TrainAtlas
If you have ever stepped off a train and thought "that's another line I can tick off," you already get the appeal of logging your rail travels. The problem is doing it well. A spreadsheet forgets the route. A notes app forgets the map. And most "train apps" are timetable tools that have no interest in the journeys you have already taken.
Three apps actually solve this: Trainlog, Viaduct and TrainAtlas. They all turn the trains you have ridden into a map and a set of stats, but they go about it very differently. This guide compares all three on how you log a trip, how honest the map is, and who each one is really for.
What makes a good train journey tracker
Once you have logged more than a handful of trips, four things start to matter:
- How you log a trip. Manual entry gets painful fast. The best apps find the train for you.
- Whether the map is honest. A straight line between two stations is not your journey. Real track geometry is what makes the map worth keeping.
- What the app does beyond a map. Stats, coverage, a live layer, a sense of collection.
- Where it runs. A web tool at your desk, or a native app in your pocket on the train.
The three apps at a glance
Trainlog is an online travel diary for trains, buses, ferries and flights. It maps journeys and includes community features such as leaderboards. Its logging is primarily manual, with selected imports available.
Viaduct is a web-based tracker with route data and rail-network coverage in percent and kilometres. It supports Rail Planner, CSV and Träwelling imports, and documents train and ferry trips. Its core product is free, with optional Patron features.
TrainAtlas is a native iPhone app built for logging on the move. You log the trains you ride and each trip snaps to the actual track, not a straight line. It adds a live layer of delays and platforms from 30+ operators, turns your travels into an Atlas Passport with share cards, and keeps everything on your device with no account.
Trainlog vs Viaduct vs TrainAtlas
| Trainlog | Viaduct | TrainAtlas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | Web | Web | Native iOS |
| How you log | Primarily manual, selected imports | Timetable + manual | Journey logging + real track geometry |
| Live delays & platforms | Check current coverage | Check current coverage | Yes, 30+ operators |
| Map replay | Check current features | Check current features | Yes |
| Network coverage % | Per country | Percent + km | Not yet |
| Other modes | Train, bus, ferry, air | Train + ferry trips | Train |
| Identity | Leaderboards | Operator wall | Passport + 90+ achievements |
Logging a trip: choose the workflow that suits you
This is where the day-to-day experience is won or lost. Trainlog is primarily a manual diary, while Viaduct supports timetable-assisted and manual entry. TrainAtlas is built for logging a journey on iPhone and drawing it along the real railway line. If you log trips while travelling, the best choice is the workflow you will keep using.
The live layer is the real difference
TrainAtlas combines journey logging with a live layer: actual departure times, platforms and delays from 30+ operators including DB, SNCF, Trenitalia, ÖBB, SBB, Renfe, NS, SNCB and National Rail. It is also honest about accuracy: when an operator publishes the exact shape for your train it uses it, and when it does not, it marks the route as approximate rather than pretending. For public country-level trends, see the weekly delay reports.
Track every train you take.
On your iPhone, along real track geometry.
Map Replay, the passport, and the joy of collecting
Everyone offers the satisfying numbers. The differences are in personality. Trainlog has leaderboards; Viaduct has a fun operator logo wall. TrainAtlas leans hardest into collection: an Atlas Passport of countries, kilometres and hours with share cards built for the group chat, 90+ achievements (night trains, border crossings, Alpine passes), and Map Replay - watch any journey, or your entire rail life, play back across the map. It is the most satisfying button in the app.
"A straight line between two stations is not your journey."
Where each one genuinely wins
A fair comparison admits where the others lead. Trainlog is a strong fit for a record that includes buses, ferries and flights. Viaduct is strong on network-coverage statistics, showing how much of a country's railway you have ridden in percent and kilometres. Both are browser-based, while TrainAtlas focuses on the native iPhone experience, its live layer and on-device privacy.
So which train tracker should you use?
| Choose | If you… |
|---|---|
| Trainlog | want one diary for trains, buses, ferries and flights, and you enjoy leaderboards. |
| Viaduct | want a web-based tracker with strong network-coverage stats and you mostly log from a computer. |
| TrainAtlas | live on your phone, want the most accurate routes plus a live delays-and-platforms layer, and like a private rail passport you can build and share. |
There is no single winner - there is a right fit. If that fit is "beautiful, accurate and on the phone in my pocket," TrainAtlas is built for you. It is available now on the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app to track the trains you've taken?
TrainAtlas is available free on the App Store. Check Trainlog and Viaduct's current plans on their own sites, since third-party pricing and feature tiers can change.
What is the best Trainlog alternative?
If you want a native iPhone app for logging journeys, real track geometry, a live delays-and-platforms layer and a rail passport, TrainAtlas is built for that use. Viaduct is a web-based option with network-coverage statistics.
Can these apps draw the real train route, not a straight line?
TrainAtlas snaps each saved trip to actual track geometry and honestly marks a route as approximate when an exact shape is not available. Check each alternative's current coverage and mapping details for its approach.
Do I need an account to track my train journeys?
TrainAtlas keeps your data on your iPhone - no account, no ads, no trackers. Check each alternative's current privacy documentation for its account and data practices.
Is TrainAtlas on Android?
Not currently. TrainAtlas is built with Swift and SwiftUI for iPhone (iOS 17+) and relies on platform-native features. The goal is a genuinely excellent iPhone app first.