The latest articles on Forem by Prakash (@codebyprakash). https://forem.com/codebyprakash https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3664555%2F64481e50-c69b-41e7-8915-29e704af0bef.png https://forem.com/codebyprakash en Prakash Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:20:36 +0000 https://forem.com/codebyprakash/building-a-metro-route-planner-website-for-indian-cities-5bpp https://forem.com/codebyprakash/building-a-metro-route-planner-website-for-indian-cities-5bpp <p><strong><a href="https://metroyatra.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MetroYatra</a></strong> or say metro travel in India is fast, affordable, and widely used — but planning a journey isn’t always simple.</p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fvokmfjjw20zoql4d4awe.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fvokmfjjw20zoql4d4awe.png" alt="MetroYatra Website Homepage Snapshot" width="800" height="1529"></a></p> <p>Routes can be confusing, interchanges are not always obvious, and estimating travel time is often guesswork. This becomes harder for first-time users or when traveling in a new city.</p> <p>That’s the problem <a href="https://metroyatra.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MetroYatra</a> was created to solve.</p> <h2> Why we built MetroYatra </h2> <p>The goal was simple:</p> <ul> <li>make metro journeys easy to understand before people start traveling.</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://metroyatra.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MetroYatra</a> helps users:</p> <ul> <li>choose the right metro route</li> <li>understand where interchanges happen</li> <li>estimate travel time realistically</li> <li>avoid confusion at platforms and exits</li> </ul> <p>It’s designed as a public utility, not a marketing product.</p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F9udbd6yt3ln4et0yjhyr.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F9udbd6yt3ln4et0yjhyr.png" alt="An image from MetroYatra Website showing multiple route options between Kashmere Gate to Akshardham Metro Stations" width="800" height="1317"></a></p> <h2> What makes it challenging </h2> <p>Building a metro route planner isn’t just about maps.</p> <p>Some real challenges:</p> <ul> <li>handling different metro networks with different structures</li> <li>managing station-level and line-level data cleanly</li> <li>keeping routes fast and accurate</li> <li>making pages SEO-friendly without slowing things down</li> <li>keeping the UI simple for non-technical users</li> </ul> <p>A lot of effort went into data structure, routing logic, and performance rather than visuals.</p> <h2> What we focus on </h2> <p>Instead of adding more features, the focus stays on:</p> <ul> <li>clarity over complexity</li> <li>speed over heavy frameworks</li> <li>accuracy over assumptions</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://metroyatra.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">MetroYatra</a> supports all operational and upcoming metro cities in India, and the aim is to keep it reliable as networks expand.</p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Flsysiwlotz5j76y03bpt.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Flsysiwlotz5j76y03bpt.png" alt="An image from MetroYatra Website showing a detailed route between Kashmere Gate to Akshardham Metro Stations" width="800" height="1763"></a></p> <h2> Looking for feedback </h2> <p>If you’ve worked on:</p> <ul> <li>routing problems</li> <li>travel or map-based applications</li> <li>large structured datasets</li> <li>performance-focused web apps</li> </ul> <p>I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions.</p> <p>Happy to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved!</p> webdev javascript publictransport sideprojects