Labs

Even on a desktop computer checking UK train schedules can be a chore. But this application trims away a lot of the unnecessary details, leaving just the bare essentials: departure and arrival times, and the number of changes required. Tapping on a part of the journey additionally displays the company operating it.

Previous versions of the application retrieved data only for the next seven days of the timetable. However, this has now been extended to the full 12-week version, retrieving this info from traintimes.org.uk. It's a great method of checking train times to find out whether an ad-hoc getaway is even feasible.

Another benefit is that it avoids spending time on a cold platform on the journey home. We just hope that the two students who maintain the project in their spare moments, find the time to add information about fares - which is held by the same site that delivers the timetable. At the very least, info on the cheapest fare available would make for fairer comparisons when planning journeys.