Southern Beau
Member
Interesting to see the NR App has just relaunched on iOS
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National Rail App
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bakerstreet
Member
Version 10.0.0 - “Brand new user interface”. But the preview images look very similar to me.
If anyone cares to try it out do let readers know your thoughts.
Adam Williams
Established Member
Looks like it might be a WebView wrapper rather than a proper native app, bit gross.
Would've been nicer to use the respective platform's UI toolkits.
This part cracked me up a bit as well:
I wonder how late it was in development that somebody happened to remember that they'd been selling an ad-free version all this time
Would've been nicer to use the respective platform's UI toolkits.
This part cracked me up a bit as well:
I wonder how late it was in development that somebody happened to remember that they'd been selling an ad-free version all this time
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The app description is hilariously bad, especially the section at the bottom that lists “all the major train operators”… plenty of which no longer exist. Guessing nobody read the whole thing before publishing!
DailyCommuter
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- 14 May 2019
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On the Android Play store listing the first screenshot shows a section titled "Test Live Trains free form text component edited", not exactly a great first impression.
A later screenshot has an error "Calling points failed to load".
Many of the screenshot have a red banner "Major disruptions (2)", surely you'd mock up good service and ensure that no app errors were showing when showcasing the app.
I wonder if the marketing team even looked at these before they were published.
A later screenshot has an error "Calling points failed to load".
Many of the screenshot have a red banner "Major disruptions (2)", surely you'd mock up good service and ensure that no app errors were showing when showcasing the app.
I wonder if the marketing team even looked at these before they were published.
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Mainline421
Member
On Android so can't test, but really hope they're not going to hide journey details based on reservation availability!
gerjomarty
Member
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- 19 Mar 2018
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- 30
Thanks for the heads up on this, it gave me time to disable auto-updates for the app on the Google Play store. It'll probably buy me a few more months on the old interface until it's killed completely in favour of the "upgrade".
bearhugger
Member
I noticed the same yesterday too. In my view, it's not an "app" anymore - just a link to a webpage. Really not good.
Morayshire
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Previous Android 9.6 etc version seems to be still available online if you go looking for it and are able/willing to install from a third party source.
I just disabled app updates in the Play Store to prevent this happening.
Royston Vasey
Established Member
It's happened. My Android app has auto updated to the clunky childish new interface with limited information and text so big you see three departures on the screen before having to scroll, no ability to see trains already departed etc
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Ten minutes later, app deleted and 9.6.5.1 reinstalled from a third party provider which superficial googling suggests is safe.
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Ten minutes later, app deleted and 9.6.5.1 reinstalled from a third party provider which superficial googling suggests is safe.
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flitwickbeds
Member
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Just beware, the API which powers the (old versions of the) app may be turned off at any time.
You could say this about quite literally anything!
If it comes to that, straight to a third party app I shall go (or write one!).
My various reasons I can't update the app on my mobile but it seems that is a good thing.
Perhaps someone thought it was too much development time and cost to built a new modern app so decided to stick to a wrapper for the Web site instead.
Perhaps someone thought it was too much development time and cost to built a new modern app so decided to stick to a wrapper for the Web site instead.
The redesign is really ugly and the information density is low such that hardly any info can be seen without having to scroll. The fonts and colours they picked just don’t work and different parts of the page just seem to blur into each other without clear segregation by function. The ads give such a bad impression for what is basically a government app. It’s just awful
Just installed to see how bad the new app is and it downloaded 9.6.x despite the description text talking of 10.x
Have they rolled back the app or are some Android users still not deemed ready for the update? This is on a brand new phone released two weeks ago and on Android 14.
Have they rolled back the app or are some Android users still not deemed ready for the update? This is on a brand new phone released two weeks ago and on Android 14.
Apps that just replicate the publisher's website are pointless. I don’t have words to describe an app that just skins or redirects to a website!
An app's only worth having if it adds value - e.g caches data and works offline or, in the case of a travel related app, uses geolocation to add functionality.
An app's only worth having if it adds value - e.g caches data and works offline or, in the case of a travel related app, uses geolocation to add functionality.
High Dyke
Established Member
I'm not totally impressed with the version running on Android. The loss of saved journeys, to me, is annoying. If you use the back button on your phone, not the return to button in the app, I found you had to resubmit the journey information. I use it still for some planning, but more likely for live train running information when out.
As an aside. The wife's android phone still has the older version of the app, as does my work iPhone.
As an aside. The wife's android phone still has the older version of the app, as does my work iPhone.
That won't be happening any time soon. The old app will continue to function even though it won't be supported.
As long as you don't need to do a search with a 26-30 Railcard, of course...
The BBC do this with their BBC News app. The web pages have something like .app on the end.
Version 9.x did not cache any departure or travel planner data. If you have no Internet connection it would crash. If your Internet connetcion was slow it would hang whilst loading the app.
What phone do you have?
My instructions are for the Android operating system. Remove the new one and go online on your phone and type in National Rail Enquiries old versions.
One of the web sites should have older archived versions which you can download and then install, once you accept the install.
Then switch off automatic updates
McDontrains
Member
My phone has just automatically updated with the new version which as others say is just a webpage with it's own icon, useless. Anyone have a safe source for the old version? Most sites with old versions seem a little dodgy!
Thank you, that worked
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I used https://national-rail.en.uptodown.com/android/versions
Halwynd
Member
I very much agree...
If there's an app I really like I'll happily pay for it rather than be subjected to adverts, but this is National Rail - and the impression given by displaying them makes it feel cheap and tacky.
Years ago I paid a one-off fee of £4.99 to remove them, but these days I use other website-based providers so won't be trying this new version.
The Trainline is another. I've never bought a ticket from them, but a few years ago I downloaded the app more out of curiosity and was surprised to see animated adverts, the worst kind. App deleted immediately.
Nearly 2 months later it finally hit my phone. By chance, first I knew was looking for a platform as I was walking to Birmingham New Street. No need to laugh.
It's so unbelievably unusable on a phone screen that it shows the wrong kind of useability (sorry, 'user experience') idiots run the roost. And so obviously a cheap-as-possible wrapper around the web site, which also ought to be responsive to small screens, that it shows the wrong kind of managers are making the decisions. The official source of information ought to be the best, or close to it. This is scandalously bad. Did anyone even try testing it with a screen reader?
Thanks to this forum for the pointer to Railboard.
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