Live Train Departure Screens Keep You Abreast of Transit Developments
If you want to know when the train is coming, you could pull up a webpage on your phone, or walk all the way to the station to look at the displays there. Or, like [eastfamilyreddish], you could build a neat little train info display to decorate your desktop instead.
The build is based on the work of [gadec-uk]βwho developed a train information display some time ago. Itβs based around an ESP32 D1 Mini, paired with a 256 x 64 OLED screen to display relevant train information. It accesses a National Rail API for train status informationβknown as the Darwin LDBWS (Live Departure Board Webservice). Configuration is via a web GUI hosted by the ESP32 itself.
[eastfamilyreddish] took the concept further by adapting this hardware into a more pleasing form. The ESP32 and OLED screen are built into a neat little hanging sign setup that apes one you might expect to see at a real railway station. You might expect that 3D printing was involved, but instead, this was achieved with lasercut parts and resin casting to create something with a beautiful finish. They even went so far as to include a wireless phone charging module in the base, making the device extra useful to really earn its place on the desktop.
The fact is, around these parts we love both trains and the displays you find around them. If youβve got a railway-adjacent project, or youβve just built your own awesome railway, donβt hesitate to let us know on the tipsline!
hackaday.com/2025/11/28/live-tβ¦