Recent changes to Traintrack

by Jalada

3 months ago I launched Traintrack, a tool designed for regular UK train travellers to monitor their train route quickly and efficiently.

Since launching I've added a few new features and changes which I thought would be worth collecting together into a blog post.

If you like Traintrack, please spread the word to fellow travellers, I'd really appreciate it. :)

Cancellation and delay reasons

It's always handy to know why a train has been delayed or cancelled, and now if Traintrack knows why, it tells you.

Platforms

On both desktop and mobile Traintrack will tell you what platform a train is departing from, if available. On mobile there's a little arrow you have to tap because there isn't enough room to fit everything in.

Behind schedule trains

National Rail tend to calculate delays on the basis that a train can make up time in between stations, so often a train can be behind schedule (even up to 20 minutes!) but still be reported as 'On Time'. Traintrack exposes this information so you can keep one step ahead.

What's next?

There are a couple of new features I have planned:

  • Predicated platforms. By storing and averaging out the platforms a train normally departs from, I can tell you what platform a train might depart from before National Rail do. This helps with efficient station positioning, particularly at large stations like London Kings Cross.
  • Average arrival times. When travelling from Station A to Station B, trains arriving at Station A may all be on time, but there could be a delay further down the line causing you to be late arriving at Station B. I'm going to make Traintrack tell you if recent trains are arriving behind schedule at Station B. This will be particularly useful if you need to let someone know you might be late for a meeting!

Any other ideas? Let me know on Twitter. Thanks for using Traintrack!