autonomous-minecarts
by ac101m
Autonomous Minecarts lets moving minecarts keep the chunks around them loaded, so long-distance carts keep running while no player is nearby.
What it does
The mod identifies moving minecarts and adds them to a list of active carts. Each active cart receives a chunk ticket that follows it and loads a small number of surrounding chunks. By default only a 3x3 area around the cart is loaded, and entity processing is limited to those chunks. Once a cart halts or creeps below the activity threshold, the mod marks it inactive and drops its chunk ticket a few minutes later, so parked carts are not held in memory forever.
Inactivity is judged by an exponential moving average of the cart's position, compared with the cart's current position. A cart that stays close to its average position is treated as inactive even if it is still bouncing on a small circular track. Velocity thresholds, the loaded area size, the chunk ticket duration and the averaging smoothing factor are all configurable. The mod requires Fabric API and Fabric Language Kotlin, and it is server-side only, so players join without installing it. Its source is open source under the MIT License, with files published for Fabric and 13 release versions, 1.20.4 – 26.3.
Key features
Automatic chunk loading
Active minecarts receive a chunk ticket that moves with them, so a cart crossing unloaded terrain keeps running.
Inactivity timeout
A cart that stops is unloaded after a configurable duration, defaulting to 6000 ticks, or five minutes.
Configurable loading area
The default loaded area is a 3x3 block of chunks around each active cart, and the size can be changed in the config.
Stationary cart detection
Carts that circle a small track are recognized as inactive by comparing their position with a moving average, so they do not hold chunks loaded.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x7 of 7 versions with builds
1.20.x1 of 1 version with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 2
Use cases
Who it’s for: Server owners who run minecart transport on their world and want carts to keep moving while the players are far away.
How it compares
Tridents Load Chunks is also server-side only and open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, with files for 1.21.11 – 26.3. Better TNT Minecart is open source under the MIT License, but it is client-side only and covers 1.21 – 1.21.11, so it does not load chunks on a server. Star's Trapping Utils is client-side only, not open source, and covers 1.21.11 – 26.2.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| autonomous-minecarts | Fabric | 1.20.4 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-09-23 |
| Tridents Load Chunks | Fabric | 1.21.11 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-09-15 |
| Better TNT Minecart | Fabric | 1.21 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-05-13 |
| Star's Trapping Utils | Fabric | 1.21.11 – 26.2 | Client-side only | 2026-09-29 |
Questions
Does Autonomous Minecarts need Fabric API?
Does a player need the mod to ride a loaded cart?
Why do some dimensions need a force loaded chunk?
In the catalog
autonomous-minecarts is one of 29,952 Game mechanics mods on ModsFinder, and one of 19,630 Game mechanics mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from ac101m
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What the author says
The autonomous minecarts mod allows minecarts to load chunks independently of the player. This allows players to send minecarts over long distances without having to worry about them stopping when they reach the edge of the loaded area. It works by identifying moving minecarts and adding them to a list of "active"…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/autonomous-minecarts
- Owner
- ac101m
- Published
- 2024-11-23
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-23
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15