National Rail app - platforms not showing

[thumper18]

[hope this is the correct forum]
Has anyone else been having issues with the NR app not showing the platforms recently? Can't seem to find a reason why. It's been an issue for several weeks now - my partner is visually impaired so relies heavily on the app to know which platform to go to. We have noted the issue at Paddington but friends have also had issues at Euston.
Reliable alternative app suggestions also welcome

Many thanks!

 

[trainophile]

Paddington and Euston are notorious for not displaying platforms in the station public areas until a few minutes before departure, so perhaps this is also now the practice with NR. Realtime Trains shows platforms but isn't always 100% reliable, although most people would say it's good enough for most situations.

In your specific case perhaps your partner should approach a member of station staff and explain their predicament, and hopefully receive some assistance.

 

[riceuten]

Realtime trains is usually quite good for this even when other apps don’t

 

[jfollows]

Many of us use Open Train Times maps or similar to see the platform against the train’s reporting number.
I have a friend who often sends me a message when she‘s in the pub at Euston, so I look it up for her.
I accept that knowing and looking up the train’s reporting number isn’t intuitive for many people.

 

[hux385]

How about Kings Cross? A lot of the time the trains show up as **** on either Traksy or Open Train Times. I suppose RealTime Trains is maybe the most accurate in this case? I suppose they aren't quite as last minute at Kings Cross compared to Euston and Paddington though.

 

[jfollows]

Yes, I sometimes have to correlate the allocated unit numbers for an inbound and outbound service also, at Euston. So it’s not simple, but I usually get the right answer sooner than anything else. I can do that from my sofa at home on Georgina’s behalf.
Presumably unit numbers can also be used at King’s Cross or Paddington.

 

[louis97]

How about Kings Cross? A lot of the time the trains show up as **** on either Traksy or Open Train Times. I suppose RealTime Trains is maybe the most accurate in this case?

I would treat berths like that as blank. Whilst the presence of **** can mean a train is present, it does not mean there definitely is. It would be unlikely that you would find a train in the platform with **** outside of severe service disruption anyway.

The data source for the platform information is the same for all of the sites you mention, on Realtime Trains you have the added benefit of being able to locate the unit allocated to your service if you cannot find its headcode, but even that isn't perfect as swaps can occur.

 

[Stephen42]

London Paddington is currently not sharing platform information with the central system. It's not the more usual issue at places like Euston where the platforms are known but flagged as not to be shown publicly. No site or app which uses the central public facing train information system will show the platform numbers (aside from the Elizabeth line A/B platforms which aren't impacted).

Realtimetrains or similar that don't use the central public information system are probably the best bet while this is ongoing. Note that these sites may show platform numbers before announced/shown at the station so trains may not be ready for boarding when the platform number is available.

 

[GordonT]

It's also worth bearing in mind that occasionally last-minute platform alterations can occur for a whole variety of reasons as referenced at length in the "Leyland" thread. The advice given above in Post 2 for your partner to consult a member of customer assistance staff if in doubt seems wise counsel.

 

[PP57601]

How on earth did we manage years ago before all these ‘so called’ online tools.
Just wait until the platform is called on the departure boards!!!

 

[jfollows]

How on earth did we manage years ago before all these ‘so called’ online tools.
Just wait until the platform is called on the departure boards!!!

Euston had booked platform numbers shown on departure sheets and you could go onto the platforms and watch the trains. Vastly smaller numbers of people of course. I’d go to the platform end and watch things for a while, then walk back and get on the first coach behind the engine. Carrying my loot from Collector’s Corner of course.

 

[thumper18]

London Paddington is currently not sharing platform information with the central system. It's not the more usual issue at places like Euston where the platforms are known but flagged as not to be shown publicly. No site or app which uses the central public facing train information system will show the platform numbers (aside from the Elizabeth line A/B platforms which aren't impacted).

Realtimetrains or similar that don't use the central public information system are probably the best bet while this is ongoing. Note that these sites may show platform numbers before announced/shown at the station so trains may not be ready for boarding when the platform number is available.

Thank you, this is really helpful to know. Sounds like it's a temporary issue that has been flagged. Let's hope it gets solved soon!
Will try real time trains for now!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2025 ==

Paddington and Euston are notorious for not displaying platforms in the station public areas until a few minutes before departure, so perhaps this is also now the practice with NR. Realtime Trains shows platforms but isn't always 100% reliable, although most people would say it's good enough for most situations.

In your specific case perhaps your partner should approach a member of station staff and explain their predicament, and hopefully receive some assistance.

Thank you, will try real time trains!
Unfortunately previous experience asking for help hasn't always been pleasant - he doesn't "look disabled" so has often been made to feel stupid.

 

[BAFRA77]

Simple solution - don’t use the utterly inept National Rail “app”. It’s still not fit for purpose - even including when it wasn’t a reskinned version of the utterly broken website

 

[Adam Williams]

London Paddington is currently not sharing platform information with the central system. It's not the more usual issue at places like Euston where the platforms are known but flagged as not to be shown publicly. No site or app which uses the central public facing train information system will show the platform numbers (aside from the Elizabeth line A/B platforms which aren't impacted).

Realtimetrains or similar that don't use the central public information system are probably the best bet while this is ongoing. Note that these sites may show platform numbers before announced/shown at the station so trains may not be ready for boarding when the platform number is available.

Why do Darwin-CIS disconnections keep repeatedly happening?

Does anyone have a long-term plan to improve resilience here?

 

[Horizon22]

Why do Darwin-CIS disconnections keep repeatedly happening?

Does anyone have a long-term plan to improve resilience here?

Paddington seems to have been off for months, not sure why it's not been rectified by now. Normally its just a day or two.

 

[Adam Williams]

Paddington seems to have been off for months, not sure why it's not been rectified by now. Normally its just a day or two.

Back in late 2023 it was Kings Cross that was broken for ages as well. I could understand if it didn't work at .. I dunno, Altnabreac, but you expect better for a major London terminal station

 

[londonmidland]

Back in late 2023 it was Kings Cross that was broken for ages as well. I could understand if it didn't work at .. I dunno, Altnabreac, but you expect better for a major London terminal station

Talking of Kings Cross, the P.A here has been pretty much non-functional for a good few months. The station seems to be having coverage issues, so announcements will only play in certain parts of the station. Where they do play, its extremely quiet.

 

[ollyexe2808]

How on earth did we manage years ago before all these ‘so called’ online tools.
Just wait until the platform is called on the departure boards!!!

This is fine but at certain stations it is getting dangerous when they decide to allocate the platform close to departure with often hundreds of people rushing to a handful of ticket barriers (as is the case at Paddington). Prior to services like RTT, it was super stressful and often meant not taking your eye off the board. I don't understand at terminus stations why they can't offer up platform information on the screens ahead of time.....

 

[andythebrave]

I use Realtimetrains, find my train, check it's headcode and then look for it on Traksy.
This has not let me down (with the suffix 'so far').

 

[Hadlow Road]

This is fine but at certain stations it is getting dangerous when they decide to allocate the platform close to departure with often hundreds of people rushing to a handful of ticket barriers (as is the case at Paddington). Prior to services like RTT, it was super stressful and often meant not taking your eye off the board. I don't understand at terminus stations why they can't offer up platform information on the screens ahead of time.....

On my first more recent visit to Euston after some works I was dismayed to see an enormous red X and Platform Closed sign. Oh dear, I thought, but eventually realised that it simply meant that there was no train entering or leaving that platform.

Perhaps this is really a sign too far? Too much clutter and not really necessary, except, perhaps, for a long term announcement in a more helpful situation?

 

[jfollows]

I don't understand at terminus stations why they can't offer up platform information on the screens ahead of time.....

At Euston, in part, it’s because Avanti slowed down its services significantly so they arrive later and leave earlier than they used to. Still within the rules, of course.

 

[BurtonM]

It's all very well trying, but Avanti staff at Euston don't like people using RTT to pre-empt the platforms for trains in my experience - the best they'll let you do is wait at the gateline until the platform is announced (ie forcing you to be in the scrum).

In the past I've managed to use RTT to locate a service, and found it sitting in a platform 'being prepared' as they call it, with an open, unattended gateline. A member of staff approached me and asked me why I was on the platform, and when I said I was waiting for a train they asked me how I knew it was the right one (and IIRC checked my ticket), then escorted me back to the gateline and closed it, saying I could only wait there until they were letting people in. They couldn't/wouldn't give me a reason why - and it didn't particularly make sense given that I had a ticket.

 

[signed]

As a point of reference, in France, the platform time is 20min and is very well respected.

But, over here, train crews and station security don't like people getting on the platform before annoucement.

I once got on my TGV a few minutes before the platform announcement (small station, train already platformed, doors open and the side destination indicators correct) and got a stern talking from the conductor.

At a big termini in Paris, 3/4th of the platforms were out of service so I was waiting on the platform block I knew was the only one possible before the gates and I was shunned back to the hall.

They both claimed security, whatever that means.

 

[riceuten]

How on earth did we manage years ago before all these ‘so called’ online tools.
Just wait until the platform is called on the departure boards!!!

I tell you how we did it - deduction. We would look at the destinations of berthed trains, usual length and train type, sometimes the paper labels GNER staff would affix to the windows.

Tiresome but necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jun 2025 ==

It's all very well trying, but Avanti staff at Euston don't like people using RTT to pre-empt the platforms for trains in my experience - the best they'll let you do is wait at the gateline until the platform is announced (ie forcing you to be in the scrum).

In the past I've managed to use RTT to locate a service, and found it sitting in a platform 'being prepared' as they call it, with an open, unattended gateline. A member of staff approached me and asked me why I was on the platform, and when I said I was waiting for a train they asked me how I knew it was the right one (and IIRC checked my ticket), then escorted me back to the gateline and closed it, saying I could only wait there until they were letting people in. They couldn't/wouldn't give me a reason why - and it didn't particularly make sense given that I had a ticket.

I don’t know if it was an NR or ToC inintiative but the skywalk from the catering area to the platforms has been closed off ‘due to passenger abuse’ which is irritating. I used to hang around the upper level waiting for the platform to be allocated or (delayed) train to arrive.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I find Real Time trains to usually be accurate when it comes to Avanti services at Euston and you can sometimes take a gamble on the trains coming in being the one you want to catch. However I have found with my last couple of Trans Pennine journeys the platforms have been wrong but I think it is due to all the engineering works in the West Yorkshire area at the moment and services being cut short at Leeds.

Having said that I find RTT very useful when there is delays so you can see where the train actually is.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Talking of Kings Cross, the P.A here has been pretty much non-functional for a good few months. The station seems to be having coverage issues, so announcements will only play in certain parts of the station. Where they do play, its extremely quiet.

All the announcements played when I was at Kings Cross yesterday, and they were loud enough to hear when I was sitting on the train