Great Western Coffee Shop

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fgw/id470544879?mt=8 <- this is the ITunes (IPhone) link.

It was launched yesterday and is also available for Blackberry, Nokia and Android - if you can't find it in your respective app store, Text FGW to 86688 and a link will be sent to you.

Is there a dumbphone app?  :P ;) ;D

Just got the Android version - doesn't utilise swipe scrolling properly, uses a custom (odd) keyboard and doesn't recognise three letter codes.

I use 'Rail Planner Live' which is (so far) vastly superior as I'm mostly more concerned about where my train is - the FGW app doesn't do live times.

On the subject of Android apps - another favourite is 'Catch that Bus'.

 

I also use rail planner live on Android - cost a few quid but is definately. (For me) a must gave app and occupies sought after space on my home page

I find it especially useful when travelling home from pad in the evenibg as it tells you what platform a train is leaving from before it comes up on the boards

Me too.

One of the best apps I've ever bought.

Get to Paddington.  Look up platform before it's shown on the indicator boards.  Find seat in nice empty carriage before the masses all rush to board!   :)

Boppy.

Ooo I'll have a look at that, I personally use "Train Times UK" which has been fantastic ;D

Damn - thats another seat gone earlier  :)

You're ok, I don't go as far as Paddington ;D

I had a look at Rail Planner Live and remembered I did look at it before, but preferred the small widget in Time Times UK, so stuck with that - they both seem to be very similar now though, and are far more useful than the platform displays (not least because they reflect the real status of the train, and not "On Time" when they are actually 3 minutes late ....)!

I have to prefix this by saying that I don't know how the CIS screens on the platforms update but I do know that if I refresh the Rail Planner app it seems to be about 3 minutes ahead of the CIS screens.  Which makes alot of difference if it is chucking down with rain and you want to go back to your car to sit in the dry...

Downloaded the app and bought a ticket fairly painlessly.  No login required and no add on charges.  Thanks for the tip James.

The FGW app appears to just be a pink and purple version of the "Trainline" app.

But without the surcharges. And it works on the new IO5 software released tonight.

I have yet to work out how to buy a ticket using the rail planner live app - I'm sure if you know how it is easy !

Platform displays aren't consistent - Newton Abbot shows delays but today at Par their board showed a PLY PNZ trip on time  right until it tripped the audio close to the station whereas Rail Planner showed a delay of 5 minutes from the Tamar which never got made up.

Transactions via the app do indeed appear on the bank statement as the Trainline.com while those on the website show as First Great Western.

Also remarkably similar to the Virgin Trains and CrossCountry apps too!

Is there a booking fee for buying tickets with the app then? (As IIRC the trainline charge a booking fee don't they?).

No

From watching passengers (including myself) use these apps I have come to the conclusion that the major advantage of having one of these is it gives the user the opportunity to moan about late running/cancelled services even of it doesn't affect them :)

And of course the ability to board a train a paddington before the plmatform appears on the customer information screens

Now that would be handy! Although I suspect if too many people cottoned on the information would simply be redacted from the apps...  :-\

Trust me IT IS handy (although my current commute doesn't take me VIA paddington at the moment)

I have seen posters at stations advertising the app. They claim the tickets are available for collection after 10 minutes rather than the previous two hours. Anyone tested the claim?

It is not ten mins from all machines, and if it is what's the point it's quicker to buy the ticket from the self serve than it is to run threw the ticket on departure procedure

I understand that its only tickets for trains leaving within the two hour window for which earlier collection is available.....Virgin introduced this in their app & FGW have obviously had it added to theirs

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/05/08/app_of_the_week_android_national_rail_enquiries/

I saw the above posted on ElReg this morning and wondered if anyone here has any experience with comparing this with the Rail Planner Live app which I currently use on Android? It seems to me it is swings and roundabouts...the Rail Planner Live app allows the user to buy tickets which the NRE one doesn't seem to but that doesnt bother me at the moment.

Note to mods: Is it worth considering creating a sub area for smartphone related topics?

Just a thought

Dave

MoneySavingExpert have launched a split ticket app on iphone and via their website, for finding the cheapest walk-on split ticket prices.

Thought it might be on interest.

http://splitticket.moneysavingexpert.com/

Thanks for posting that. An excellent little tool.  I've just had a "play" with London (Paddington) to Westbury.

16:36 -> 18:02, 39.00 can be reduced to 32.60 with a split at Pewsey
17:33 -> 18:59, 84.00 can be reduced to 36.20 with a split at Newbury
17:45 -> 19:27, 84.00 can be reduced to 68.90 with a split at Swindon (change trains there)
18:06 -> 19:52, 84.00 can be reduced to 27.20 with a split at Theale
18:33 -> 20:04, 39.00 can be reduced to 32.60 with a split at Pewsey

To confirm for new readers here.  These are single adult fares, buying tickets on the day. It's all perfectly legal to do this.  You can choose which ticket you buy, and buy your journey in sections provided that the train you're travelling on actually stops at the station at which each section ends / starts, and that each individual ticket is valid on the train you're travelling on.

I really wish that the fares system was such that apparent absurdities such as huge savings through split ticketing wasn't a part of it - that if I walked up to a ticket office and asked for a ticket on the next train to Westbury, I would be sold the lowest cost fare and perhaps even advised in the case of the 17:45 that I could pay 27.20 rather than 68.90 if I could wait 25 minutes.

For the record, whilst I fully support and encourage people to travel using the lowest fare that applies to them, I abhore fare evasion - the illegal failure to pay for travel, or travelling in such a way that you pay less than the lowest legal fare.

Rail fares are complex.   Even lower fares than the examples above may be available by booking in advance, by buying return tickets, by using railcards, and perhaps in other ways too such as buying a ticket for a longer journey

As with other spilt ticketing tools it still doesn't seem to find the best splits. Just had a play around with it and I can't get it to give me more than one split for a journey, where often multiple splits will be cheaper. Doesn't beat researching the split ticketing options for yourself.

Okay for quick reference, but limited in its function.

No multiple splits which often vastly increase the savings and no routeing options which also yield savings.

Worst of all, it'll only offer single fares.

A good start, could do better. 5/10

I saved half of a single PAD to BRI fare by splitting at Didcot Parkway. This tool replicates that. I'm impressed, and will keep it for reference, but still do my own research.

5 out of 10, agreed.   But I prefer to celebrate the information provided as well as grouch a bit at what's missing. I did find it frustrating that it only offers today, which means that for morning peak hour gains I have to get up after midnight, except that if I look up a later train and change the URL line, I can look back!. There are (for me) some good "I didn't think of splitting there" offerings, but as ever with things rail, if you don't like the answer try another way ...

Melksham to Waterloo, leaving at 06:37.   With a split at Reading, I can reduce an 87 pound fare to 76 pounds, and arrive at 09:14.  That's courtesy of the MoneySavingExpert site.  But if I'm prepared for a slower journey, I can split at Warminster, arrive at 09:17, and reduce my total fare to 40 pounds.

Using the 0637 connecting into the 0701 from Westbury and travelling via B&H/Reading/Paddington/Tube you can further reduce that ^76 by use of two splits and a ticket from a station further away (starting/ending short as permitted by the Conditions of Carriage):

Melksham - Trowbridge Anytime Day Single ^3.20
Bath Spa - Newbury (route Westbury) Anytime Day Single ^17.00
Newbury - London Waterloo (Zone U1*) Anytime Day Single ^28.90

Total: ^49.10

Just an example of splits and use of routeing knowledge that would be nigh on impossible to write an app for!

Sometimes a knowledgeable human (....) really is better than technology.  ;) :)

Thanks for the suggestion, Dave.

I've done a sort of compromise solution, by merging a couple of previous discussions on the subject with this topic, as I'm not sure it justifies a separate board of its own.

Chris.  :)

The other thing with splits - which in fact this app does cater for - but people often forget when getting a second ticket is the Network Railcard. Outside the morning peak and especially at weekends when the ^13 minimum does not apply, it can offer further savings if one of your tickets is in the Network area.

Interesting aside ... the FGW site is offering this fare on the 18:02 Newbury to Bath Spa service which doesn't run via Westbury, but it states "only valid via Westbury" on a rollover menu  ;)

For routeing purposes travelling via the East Loop past Westbury still counts as 'via Westbury'. Not wholly logical (what is when it comes to train fares?), but understandable.  :-\

Similar routeings apply at Didcot where nearly all CrossCountry services avoid the actual station, but pass close by.

However, where such routeings occur you cannot use them for split ticket purposes. In most cases, you are still required to travel on a service that calls at the split point station.

I can't fully test the tool as it will only let me check services until midnight tonight!

Had a quick play earlier and could also find splits that were cheaper than using this tool.

Yes you can - get any set of results and replace bit after the "?" in the URL with:

departure=SWI&arrival=OXF&railcard=&travellers=adult&hour=23&minute=16

changing:
SWI to the 3 letter from station
OXF to the 3 letter to station
23 to the departure hour you want
16 to the departure minute you want

Thanks grahame for that very useful info.

Another one where experience/expertise/luck is cheaper:

Cosham to Bristol Temple Meads ^37.00
Tool suggests splitting at Romsey ^33.40

My usual routine:
CSA-ESL  6.90
SOU-SAL  8.40
SAL-WMN  6.50
WMN-BRI 10.10
Total   ^31.90

Or, for the less daring:
CSA-SOU  8.10
SOU-SAL  8.40
SAL-WMN  6.50
WMN-BRI 10.10
Total   ^33.10

Agreed. But the law should provide a fair relationship between the TOC and the fare-paying passenger. Perhaps we should have new threads to debate "reasonable conditions" and "what is an ethical fare level?"

I think it's a good tool for your standard passenger - say, my Mother who has never even heard of the Routing Guide!

There are the obvious improvements that can be made in the future; such as AP and Return fares.

It does, as Bignosemac and others have suggested, not take into account multiple split ticketing and using specific routes.

It's biggest fall down is AP tickets; but I am also not sure on its advice that splitting works around 85% of the time on returns. I'm travelling from Canterbury West (CBW) to Glasgow Central (GLC) on 14 June. Using this tool, the best estimate I can get for a same-day return (with Y-P railcard) is splitting at Lancaster:
Off-Peak Return: ^95.20
Off-Peak Return (Split at Lancaster): ^68.60 + ^36.85 | ^105.45
Anytime Return: ^246.85
Anytime Return (Split at Lancaster): ^246.85 + ^66.00 | ^312.85
First Anytime Return: ^535.00
First Anytime Return (Split at Lancaster): ^518.00 + ^241.00 | ^759.00

AP tickets are available (at a not very discounted rate) of around ^40 each way.


My scores on the doors are 7/10 for an average user, 3/10 for an intermediate/expert rail user.

And another app - Tickety Split (on iphone, I think Android too)

From MoneySavingExpert.com, and so far in a trial, Lite edition only. Finds where splitting your journey might be sensible....

Thread already running on 'Tickety Split' here:



Edit note: I've now merged the two topics, to avoid further duplication. Chris.

Picked up this tweet:



Anyone know what's gone / have a list of Smartphone apps?

Another split ticket program has popped up online.

http://trainscanbecheaper.info/

This one incorporates the routeing guide and also gives splits for return journeys, will show multiple splits if cheapest and also shows splits for 1st Class fares.

Seems to be a work in progress, but I've performed a few searches and they concur with my own research in offering the best splits. A much better effort than 'Tickety Split'.

8/10

I just tried trainscanbecheaper.info.

I very much like the Routeing Guide capabilities.  This could save quite a bit of time for advanced users.

On every search I've tried, it suggests the same (or very similar) splits as I would use myself.  A very good website that I'll definitely be using.  Interface is also more intuitive and simpler than Tickety Split.

Out of interest, does anyone know how these sites are accessing the fares data?  Is this now open access, have they paid or has someone worked out how to extract the fares off the Avantix Traveller CD?

There is an update out for the FGW iPhone app. Among other things now available are "mTickets for some Reading to Bristol Temple Meads advance fares".

An update has been released for the FGW iPhone app.

For some reason it has a new logo and a new name - "Train Times".

Unfortunately there is already an app with that name and a very similar logo

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/apps.png)

The FGW one is on the right....

What was the thinking behind this?

Mistaken use I suspect - are both these apps developed by the same firm?

Methinks someone needs to draw FGWs attention to this

Doesn't appear so.


Think you might be in a better position to do so than me....  ;)

The Android app has been updated today and it too has had the same treatment. I wonder if all First group train companies will do / have done the same.

I note this has now been extended to include tickets to and from Castle Cary (for Glastonbury revellers)

https://twitter.com/FGW/status/481663063004053504/photo/1

Any news regarding if and when it's likely to be rolled out across the whole network?

I'm extremely grateful to a very occasional contributor of material for this forum for alerting me to this update to the TicketySplit website (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/split-cheap-train-tickets/?utm_source=CRM_V15Oct2014&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=solus_TicketySplit) - which now includes advance tickets.

Please note: TicketySplit uses thetrainline, who do charge a booking fee - but any split / advance tickets identified through that site can actually be purchased from other sites, which do not charge a fee.