No. Locomotive Location delivers a data feed specifically designed to tell route-optimization systems when railroad crossings will close/re-open. Our data feed is based on closed data sets containing the locations of both passenger trains and Class I & II freight trains. The navigation app on your cell phone does not currently incorporate deterministic insights on upcoming railroad crossing closures. It treats railroad crossing closures as exogenous, stochastic disruptions reflected via time-dependent link speeds- which is a complicated way to say the closures are uncontrollable, randomly timed, and only detected via other drivers’ slowdowns AFTER THE CROSSING HAS ALREADY CLOSED (the same way it detects traffic jams on the interstate).

There ARE open-source projects online with maps that display PASSENGER TRAIN traffic throughout the United States and Europe. These maps are based on PASSENGER TRAIN location data, which is openly available to the public. These projects DO NOT include FREIGHT TRAINS, the types of trains that make up over 80% of all rail traffic in the United States. We like their maps though. Maps are a fun and exciting way to visualize our data and demonstrate the depth of our insights. Click Here to see what we mean!

We do not share sensitive operational information. We share high-precision foreknowledge of railroad crossing closures. This is not sensitive information. Sharing it responsibly increases public safety and helps American companies synchronize operations in harmony with the arterial movement of vital goods.

The train location data we use to deliver timing information at railroad crossings comes from RailRoad Analytics, LLC.

We serve any qualifying business that works better when vehicles reach destinations faster or more reliably.

For example:

• Consumer Navigation Apps

• Ridesharing, Courier, and Food Delivery Services

• Route Optimization & Telematics Vendors

• Delivery Fleets & Logistics Operators

• Emergency Services

• Urban Traffic Management Systems

Nobody knows your operations like you do. Traffic disruptions caused by trains impact some businesses more than others. However, competitive advantage is the only durable driver of above-average returns. This is why you should challenge the assumption that train-related disruptions are truly unavoidable- you might uncover an opportunity to leverage our insights into a strategic advantage

Long before the critical moment when it is needed most.

In route planning, there is a critical juncture when drivers need to decide to either: a) commit to crossing a set of railroad tracks somewhere ahead on their route or b) re-route to avoid the tracks altogether. Changing your mind after this critical juncture is punishing.

People living in cities with lots of railroad tracks have likely driven in situations where they had make this decision with incomplete information. Should you test your luck and risk getting stuck, or take the safe bet and avoid the tracks altogether? The most consequential decision on a route shouldn't be a coin toss.

Simple Answer: We obtain real-time information about the location, length, and speed of freight trains and then cross-reference this information with the locations of railroad crossings.