aparker.io
amtracker#
A terminal-based real-time Amtrak train tracker with a zoomable braille-rendered map.
Features#
- Live map of all active Amtrak trains rendered with Unicode braille characters
- US state boundaries and Amtrak route lines as base layers
- Color-coded train markers: green (on time), yellow (unknown), red (delayed)
- Zoom and pan with keyboard controls
- Search/filter trains by number, route name, or station code
- Jump-to-train: center the map on any selected train
- Train detail view with per-station delay status
- Auto-refresh every 60 seconds
Install#
cargo install --path .
Or run directly:
cargo run --release
Controls#
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
←↑↓→ |
Pan the map |
+ / - |
Zoom in / out |
Tab / Shift-Tab |
Cycle through trains |
Enter |
Jump to selected train |
/ |
Open search (filter by train #, route, station) |
Esc |
Clear selection / exit search |
0 |
Reset to full US view |
r |
Manual refresh |
q |
Quit |
How it works#
Amtrak's Track Your Train page fetches real-time GPS data from an internal API
(maps.amtrak.com/services/MapDataService/trains/getTrainsData). The response
is AES-128-CBC encrypted with keys derived via PBKDF2-SHA1. amtracker
reverse-engineered the decryption pipeline from Amtrak's client-side JavaScript
and reimplemented it in Rust.
The decrypted data is GeoJSON containing coordinates, speed, heading, route, and per-station schedule/delay information for every active train.
Architecture#
src/
crypto.rs - AES decryption pipeline (PBKDF2, key extraction, decrypt)
model.rs - Train, StationStop, delay status types
api.rs - Async HTTP client for Amtrak endpoints
geo.rs - Embedded state boundary + route line data
app.rs - Application state (viewport, selection, search)
ui.rs - Ratatui rendering (map canvas, sidebar, search bar)
main.rs - Event loop and terminal setup
data/
us-states.json - Simplified US state boundaries (Natural Earth, public domain)
routes.json - Simplified Amtrak route geometry
Tests#
cargo test
41 tests covering crypto roundtrips, GeoJSON parsing, viewport math, search
filtering, and UI rendering (via ratatui's TestBackend).
License#
MIT