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Irish Rail official app

  • 04-01-2013 1:49pm
    #1
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,072 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Seems to have been released rather quietly on the iOS app store over the Christmas.

    Not quite sure what to make of it, seems a bit awkward to use to try and get timetables on it. On the other hand it does have live data too.


Comments

  • #2
    kc56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 433 ✭✭kc56


    Android too.

    Live data covers all trains for the day and not just the next hour.


  • #3
    juan.kerr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,766 ✭✭✭juan.kerr


    Will take a look next week. Is it live data or expected timetable?


  • #4
    kc56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 433 ✭✭kc56


    juan.kerr wrote: »
    Will take a look next week. Is it live data or expected timetable?

    Both. Live for next hour or so and timetable after that. Gives no of minutes late.


  • #5
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,624 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    When you select live trains for a specific Dart station, they should allow you to filter northbound or southbound and elect to only view Dart trains. It should be easy to implement and it would more than halve the list of trains you'd have to view.

    As things stand, if I ask to view live trains departing from Dun Laoghaire, I get to see trains to Rosslare, Maynooth and Drogheda, none of which I am remotely interested in.


  • #6
    thomasj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭thomasj


    In fairness they've done a good job on the new app but I still prefer the next train Ireland app more polished I think.


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  • #7
    thomasj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭thomasj


    kc56 wrote: »

    Both. Live for next hour or so and timetable after that. Gives no of minutes late.

    Tbh I'd would be better if they showed the eta rather than the number of minutes late


  • #8
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,624 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    thomasj wrote: »
    In fairness they've done a good job on the new app but I still prefer the next train Ireland app more polished I think.

    +1 and Next Train Ireland is a lot easier to read. Not everyone has the eyesight of a 20 year old app developer. You wonder what test bed they use before rolling out an app like this. Any tester over the age of 45 could have told them the text is too small.


  • #9
    donspeekinglesh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,877 ✭✭✭donspeekinglesh


    kc56 wrote: »
    Android too.
    Pity it's just the iphone app ported. Unacceptable not to follow the android style guidelines.


  • #10
    dastardly00
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,507 ✭✭✭✭dastardly00


    It's a nice app. It would be excellent if you could book tickets using the app also.


  • #11
    freyners
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,300 ✭✭✭freyners


    yeah the inability to book tickets is a big letdown,


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  • #12
    thomasj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭thomasj


    freyners wrote: »
    yeah the inability to book tickets is a big letdown,

    But to book tickets you would need to pay wouldn't you?

    I think it might be down to the security risk aspect. The only transport apk I know of that let's you purchase tickets is aer lingus and even when you click purchase it redirects you to its secure site to complete the payment.

    Bear in mind if you are making a card payment using visa you have to use the verified by visa protocol which will redirect you to the web. A messy situation. Is there any transport apks that let you make payments?


  • #13
    freyners
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,300 ✭✭✭freyners


    thomasj wrote: »
    But to book tickets you would need to pay wouldn't you?

    I think it might be down to the security risk aspect. The only transport apk I know of that let's you purchase tickets is aer lingus and even when you click purchase it redirects you to its secure site to complete the payment.

    Bear in mind if you are making a card payment using visa you have to use the verified by visa protocol which will redirect you to the web. A messy situation. Is there any transport apks that let you make payments?

    I wouldn't have a clue at all about that, not my thing. Would their been an option to pay via a leap card I wonder. Its basically an e-purse anyways and might see an increased uptake with it:confused:


  • #14
    donspeekinglesh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,877 ✭✭✭donspeekinglesh


    I would have thought that if you're selling something though an iOS app apple would insist on their 30% cut.
    Less of a problem on android, but you'd need designers who knew how to make an android app first.


  • #15
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    thomasj wrote: »
    But to book tickets you would need to pay wouldn't you?

    I think it might be down to the security risk aspect. The only transport apk I know of that let's you purchase tickets is aer lingus and even when you click purchase it redirects you to its secure site to complete the payment.

    Technically there would be no problem with allowing people to buy tickets via an app. It really isn't any different then doing it via a website, as long as you follow the usual security precautions (https, etc.) there is no real technical difference from a website. In fact in some ways it could be more secure then via a website (Apples walled garden approach makes spyware stealing your details less likely).

    The issue is likely that I believe Apple would require a 30% cut of such sales.

    However having said that in the US the Amtrak (US equivalent of Irish Rail) iPhone App allows you to buy tickets, assuming without Apple getting a 30% cut, so it must be possible:

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amtrak/id405074003?mt=8


  • #16
    dublinman1990
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,635 ✭✭✭dublinman1990


    There is a version by Irish Rail in association with HaCon which was recently released by Android.

    http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=119&n=285

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.hafas.android.irishrail&hl=en

    Unfortunately (according to the 2 webpage links above) it doesn't have any functionality to buy the tickets off it's android version either which is practically could be of no use to anyone.


  • #17
    dowlingm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,346 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    With a small bit of work the APK could presumably be run under the Blackberry Android Runtime. The Blackberry 10 userbase in Ireland won't be big enough to justify a native app for a while.


  • #18
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    The Next Train app is perfectly ok for my needs. Much prefer it to the Irish Rail one. I only ever use the Dart, so being able to book tickets isn't all that big of a deal for me.


  • #19
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,624 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    ProudDUB wrote: »
    The Next Train app is perfectly ok for my needs. Much prefer it to the Irish Rail one. I only ever use the Dart, so being able to book tickets isn't all that big of a deal for me.

    +1 Next Train Ireland is streets ahead of the official IR app. The developer Stephen McBride is on Twitter and boards so you can provide feedback and comments on the app. The IR official app according to the splash screen is developed in Germany so there's little or no scope for feedback which would be in keeping with IR's policy of not giving a sh1te about their customers.

    And can IR please offer the option to remove the exit confirmation message on the Android version of the official app? Total pain in the arse which was rightly left out of the iOS version. Given that you're only viewing information and not buying tickets, there's no reason whatsoever for an exit confirmation screen.


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