Google Maps - public transport information

[telstarbox]

For some time Google Maps has included public transport directions for a journey between two points including bus, rail and other services (see example). However, full information is only available in Greater London, the South East, East Anglia and the East Midlands. National Rail and coach services are available for the whole of Great Britain.

Why is it taking so long to include data from the other regions? The data is already available in the NAPTAN database and thus the Traveline websites, but the Google Maps website is simpler and more intuitive than the Traveline sites. For example, users can select points directly on a map rather than needing to know the address or postcode of those points.

 

[CatfordCat]

For some time Google Maps has included public transport directions for a journey between two points including bus, rail and other services (see example). However, full information is only available in Greater London, the South East, East Anglia and the East Midlands. National Rail and coach services are available for the whole of Great Britain.

Why is it taking so long to include data from the other regions? The data is already available in the NAPTAN database and thus the Traveline websites, but the Google Maps website is simpler and more intuitive than the Traveline sites. For example, users can select points directly on a map rather than needing to know the address or postcode of those points.

The NAPTAN database is just a database of bus stops etc - it has no data at all on whether those bus stops are served by buses and if so which or when.

NAPTAN data is just one of the things that is knitted together to provide the data in Traveline.

Traveline is a regional thing, so each region will create its own database, and will use different technology and software providers to make that data available via the web and to call centres.

(Edit to add - I am aware that Traveline SE and the TfL journey planner use the same software even though the user interfaces look different. It looks as though SE, E Midlands and E Anglia now use the same kit.)

Each region will also make its own decisions whether to make data available to third parties, and if so on what terms.

There tends to be a fear of "if we let someone else have our data and they louse it up, we'll get blamed for the wrong information that gets provided", a reluctance to spend money on making any adjustments to the data format / software that may be necessary to feed the data to someone else, and in some cases an attitude of "why should we give the data we have put resources into creating, to someone else for free?"

Some software providers are good at quoting very high prices to do anything that wasn't in the original specification...

Conversely, at one point the data for London included TfL but not national rail data, which led to some interesting suggestions for how to get from central London to destinations in the outer reaches of SE London

 

[Aictos]

Can't comment on the UK but I found this to be VERY helpful in Chicago

 

[Yew]

I use it in nottingham, its relatively good

 

[dvboy]

Useless without buses.

 

[telstarbox]

Knutsford to Chelford is an example of a silly route without buses (there is a direct bus between the two).

 

[Stan Drews]

For some time Google Maps has included public transport directions for a journey between two points including bus, rail and other services (see example). However, full information is only available in Greater London, the South East, East Anglia and the East Midlands. National Rail and coach services are available for the whole of Great Britain.

Why is it taking so long to include data from the other regions? The data is already available in the NAPTAN database and thus the Traveline websites, but the Google Maps website is simpler and more intuitive than the Traveline sites. For example, users can select points directly on a map rather than needing to know the address or postcode of those points.

It works in Scotland too!

 

[telstarbox]

Full public transport info for the UK including buses, light rail and ferries has become available on Google Maps as of today!

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Full public transport info for the UK including buses, light rail and ferries has become available on Google Maps as of today!

I've always had public information via Maps on my Google Nexus 5. Maybe that's because the Nexus 5 is a Google device but who knows...

 

[hassaanhc]

Full public transport info for the UK including buses, light rail and ferries has become available on Google Maps as of today!

Indeed, was about to post about it just now :P


http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/13/google-maps-public-transport-uk/?ncid=rss_truncated

Planning a journey across London using public transport has been possible in Google Maps from mid-2011. Since then, though, the search specialist has made only slight improvements to this feature, as well as extending its scope to cover other parts of south-east England. Google's finally making an effort to incorporate public transport info from further afield into Maps, announcing it's now got practically every route across Great Britain covered (Northern Ireland is still "in the works"). From today, Maps will look at train, bus, tram, ferry, underground and even airborne routes to help you get from one side of the country to the other, whether you be planning a trip from your computer, or within the iOS or Android apps. Support for a wider array of services and regions has been a long time coming, but at least you can now visualise where you want to go and how to get there, all without switching tabs.

What do people think of it? I think it is easier to use than the TfL Journey Planner here in London and is mostly accurate too, although I did find a hefty bug (hopefully corrected now) where it showed that there was a part closure for engineering work but still sent you into it
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've always had public information via Maps on my Google Nexus 5. Maybe that's because the Nexus 5 is a Google device but who knows...

There has been info available for London and select other areas for a year or two now, including on mobile apps (works on my Android too). However the announcement today says that info for rest of England/Scotland/Wales has been added.

 

[telstarbox]

I've always had public information via Maps on my Google Nexus 5. Maybe that's because the Nexus 5 is a Google device but who knows...

It was available in London, South East, East Midlands and Scotland but not the whole of the UK if I recall correctly.

Services which started in these regions and extended into other regions were also shown eg buses from the Peak District (East Midlands region) to Sheffield (Yorkshire region).

 

[ModernRailways]

The T&W Metro has been added to Google Now (I only noticed because last night when I waiting for the train, it said the next train would be the 2129, meaning I would be home for 2150), but Google Maps still doesn't have it. Probably just need the update to come through properly though.

London Underground has had it for a long while now, probably say 1 or 2 years!

 

[harry42]

Found very useful in Paris too!!

 

[alle-lkw]

I was trying to use it in Berlin, but nothing.

 

[ModernRailways]

I was trying to use it in Berlin, but nothing.

Hmm... It works fine for me over there. When I went to the Zoo I searched for it on Google the night previously and then set a reminder to go. Google in the morning told me how to get there using public transport. I was going to use the S/U Bahn but it turned out the bus would be 10 minutes quicker and stopped right outside where I was staying so was even better. I also prefer the bus since it lets you see a city better.

 

[alle-lkw]

Hmm... It works fine for me over there. When I went to the Zoo I searched for it on Google the night previously and then set a reminder to go. Google in the morning told me how to get there using public transport. I was going to use the S/U Bahn but it turned out the bus would be 10 minutes quicker and stopped right outside where I was staying so was even better. I also prefer the bus since it lets you see a city better.

Maybe I did something wrong. I'll try once again. Thank you.