Smartphone - railway apps

[The Colonel]

I'm likely to get a smartphone in the near future and was wondering what railway orientated apps are available - any good ones out there? Also any worth avoiding? Any advice gratefully received.

The Colonel

 

[klewer]

I use CrossCountry's "Train Tickets" app - this allows you to price journeys and see live departure boards - think it's the only free app to do so.

Speaking of apps, don't forget to download the one for this forum, absolute joy to use!

 

[Barn]

I'm likely to get a smartphone in the near future and was wondering what railway orientated apps are available - any good ones out there? Also any worth avoiding? Any advice gratefully received.

The Colonel

Don't forget the mobile version of the NRE website, which is free. http://m.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[Urban Gateline]

I forked out £4.99 (at the time) for the "Train Times" official National Rail app!

To this day it's been worth far more to me than that, I use it multiple times when on shift at the Gateline to supply information to passengers.

It is often the most reliable source of live departures and journey planning around, I am aware that you can get this same information for free by browsing sites, but that is not what I want, the app displays it much nicer and is very quick to use.

You can't buy tickets with it, which is a shame, but not what I needed the App for. So for a passenger it is debatable whether it's worth spending money on such an App!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

I use London Midland and First TPE on my iOS device.

 

[Harbon 1]

I use CrossCountry's "Train Tickets" app - this allows you to price journeys and see live departure boards - think it's the only free app to do so.

If your stearing away from Apple, the Blackberry train time apps are all the same format, just about every TOC has one! The only one i would suggest is the cross country one, because they have the e-tickets which can be shown on your phone.

 

[Crossover]

I use CrossCountry's "Train Tickets" app - this allows you to price journeys and see live departure boards - think it's the only free app to do so.

Speaking of apps, don't forget to download the one for this forum, absolute joy to use!

There is the Chiltern one too which is also free (and I think may be built on the same platform as the XC one)

 

[sonic2009]

FTPE android app I use able to buy tickets for more than one person.

 

[VideozVideoz]

Virgin Trains app is quite good actually! Been using that quite a bit recently... Has a nice look and feel to it and the live departure boards are free too!

 

[marks87]

I forked out £4.99 (at the time) for the "Train Times" official National Rail app!

To this day it's been worth far more to me than that, I use it multiple times when on shift at the Gateline to supply information to passengers.

It is often the most reliable source of live departures and journey planning around, I am aware that you can get this same information for free by browsing sites, but that is not what I want, the app displays it much nicer and is very quick to use.

You can't buy tickets with it, which is a shame, but not what I needed the App for. So for a passenger it is debatable whether it's worth spending money on such an App!

I bought the app last year and was able to use it for a similar purpose as you do...except I was just a humble passenger and was passing the information to a train guard.

Basically, my train from Inverness to Aberdeen was running late so I used the "get me home" button to find out options to travel on to Dundee. Based on where we currently were, all options to travel home the same day were impossible, despite continued insistence from the guard that we'd make the last connection.

I ended up in a (ScotRail-funded) taxi...

 

[brillopad]

For Android.

Railcommute has route planning and Twitter feeds for disruption.
Thales Rail Planner is good for live timings, platform numbers and covers the Underground.

 

[Minilad]

Railcommute is available on iPhone too. Only really use it for ****ter feeds though

 

[amcluesent]

Train Times, thetrainline, Tube Status, Tube Exits on iOS

 

[umontu]

The Scotrail one has been of great use to me so far. Prior to that the old Crosscountry app was the best. For IOS.

 

[anthony263]

For Android.

Railcommute has route planning and Twitter feeds for disruption.
Thales Rail Planner is good for live timings, platform numbers and covers the Underground.

I have found that Thales Rail Planner to be ok especially since my station doesnt have information screens.

 

[Aictos]

I forked out £4.99 (at the time) for the "Train Times" official National Rail app!

To this day it's been worth far more to me than that, I use it multiple times when on shift at the Gateline to supply information to passengers.

It is often the most reliable source of live departures and journey planning around, I am aware that you can get this same information for free by browsing sites, but that is not what I want, the app displays it much nicer and is very quick to use.

You can't buy tickets with it, which is a shame, but not what I needed the App for. So for a passenger it is debatable whether it's worth spending money on such an App!

My only gripe is you can use it on a iPad but it's not been optimised for them, only the iPhones - same applies for pretty much every software out there

 

[Nym]

My only gripe is you can use it on a iPad but it's not been optimised for them, only the iPhones - same applies for pretty much every software out there

It's the same with any Android software, but that is much easyer to make portable between different screen sizes and resolutions when you're defining your activity layouts (sorry, too technical).

And on the subject of Thales Rail Planner, don't use it round Greater Manchester, it will fail for no reason and display nothing other than "Welcome to Manchester Oxford Road Station"

 

[Bungle73]

I forked out £4.99 (at the time) for the "Train Times" official National Rail app!

To this day it's been worth far more to me than that, I use it multiple times when on shift at the Gateline to supply information to passengers.

It is often the most reliable source of live departures and journey planning around, I am aware that you can get this same information for free by browsing sites, but that is not what I want, the app displays it much nicer and is very quick to use.

You can't buy tickets with it, which is a shame, but not what I needed the App for. So for a passenger it is debatable whether it's worth spending money on such an App!

Me too! I find it useful for finding out the platform number before it comes up on the boards at the station. :grin:

My only gripe is you can use it on a iPad but it's not been optimised for them, only the iPhones - same applies for pretty much every software out there

You can make it fill the screen if you want, but why would you want to use it on the iPad when you can easily use the standard website?

Tube Status, Tube Exits on iOS

Very useful.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I forked out £4.99 (at the time) for the "Train Times" official National Rail app!

To this day it's been worth far more to me than that, I use it multiple times when on shift at the Gateline to supply information to passengers.

It is often the most reliable source of live departures and journey planning around, I am aware that you can get this same information for free by browsing sites, but that is not what I want, the app displays it much nicer and is very quick to use.

You can't buy tickets with it, which is a shame, but not what I needed the App for. So for a passenger it is debatable whether it's worth spending money on such an App!

I've got that app! It may have been £5 but its so worth it! I use it all the time :P and I've saved about 25 stations as favourites :P
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I use CrossCountry's "Train Tickets" app - this allows you to price journeys and see live departure boards - think it's the only free app to do so.

London Midland's app also displays live departures, in the same style as NRE's. I do like LM's app, it has all of their timetables on it too and is displayed in a user-friendly way.

First TransPennine's app also does as well, and I love FTPE's cartoons!

 

[whhistle]

Rail Planner Live (Thalis) - £3.49
A very good app with an intuitive UI. The app has saved me many times. However, I wouldn't buy it personally.

UK Rail Times - £3.49
A similar app to Rail Planner Live but not as nice.

East Coast Live - FREE!
Made by Thalis, but free. Only for the East Coast. Not tried this.

PubTran London - FREE!
A great app if you visit London. This will show you how to to get to and from stations on the underground. Connect to WiFi and download a zoomable tube map, a national rail map (of the London area) and even the tourist map!

Buble Tube Map - FREE
A geographically correct version of the London Undergound. A nice app actually, simple and well thought out.

London Underground Free - FREE / £0.99
A nice app specifically for the London Underground. An ad free 99p version is available.

London Tube Status - FREE
Know your way around the Underground? Get the Tube Status OdNLY app for a quick glance on how the LU is running at any given time. Used to use this and it was pretty nice. Since then, moved on to Pubtran.

 

[Buffer68]

I use CrossCountry's "Train Tickets" app - this allows you to price journeys and see live departure boards - think it's the only free app to do so.

Speaking of apps, don't forget to download the one for this forum, absolute joy to use!

Is the one for this forum available for Blackberry? Had a look but couldn't find it.

 

[Harbon 1]

Is the one for this forum available for Blackberry? Had a look but couldn't find it.

Nope :cry:

 

[asylumxl]

Is the one for this forum available for Blackberry? Had a look but couldn't find it.

Tapatalk is available for BBs though. Unfortunately it is a paid app, and TBH, not that good IMO, but other people seem to like it...