End of OpenTrainTimes

[SprinterMan]

http://beta.opentraintimes.com/

Announcement

You're probably wondering why I've shut down OpenTrainTimes.

The short answer is that I can no longer cover the costs of running the site from my own pocket. It's about £100/month for all the infrastructure just to keep things running - that's excluding the vast amount of work I put in to the site.

The long answer is that I'm fed up of spending all my time trying to make the site better, and getting no where. Last year was not at all easy for me, I hoped I could use OpenTrainTimes as a gateway out of it. However, I've ended up being exhausted, demotivated and with little to show - other than a very detailed understanding of some of the finer points of train planning and reporting systems.

I've tried to do the right thing for the past three or four years with Open Data, championing what's right, learning and spreading knowledge - and I want to try to continue doing that. There are other sites out there, some of which have ideas which were inspired by OpenTrainTimes - I won't name them, but you can use those.

I'm still committed to Open Rail Data, and I've had fun and interesting times working on OpenTrainTimes, but I feel it's run its course and I feel it's the right time to move in another direction.

Peter Hicks, 10th March 2014

Oh no! :cry: I for one am very sad to see it go. The map function was brilliant and it had a prettier interface than RTT.

Adam

 

[Beveridges]

I wonder how long RTT will keep going ?

If that goes the same (and with no similar replacement) then it would be an immeasurable loss to the trainspotting & photting hobby.

 

[455driver]

Just goes to prove that nothing in life is free, it all has to be paid for somewhere down the line.

Saying that Peter has been a great champion for open data and should be applauded for that!

 

[trentside]

A great shame - but understandable.

I wish Peter all the best for the future, and can only thank him for the work he has done to get so much data out into the open, for all to use.

 

[SS4]

Just goes to prove that nothing in life is free, it all has to be paid for somewhere down the line.

Saying that Peter has been a great champion for open data and should be applauded for that!

Indeed he should. It is also one of the reasons why those who use adblock should whitelist sites they use so relieve some of the financial burden

 

[tsr]

Sad news. I was finding the site useful only this afternoon. I just found the variety of tools - timetables, maps and stats - to be a really great collection.

I see suggestions of a new site and certainly new maps when I read the site news Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/OpenTrainTimes. I hope that work hasn't gone forever. And it was even being promoted yesterday.

I also hope Peter is OK. I'm sorry to hear this wasn't worthwhile, but many good things do come to an end, I guess, and money can often be the difference for a huge number of tech projects. I am curious that the site only ever seemed to want a charity donation to Marie Curie (very good though that is), and I never saw any adverts try to grab my attention. Though I don't know how many users would have stumped up some cash for it anyway.

 

[starrymarkb]

Well I wish Poggs the best and may get him a drink if I run into him in Slimes at some point.

 

[radamfi]

I wonder how long RTT will keep going ?

If that goes the same (and with no similar replacement) then it would be an immeasurable loss to the trainspotting & photting hobby.

There are iOS and Android apps at £2.99 so maybe that is paying for itself?

 

[sonic2009]

The person who owns/runs RTT has other ventures which brings money in, I'm led to believe he's a member on here so maybe he will give an answer to this thread

 

[user15681]

The person who owns/runs RTT has other ventures which brings money in, I'm led to believe he's a member on here so maybe he will give an answer to this thread

That's correct, Tom is a member on here. Not sure how regular he is at visiting, though.

It's a shame to see it go. Even though I prefer RTT myself, the real time maps on OTT were brilliant. I wish Peter all the best, his efforts are hugely appreciated.

 

[Freightmaster]

Just goes to prove that nothing in life is free, it all has to be paid for somewhere down the line.

Exactly!

The only reason that Freightmaster has survived so long (20 years this Autumn!! hock: )
is because I 'dare' to charge enough to make it worth my while doing it full time.

Because of that, I have had to put up with people calling FMonline a "rip off"
and worse, but if I didn't charge enough to make it worth my while, I would
have given up running FMonline altogether and got a 'proper job' years ago...



MARK

 

[DaveHarries]

RIP to one of the most useful websites in existence. I never used an adblocker and always found OTT useful. Being a user of SimSig I found OTT very useful for compiling TTs, most recently one I did for the Whiteball Blockade based on the WTT of 20-Jan-2014 for Exeter sim.

Peter has been a fabulous champion of open data and, for that, from us enthusiasts he has our thanks. I wish Peter the very best of luck with whatever he gets up to next.

Dave

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The only reason that Freightmaster has survived so long (20 years this Autumn!! hock: ) is because I 'dare' to charge enough to make it worth my while doing it full time.

Because of that, I have had to put up with people calling FMonline a "rip off"
and worse, but if I didn't charge enough to make it worth my while, I would have given up running FMonline altogether and got a 'proper job' years ago...

I think that your sterling efforts are well known, respected and recognised on this website.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

RIP to one of the most useful websites in existence. Peter has been a fabulous champion of open data and, for that, from us enthusiasts he has our thanks. I wish Peter the very best of luck with whatever he gets up to next.

I wish to add my best wishes to Peter and fully endorse what you have said.

 

[Temple Meads]

Although I admit I usually use(d) RTT, I was a frequent user of OTT earlier on in its life, and the live maps were great fun, it's indeed a sad loss, but I can understand the reasons behind it.

Peter's contribution to opening up the data feeds can't be forgotten either.

 

[Condor7]

I would like to echo the words of everyone else on here, thank you Peter you helped change the hobby for the better, and we appreciate all the hard work and time you have put in.
All the best with your other projects.

Like others have said we all hope Tom manages to carry on with Real Train Times, but as Mark at Freightmaster has so clearly shown it has to be commercially viable otherwise eventually it will go the same way, and many on here will have to understand that paying for something that is good is worth it.

If everyone who uses RTT paid a small fee I wonder what advances Tom could make beyond the excellent site he already has?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

NRE should offer Peter a job upgrading their site.
It's in need of a complete makeover.

 

[mrknowwun]

Let me echo all the comments on here and congratulate Peter on what he achieved, and the access to data we now have.

 

[Tom]

I echo everyone's comments here.

I am sad to see OpenTrainTimes go. Peter has done a lot of work in the entire industry to try and get data released and without him we wouldn't have the wide diverse range of apps and websites we have today.

I personally have a lot to thank him for.

 

[DaveHarries]

If everyone who uses RTT paid a small fee I wonder what advances Tom could make beyond the excellent site he already has?

That is a good point. I would be happy to get the RTT app if it was possible to do searches for detailed info as you can on the RTT site. I believe it is at present only possible to get basic information.

Dave

 

[jon0844]

I bought the RTT app and it hasn't been updated for ages (at all?) but all of this just proves my rants in other threads about people needing to wake up and accept that you can't expect everything for free.

 

[Tom]

I bought the RTT app and it hasn't been updated for ages (at all?) but all of this just proves my rants in other threads about people needing to wake up and accept that you can't expect everything for free.

There is one imminently coming - I'm just waiting for something to be finished which is outside of my control.

 

[aal7]

Oh no! I've spent ages messing about with the maps, especially in times of disruption where it's fascinating to see how the signallers are dealing with the situation. I will miss the site very much!

Thanks and good luck to Peter.

 

[oversteer]

A real shame, a fantastic site, and huge amounts of credit must be given to Peter for championing the "open data" cause.

However, I know what it is like to be obliged to work in the evenings and how little time it takes for it to become an unbearable chore - especially if your work during the day is of a similar nature. So a shame, but perfectly understandable.

I will miss the live maps for sure. Hopefully he will have a change of heart one day.

 

[Be3G]

I'm sad to see OpenTrainTimes go too – I didn't ever use the maps, but I always felt it had the best (cleanest) interface of all of the train timetable searching websites. I'm fairly certain I remember filling in a survey for the site once, which mooted the idea of creating mobile apps as a way to bring in income (which I agreed with)… I wonder why that idea never went ahead. Maybe there were just too few people willing to pay.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I agree with all the comments. Peter has done the community a good service both with running the open train times site and all his work to improve access to the train running/timetable data. I used OpenTrainTimes occasionally and found it very well designed.

I can well understand Peter's reasoning behind closing the site - keeping a site like that running does require a lot of work and a lot of resources. (I know this well, since I'm a programmer, and spent some time experimenting with the ATOC data feed myself to see if I could develop a site or an app that uses the data - and I didn't get very far with the idea because it became obvious it would have been so much coding work).

 

[spongsdad]

That is a good point. I would be happy to get the RTT app if it was possible to do searches for detailed info as you can on the RTT site. I believe it is at present only possible to get basic information.

Dave

There is one imminently coming - I'm just waiting for something to be finished which is outside of my control.

I think these guys are doing a great job in developing software that hobbyists such as myself can make use of. Frankly £2.99 for a piece of software for my smartphone is absolute buttons- I can't buy a pint of beer for that. Get out and buy the app, even if it doesn't have all the functionality of the website. I wouldn't think that Tom is going to make a fortune from all the work he has put in.
Oh, and thanks Peter for your work too; I'm really sorry that you felt it necessary to close down the site. Good luck for the future

 

[najaB]

I'm just waiting for something to be finished which is outside of my control.

You and Peter need to get working on a combined super-site! I'm more than happy to contribute to the supply of the requisite quantities of beer to make this happen!

 

[fgw_43025]

Exactly!

The only reason that Freightmaster has survived so long (20 years this Autumn!! hock: )
is because I 'dare' to charge enough to make it worth my while doing it full time.

Because of that, I have had to put up with people calling FMonline a "rip off"
and worse, but if I didn't charge enough to make it worth my while, I would
have given up running FMonline altogether and got a 'proper job' years ago...



MARK

Sad to see the loss of such a useful website as Open Train Times.

Hopefully RTT trains wont go the same way.

With regard to Freightmaster I have bought a number of the books over the years but have never subscribed to the online Freightmaster site. Certainly if Freightmaster offered a site like Open Train Times or Real Time Trains with realtime running I would be more than happy to subscribe. Is anything like this planned for Freighmaster?

 

[Goatboy]

There is one imminently coming - I'm just waiting for something to be finished which is outside of my control.

Just out of interest, do you intend to expand the app to include the features offered by the free website? The app seems to aimed more at the commuter whereas the website is more for 'power users'.

If there was an app which offered the same functionality as the Advance view on the website I would happily purchase it as I expect would many others.

 

[Be3G]

Yay!