I think you're misunderstanding what they are saying. They don't use background location data, but they do use your current location data. Try the "Find My Train" demo on their site - it asks for location permission.
replyOr their API - it also expects device location data:
> At a minimum, requests to the detect endpoint _must_ contain a device's location measurement. Additional fields can be included where available to improve the accuracy of the returned results as outlined below.
wait - so you think that the map is made up of people who are all sitting on that website using the Find My Train demo?
replyI think you are missing the point - what is collecting data on all those trains.
No, live train data in the UK is already publicly available, e.g. see https://www.opentraintimes.com/
replyThis is matching your phone's location to the already public train data.
> This is matching your phone's location
replyBut what is getting that?
You are giving it to them. That's why the demo asks for your location permission, and that's why the API expects location info.
reply"You" here means another app that integrates their API (or you as an individual using the demo on their website). How the other app gets it is up to the other app - ideally it also just queries it directly and requires location permission.
so an empty train does not show up?
replyNot sure how you came to that conclusion. An empty train would still exist in the live train data. It does not depend on mobile phones, but on rail signals and other such tracking built into the rail infrastructure.
replyof course, sry, I didn't read the descriptions. Thanks for clarification!
reply