Best train time tracking website for those not rail and tech savvy?

[Lewis5949]

For me, I've got many tools at my disposal, both public (Traksy, Open Train Times, Real Time Trains...) and private (CCLDB, Genius Mobile, Arrakis...) tools that I'm very comfortable with.

However sometimes I need to share my train times with family members (could apply this to passengers who asked as well) who would struggle to read these tools, and some don't work well on mobile either.

To clarify, I mean when a train has already departed, and I would like to give a link to someone so they can see roughly where the train is and if it running on time.

- National Rail website doesn't allow you to search for live departures or to check your journey in the past
- Same applies to the operators website, SWR. If you search for a station's arrivals, it works okay, but doesn't go far enough in the future for some longer distance trains
- I wouldn't share the details, but even if I did give them the CCLDB login, there's too much clutter and it isn't mobile optimised
- Traksy could be confusing, especially with it's expected column. The data can also be patchy
- Open Train Times can also be confusing with it's allowances column, pathing data and other clutter
- Tiger can be very clear but it isn't suitable for looking at journeys that have already started
- Real Time Trains is probably the best, but if the train is on time, the delay column is empty. It isn't easy at a glance to tell if the train is on time or not, and the 4 columns for times can still be too much
- Trains.im is similar to Real Time Trains, including that it too isn't easy to tell at a glance if the train is on time. It doesn't even say where the train is

Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks

 

[zwk500]

For pure train times, I usually use either the National Rail App (which allows me to check live departures from any station but as you say not a train that's already departed) or RealTimeTrains simple view. I personally also use the RTT detailed view if something's running late, but it's not always informative.

If you are talking about purely a link to a single train, RTT simple view would be what I would use.

TOC websites are variable
CCLDB i'm not familiar with but if it's another name for CCIL then it's functionally useless for individual trains at certain stations.
Traksy, Open Train Times and Signal Maps are only any good if you can recognise headcodes and even then you need to have a good knowledge of the timetable to identify issues.
I've personally never used Tiger or Trains.im

 

[DelW]

As a passenger, I use Real Time Trains routinely when I'm travelling by train. I use it to check how the service is running before I leave home for the station, to check how much time I have to make connections and which platforms I need to get from and to, and what my likely arrival time will be at my destination.
It's not perfect, but it's easier to understand than most of the alternatives, and the option to switch between simple and detailed modes means it suits a variety of users and devices.

 

[Starmill]

The National Rail Enquiries app generally does allow you to search for departures in the past.

 

[AM9]

I find real train times the best overall carry application:

When travelling it can be used a live timetable. The only downside of it is that if tracking a train, it doesn't auto update. 'Reload' is easy on a desktop browser but on a mobile device it can need re-entering the webpage address sometimes. Giving the RTT 'simple' mode to a non-rail savvy person is probably the best option. A quick explanation of the difference between planned (timetabled) and realtime (actual) together with pointing out the positional information and delay column would usually suffice.​

When planning a journey involving one or more changes it comes into it's own as a linked timetable, (when actually planning changes ahead whilst travelling it is a live timetable where hopping from a service page to an upcoming staion page to check for connections is invaluable to make adjustments for late running etc.).​

 

[ungreat]

The National Rail Enquiries app generally does allow you to search for departures in the past.

Yes it does

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes it does

What it doesn't let you do is search an itinerary in the past, though, and I find that quite annoying. Sometimes I want to search again for the itinerary I'm on.

 

[TommyJ]

For me, I've got many tools at my disposal, both public (Traksy, Open Train Times, Real Time Trains...) and private (CCLDB, Genius Mobile, Arrakis...) tools that I'm very comfortable with.

However sometimes I need to share my train times with family members (could apply this to passengers who asked as well) who would struggle to read these tools, and some don't work well on mobile either.

To clarify, I mean when a train has already departed, and I would like to give a link to someone so they can see roughly where the train is and if it running on time.

- National Rail website doesn't allow you to search for live departures or to check your journey in the past
- Same applies to the operators website, SWR. If you search for a station's arrivals, it works okay, but doesn't go far enough in the future for some longer distance trains
- I wouldn't share the details, but even if I did give them the CCLDB login, there's too much clutter and it isn't mobile optimised
- Traksy could be confusing, especially with it's expected column. The data can also be patchy
- Open Train Times can also be confusing with it's allowances column, pathing data and other clutter
- Tiger can be very clear but it isn't suitable for looking at journeys that have already started
- Real Time Trains is probably the best, but if the train is on time, the delay column is empty. It isn't easy at a glance to tell if the train is on time or not, and the 4 columns for times can still be too much
- Trains.im is similar to Real Time Trains, including that it too isn't easy to tell at a glance if the train is on time. It doesn't even say where the train is

Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks

Does the Railboard app fit the bill?
Its Live Trains feature allows you to view earlier trains up to the start of the day.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

Even though all these websites exist (and I frequently use them), I still often look at a station on Google Maps to see upcoming departures and occasionally track the progress of a train.

Pretty simply to use and gives the average Joe everything they need.

 

[bspahh]

I would try https://traintimes.org.uk/

It works well on a phone

The front page explains how you can set up a search in a URL that you can bookmark, where the names are either the full name, the 3 letter code. If its not clear, then it will prompt you to pick from a list of stations.

For example these give the times from the timetable:

https://traintimes.org.uk/London_Kings_Cross/Finsbury_Park
https://traintimes.org.uk/KGX/FPK

Or with live departure or arrival boards for all the trains at a station, or for only the ones between two stations
https://traintimes.org.uk/live/KGX
https://traintimes.org.uk/live/KGX/FPK

When you click on a link to a specific time, then there is a page with the expected and actual times.

 

[Atishyou]

CLDB i'm not familiar with but if it's another name for CCIL then it's functionally useless for individual trains at certain stations.

CCLDB is an internal version of live departure boards, completely different to CCIL (Network Rail incident log).

 

[zwk500]

CCLDB is an internal version of live departure boards, completely different to CCIL (Network Rail incident log).

Cheers!

 

[BluePenguin]

What it doesn't let you do is search an itinerary in the past, though, and I find that quite annoying. Sometimes I want to search again for the itinerary I'm on.

You can do this on the train line app by performing a search, scrolling up and tapping “Earlier Trains”

 

[Brooke]

I tend to use two services the whole time: Real-time Trains and the Trainline app.

In London I additionally use Tubestatus.net.

I think in one way or another you can use all three to do what the OP is seeking to do.

 

[Horizon22]

Even though all these websites exist (and I frequently use them), I still often look at a station on Google Maps to see upcoming departures and occasionally track the progress of a train.

Pretty simply to use and gives the average Joe everything they need.

A word of warning is that Google Maps often fails to update with any alteration from the base timetable data for the day - for instance a platform change will not be picked up and it will continually tell you it is on a booked platform when it is clearly not. I've had people come up to me before demand to know where the train is as they point at their phone telling them their train is on a certain platform when evidently there is nothing there...

Basic RTT is pretty easy to use I think.

 

[dastocks]

I would try https://traintimes.org.uk/

That looks really good as a super-quick journey planner, rather than something showing times of individual trains. The major limitation of Real Time Trains is filtering all the trains that could be useful to you if you're at X trying to get to Y - e.g. London Victoria to Brighton currently returns no results on RTT, while traintimes gives you a selection of journey options with the changes. Like all the journey planners it will fall to pieces when services go tits-up and Real Time Trains is probably still more useful if you're trying to work out what's really happening in those situations.

What I would really like is something that allows me to specify a number of origin and destination stations, and then save that search for future use. A typical use case for me would be something giving me real-time running information for the following:

FROM: (Farringdon OR Victoria) TO: (Brighton OR Hove)
with options to show the results ordered by calling/passing times at likely points along the way, like East Croydon, Gatwick, Haywards Heath.

 

[ainsworth74]

What I would really like is something that allows me to specify a number of origin and destination stations, and then save that search for future use. A typical use case for me would be something giving me real-time running information for the following:

FROM: (Farringdon OR Victoria) TO: (Brighton OR Hove)
with options to show the results ordered by calling/passing times at likely points along the way, like East Croydon, Gatwick, Haywards Heath.

It doesn't do real time running but for journey planning fastjp does what you're asking for. For instance here is a search for the above for next week around 1025.

 

[TSWFan2020]

i would have thought of realtime trains was easy enough

 

[zwk500]

i would have thought of realtime trains was easy enough

It doesn't have a journey planner, so if you are unfamiliar with trains and timetables and your journey involves a change its not the most obvious website to use.

 

[RolandR]

I would recommend the ByTrain app.
There is a Pro version, but the free version should be sufficient for most and is nice and easy to use.

 

[jackot]

I would recommend the ByTrain app.
There is a Pro version, but the free version should be sufficient for most and is nice and easy to use.

I was just about to recommend ByTrain. Really simple to use and has great features like the journey planner for live platform updates and times.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Of you're looking to share "this is the train I'm on, where it is and the time I expect to get there" I don't know of one clearer than the moving blue dot on the National Rail app, accessed via "Arriving" at the destination station on the "Live Trains" tab.

 

[Sultan]

Once I found ByTrains (just after it first came out) I stopped using anything else I found it that good. Easy to use and vary logical. I even emailed the Developer at the time to congratulate him on such a well-written App and paid for the then 'non-advert' version. It's since had a 'Pro' version released but on a subscription basis offering features I don't need post-Covid. The scheduled platform is really useful as my home station has services arriving on 2 and I can ensure I am in the optimum part of the train for an exit.

If a train has already left that I want to track, just search for the Destination station and select arrivals.

 

[Lewlew]

Another app (Apple only I believe) is UK Live Train Times. It's easy to use and also shows train lengths on the departures list for each station.

‎UK Live Train Times

‎Departure times / Arrival times and platform data for all National Rail stations, powered by National Rail Enquiries’ real-time data feeds. • Journey planning across the National Rail network • Live departures and arrivals at all National Rail stations, with predicted and actual platform...

apps.apple.com

 

[miklcct]

It doesn't do real time running but for journey planning fastjp does what you're asking for. For instance here is a search for the above for next week around 1025.

I find the feature doesn't work for me. I am looking for destinations of "London Road (Guildford)" and "Guildford", with the intention to see if there are any short connections I can take to London Road from Guildford to decide if I will buy an advance to Guildford or London Road (I won't bother to wait for a connecting train if it is more than 7 minutes), but it never shows any connections to London Road.

 

[ainsworth74]

I find the feature doesn't work for me. I am looking for destinations of "London Road (Guildford)" and "Guildford", with the intention to see if there are any short connections I can take to London Road from Guildford to decide if I will buy an advance to Guildford or London Road (I won't bother to wait for a connecting train if it is more than 7 minutes), but it never shows any connections to London Road.

I suspect that's because almost all the fastest journeys from Bournemouth to London Road (Guildford) involve changing at Guildford! Therefore it won't offer anything as you've reached one of the specified destinations. My impression is that the function works as an "or" command not an "and" command. You're telling it I want to travel to Guildford or London Road (Guildford) so it's then finding the journey opportunities that meet that requirement. Which, as most of those to London Road (Guildford) require changing at Guildford, means that they won't show.

 

[miklcct]

I suspect that's because almost all the fastest journeys from Bournemouth to London Road (Guildford) involve changing at Guildford! Therefore it won't offer anything as you've reached one of the specified destinations. My impression is that the function works as an "or" command not an "and" command. You're telling it I want to travel to Guildford or London Road (Guildford) so it's then finding the journey opportunities that meet that requirement. Which, as most of those to London Road (Guildford) require changing at Guildford, means that they won't show.

London Road (Guildford) can only be reached by Guildford starting from Bournemouth. What I want to do is to let the journey planner show a connection if one is available, or stop at Guildford if one is not available before the next arrival into Guildford.

Maybe I need to develop a custom journey planner for my need. Similar usage scenario can also be done with destination Pokesdown (chaging at Bournemouth) starting from the west, etc.