer in 2011-2013.

Cheers,
Joseph

That's a shame.

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dukester

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#2925112 11-Jun-2022 08:53

All computers on the Kiwi Rail network have access to the live tracking of trains including all iPads that are now issued to locomotive engineers.
If you have access you can also get tracking on your phone.

Bananabob

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#2925124 11-Jun-2022 09:56

dukester: All computers on the Kiwi Rail network have access to the live tracking of trains including all iPads that are now issued to locomotive engineers.
If you have access you can also get tracking on your phone.

Be nice if they opened it up.