UK Train Times app (Agant) - at the end of the line?

[IJM Software]

Ah, right, got ya. I've made a note of it, and will have a play to see how it feels with that behaviour.

 

[IJM Software]

Just to add that V1.4 is now out there, and should reach devices in the next few hours. The most significant addition, @Mathew S , is the ability to specify up to 3 source and up to 3 destination stations. I'll be very interested to hear how you find it in the real world! I'm hoping it's obvious to set up your stations (hint: button appears after you add your first station that lets you add/remove stations!). @BRX I have also incorporated your feedback- the journey heading on the home page now toggles the services (long-click refreshes), and a refresh button has been added to each individual journey (though the global refresh is still there in the action bar).

I'll be interested to hear your feedback.

If anyone else is interested in trying out the app, search for "Commuter Train Check" on Google Play (it's Android only for the moment). Direct link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.ijmsoftware.commutertraincheck

The next version will include the ability to add legs to journeys. I have a good idea how to implement, but we'll see how it turns out. I'm aiming to have that done in the next month or so.

 

[Mathew S]

Just to add that V1.4 is now out there, and should reach devices in the next few hours. The most significant addition, @Mathew S , is the ability to specify up to 3 source and up to 3 destination stations. I'll be very interested to hear how you find it in the real world! I'm hoping it's obvious to set up your stations (hint: button appears after you add your first station that lets you add/remove stations!). @BRX I have also incorporated your feedback- the journey heading on the home page now toggles the services (long-click refreshes), and a refresh button has been added to each individual journey (though the global refresh is still there in the action bar).

I'll be interested to hear your feedback.

If anyone else is interested in trying out the app, search for "Commuter Train Check" on Google Play (it's Android only for the moment). Direct link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.ijmsoftware.commutertraincheck

The next version will include the ability to add legs to journeys. I have a good idea how to implement, but we'll see how it turns out. I'm aiming to have that done in the next month or so.

Thanks!
It looks good at first sight, but I'm away for a couple of days so I can't test it properly right now. Once I'm home, and back to the commute, I'll give it a whirl and let you know how I get on

 

[IJM Software]

Cheers, @Mathew S

 

[IJM Software]

Hello folks, just to announce the V1.9 has been deployed and should reach your devices in the next few hours or so. The big enhancement in this version is support for multi-leg journeys (@BRX hopefully you can give this a try out, and feed back please!). You can specify up to 3 legs in each journey, and the app will show you the available journey combinations (including the time you have to make each connection) given the latest live times of the trains. And each leg can also have up to 3 alternative source and/or destination stations, which is a bit mind-blowing (all those combinations...) but may be useful to someone out there!

Here is the multi-leg journey in action, in this case just two legs are configured:

You can add and remove legs using the journey button. I kept things simple - you can only add and delete the additional legs, not edit them (you can only edit the base leg).

For those that want to have a play with this free live train times app (snappily titled Commuter Train Check), here's the link to it on Google Play (Android only at the moment):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.ijmsoftware.commutertraincheck

 

[BRX]

I'll check it out and let you know how I find it!

 

[Mathew S]

Cheers, @Mathew S

I've been using the app the last few weeks, and it's fab (particularly like that it shows the number of carriages, something most other apps don't both with, but which I find really useful).

The only feedback I would have is really, really specific so I don't expect you to do anything about it. But, when I use the multiple stations option to add my commute to the app, I put in Wigan NW or Wigan Wallgate - Man Vic, Man Picc, or Man Oxford Road. Now, there are some trains that call at both Picc and Oxford Road, and the result is that these show in the app as separate services. I'm not sure there's a practical solution to this, because there's the question of what to do when services are planned to call at both Ox Road and Picc, but the Picc stop is cancelled (happens a lot on my return journey). One of those irritating edge cases, sorry!

Anyway, the headline is thanks for doing the app, I think it's fabulous and find it very, very useful. I'll certainly be carrying on using it in the new year.

 

[IJM Software]

Cheers for the feedback and support, @Mathew S, positive indeed! I am also a daily user (eating my own dog food I think they call it), and prefer it to the other more glitchy, fussy apps out there on the market. I totally get your edge-case though, and I did ponder over it as one of my real-life use-cases has trains that sometime pass through both alternative stations. It's a difficult one to solve for the reason you mentioned, and because missing out all but the "first" would leave out valuable information that you'd otherwise have to dig into the services to get the information you need, not good! As you called out, the app essentially treats them as completely different services, for the greater good. I will however return to this afresh to see if I'm missing some solution.

 

[BRX]

I've been using the app quite regularly over the past few weeks - I mostly work from home these days but have recently been doing a job that involves a semi regular 'commute'. I think it works very well and you should be congratulated. I hope you're building up a number of users of it.

The only thing, really, that I wish it had, was a journey planning function, because it's so unfussy to use and having to go back to the NRE app or others to do journey planning is a reminder of how bad they are. I realise though, that this might be contrary to the app's concept of keeping things uncluttered.

 

[IJM Software]

Hi BRX, apologies for my very late response - just noticed your message now! Glad that you find it nice to use - I genuinely think it is less fussy and more "smooth" to use than the other apps out there - I am a daily user myself. Before covid-19 struck I was building up a small but gradually growing user-base - hopefully I'll recover and grow that once things are back to "normal".

Note that recent updates of the app have included the ability to leave the destination station blank, and also provide up to 3 different "legs" of the journey. I've also added a "Spotlight" feature that lets you pin journeys to a Spotlight section at the top of the main screen, regardless of current time.

That is a very interesting observation about Journey Planning functionality, and something that I have been considering as the next big step for the app. Before that, however, I am looking at bringing out the app on the iPhone (it's currently only Android). However, I think that journey planning is definitely what is missing in the app, even though the primary function is for commuters looking at known journeys for that day.

 

[BRX]

Maybe it doesn't need to be a full journey planner with ticket prices and so on - I imagine that involves a whole extra layer of complexity - but something like a one-off journey timetable check would be handy. Everything set up in a similar format as you already have it, but designed to be used for one off journeys... In the work commuting context, getting to/from meetings and things like that.

 

[IJM Software]

Thinking about this now, I'd probably add the "journey planner" into a separate screen to the left of the main screen, so you can easily side-swipe to it (or access it from an icon or menu option). I'd also add an "Open in Journey Planner" entry to the journey button as a convenience. With that design, it wouldn't interfere with what's there, and also be inkeeping with the smooth and unfussy nature of the app. Further, the Journey Planner screen would persist its contents, just like the existing main and detail screens. I'm definitely going to add this functionality in, just a question of getting the time for it, given I'm currently training myself up on iPhone development!

 

[BRX]

I'll look forward to seeing it added
(as well as the ability to make train journeys at all, again, some day)

 

[800002]

Hi.
I actually came across this thread a while ago but for some reason didn't go and download the app, till today... Just out of interest.

I think it's a rather good app (and appreciate its marketed as a 'commuter knowledge' app rather than anything more substantial - which is great, I may need to start using it soon as a matter of fact.

One thing I have noticed is the train length functionality.
I know it comes from one feed or another from one of the various systems, but when is the train length actually updated and displayed?
I noticed some trains from origin terminus hadn't been updated at time of scheduled departure.
I would love to know how far in advance the app is able to display this vital bit of information? (naturally I assume though it's sometime after the TOC updates thier system(s)).

 

[IJM Software]

Hi 800002, thanks for the kind feedback, glad you like the app! Re: the train lengths, my app will show them as soon as it gets them. My app talks to my own server, which is constantly fed updates (several thousand a minute at peak times) from National Rail's "Darwin Push Port" service. So if the number of carriages is included in any messages, my app will show it. I believe the TOCs are responsible for updating that information in their feeder systems, and it's a bit frustrating that the number of carriages are only provided on some services!

 

[NeilWatson]

I’m sitting on Thorpeness beach in Suffolk, using my favourite train times app - it seems to have indigestion!

 

[IJM Software]

I'll be releasing "Commuter Train Check" on the iPhone once iOS 14 is launched in the next few weeks (it will only work on iOS 14 onwards, unfortunately). It has the exact same functionality and look/feel as the Android version. I've finished the build, though it needs a some testing on real devices before launching publicly.

I'm also currently building "Journey Planning" functionality to both the iOS and Android apps in due course - I'm currently building the server-side components (the bits that get the updated timetable data each night, and the bits that the apps talk to). My thinking with the design is to allow a journey (which currently only shows the live times) to be "switched" to Journey Planner mode, where you would then specify a date/time for you proposed journey, and it would show the timetables services as opposed to live times. You can then simply switch it back to "live times" mode if you wish (or just keep it in journey planner mode). That would be on a journey-by-journey basis, not a global switch. The journey planner mode would make use of the advanced features of optional from/to stations, and up to three legs, so you could plan a for a fairly sophisticated journey (something that, I think, is still a unique feature amongst these apps). I am aiming to have that functionality out on both platforms by the Autumn, all going well.

 

[BRX]

I'll be releasing "Commuter Train Check" on the iPhone once iOS 14 is launched in the next few weeks (it will only work on iOS 14 onwards, unfortunately). It has the exact same functionality and look/feel as the Android version. I've finished the build, though it needs a some testing on real devices before launching publicly.

I'm also currently building "Journey Planning" functionality to both the iOS and Android apps in due course - I'm currently building the server-side components (the bits that get the updated timetable data each night, and the bits that the apps talk to). My thinking with the design is to allow a journey (which currently only shows the live times) to be "switched" to Journey Planner mode, where you would then specify a date/time for you proposed journey, and it would show the timetables services as opposed to live times. You can then simply switch it back to "live times" mode if you wish (or just keep it in journey planner mode). That would be on a journey-by-journey basis, not a global switch. The journey planner mode would make use of the advanced features of optional from/to stations, and up to three legs, so you could plan a for a fairly sophisticated journey (something that, I think, is still a unique feature amongst these apps). I am aiming to have that functionality out on both platforms by the Autumn, all going well.

Sounds good, will look forward to trying that out.