Do you use the Trainline app?!

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_Jayman__@reddit

National Rail app I read on here is the same though without booking fee

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

Yeah so my point is that the national rail app is the official app for all uk rail services. Why not use them for free rather than using a third party app and pay fee for each booking?!

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SidewaysSky@reddit

because it can be cheaper even with the booking fee

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

Have you actually experienced this yourself? Whenever I’ve tried to search, that has never been the case.

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SidewaysSky@reddit

example journey i'm looking at making right now - 26th March, standard class, 8:00am Bristol > Liverpool. National rail = £94.50. Trainline = £54.90.

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

Are they exactly the same tickets?!

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Longer journeys can use split ticketing (though there's another site that does it and only charges you a % of the savings instead, can't remember the name) which NR won't do, that's the likely savings

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Large-Sign-900@reddit

I do. It is very user friendly and is updated if your train is delayed. Surprisingly good.

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

All this is also shown on the National rail app though. 🤔

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Large-Sign-900@reddit

Fair enough. Never used that app tbf.

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sjintje@reddit

The tocs need to get together and work on promoting a single unified app. Them all having their own is part of what makes travelling by train a strain. Otherwise, Trainline has a memorable name, pleasing interface, and the split ticketing option. Personally I always use a competitor app for split ticketing, which charges a couple of % of the saving.

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BaseballFuryThurman@reddit

Most trains I get are 20-30 minute journeys that cost £3-4, so I don't need flexibility and I'm not arsed about a 50p booking fee or whatever it is. I find it easy to use and I've never had any issues with it providing accurate times with prompt updates etc.

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ClassicMaximum7786@reddit

More importantly how tf did you type that x? But yes I trainline because it's straightforward and the prices are usually good(enough)

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

That’s copied from the Unicode character set and I use text replacement feature under keyboard settings to type that character instead of a predefined key combination. Prices on the app will still be more than what the base price right? Including fees.

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ClassicMaximum7786@reddit

I forgot about fees, it's been years since I've gotten a train so I can't remember sorry. But if so then yes I assume so, I don't actually know how to buy a train ticket (that isn't in london) online without using a service like trainline.

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WPorter77@reddit

I always use it, I've seen people state there's a booking fee but I have the Avanti and northern apps which are really poorly designed and the price is always the same across the three I did use Uber for trains when they had a mad sale on, I got some journeys for 5p

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ukbot-nicolabot@reddit

[OP marked this as the best answer](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1jhv79k/do_you_use_the_trainline_app/mjadc32/), given by /u/coastermitch. > This regularly comes up on other subreddits like r/uktravel and r/uktrains and lots of people in the railway industry don't like it for reasons including: > > \- It charges a booking fee when you can usually buy the tickets directly from a Train Operating Company (TOC) for the same price without the booking fee. > > \- It often has incorrect information, sometimes just wrong platform info or delay info but also allegedly selling tickets for trains which don't exist. > > But, as you can see from some other comments, people like the app layout and are willing to overlook the booking fee for some of the convenience it offers. They also advertise quite heavily which I imagine contributes highly to their popularity. > > I personally always buy directly with the Train Operating Company, either via App or website cause I begrudge the booking fee. --- [_^(What is this?)_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)

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coastermitch@reddit

This regularly comes up on other subreddits like r/uktravel and r/uktrains and lots of people in the railway industry don't like it for reasons including: \- It charges a booking fee when you can usually buy the tickets directly from a Train Operating Company (TOC) for the same price without the booking fee. \- It often has incorrect information, sometimes just wrong platform info or delay info but also allegedly selling tickets for trains which don't exist. But, as you can see from some other comments, people like the app layout and are willing to overlook the booking fee for some of the convenience it offers. I personally always buy directly with the Train Operating Company, either via App or website cause I begrudge the booking fee.

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

!answer Thanks a lot! This is what I’m finding as a general consensus from the responses.

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Tuarangi@reddit

The fee is a pain on longer journeys so I don't use it but for the short city hops they don't charge it which is when I use it, rather than umpteen TOC apps

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Fern-Brooks@reddit

Rail industry professional here, Don't use Trainline, they will happily sell you tickets that are invalid or for trains that just straight up do not exist (a colleague of mine who works on station gatelines has told me several times of people showing up trying to catch a train on a strike day, they've always bought their ticket through Trainline)

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Acceptable-Music-205@reddit

Had this working at my station. Cross Country strike day, Trainline still selling tickets there and then for trains that don’t exist. Absolute mess

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prustage@reddit

Nope. Cant see the point of working through middle men when the official site is better and doesnt charge a fee. Just use the National Rail site. Works well on PCs and phones - you dont even have to install an App. [https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/)

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Sasspishus@reddit

The main problem here is the National Rail website is absolute dog shit

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

This I have to agree with! They need a redesign of that website. It feels like from the 90s.

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Unexpectedly_orange@reddit

Use it all the time. Very good compared to the main app

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

Very good in what sense?!

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Neither_Event5938@reddit

i use them all the time..no fees, same price as northern / avanti

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

Eh?! No fees?! Really?! 🤔

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Ok-Butterscotch4486@reddit

It's a clean app with all the different operators, which is especially useful if planning a journey from a big city where different origin stations are available for the journey. It tells you what tickets actually apply to the time you select, and once you've bought a ticket it tells you which other times you can travel on, whereas operators often make it impossible to know what times apply to off-peak or super off-peak and will even let you buy a fare that doesn't apply for the time you have searched. Its split save feature often finds large savings. So after I get all that benefit I could save like £2 by then going and buying the tickets I have researched through Trainline on the relevant operator website, but I cba and also feel like Trainline deserves that £2 (and they don't even charge that if you travel on the same day as you buy). For journeys I do often where I understand how it works, I do use the operator app (especially if you get loyalty points).

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HumanRole9407@reddit

I find that its split save feature saves me money so its easier to book directly with Trainline. Also last time my trains were cancelled so I reached out directly to customer support on whatsapp and i got a refund the same day

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Acceptable-Music-205@reddit

I’d recommend [TrainSplit.com](http://TrainSplit.com) \- No automatic fee (which Trainline has) and often offers better and cheaper splits than Trainline, plus you can fit the journey to your priorities much easier than any other site, eg prioritising speed, price, value, flexibility, etc as you wish

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Akash_nu@reddit (OP)

Yes! This and also for split fares I have used Train Pal app in the past.

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anonoaw@reddit

I use trainline unless I’m booking tickets in advance. If you book on the day it’s the same price as anywhere else, for advance tickets they charge a booking fee.

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Sasspishus@reddit

I love Trainline! I like the user interface, having all of my etickets in one app as well as being able to check train times and platforms easily, plus the auto split ticketing thing and alerts in cancelled trains. I don't care that I have to pay max £3 for their services, its a drop in the ocean compared to the train ticket prices anyway! And it does not affect your ability to change your ticket or claim a refund, and you can still use delay repay even if it was bought via Trainline

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

I do. They don’t charge fees on tickets bought on the day of travel (95% of what I buy) and having all the rail operators on one straightforward app is much easier than needing to use different apps of varying quality for every different franchise.

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trek123@reddit

You can buy any ticket on any train company's app. The system is integrated anyway. If you like the Trainline interface, ScotRail, Northern and Crosscountry's apps are made by Trainline but don't charge the booking fee.

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

Fair enough, didn’t actually know that. I remember once trying to use the Northern website to book some split tickets and that experience alone made me appreciate Trainline. This was years ago so hopefully it’s better now.

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trek123@reddit

ScotRail does split tickets the same as Trainline. But Trainline's split ticket engine isn't particularly good, sites like Splitticket are more likely to find splits.

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one_pump_chimp@reddit

It isn't.

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trek123@reddit

A lot of people don't realise you can book any train ticket in Great Britain on any company's app, and with no booking fee. Several apps like ScotRail, Northern and Crosscountry are actually *made* by Trainline so have the same interface.

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SidewaysSky@reddit

i tend to price compare all 3 for my journeys with work and they're all usually the same price, even with the £2 booking fee - quite often Trainline is the cheapest of the three. Main reason I use it is I just like the app interface

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capnpan@reddit

I use the transport for Wales app because it doesn't charge a booking fee.

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one_pump_chimp@reddit

None of the rail companies charge a booking fee. I've tried the TFW site because you can collect avios but it is pretty mediocre. I generally prefer LNER for ease of use.

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unclear_warfare@reddit

I use it because it's super convenient to check train times, sometimes end up buying on the app as well

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sleepyprojectionist@reddit

I use Virgin Trains Ticketing. There’s no booking fee and I earn air miles.

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bopeepsheep@reddit

I do when it works. Last week I looked up train times, and the following day went to book them. Trainline couldn't find any trains for me at all, so I booked with CrossCountry for the same price. Catching the return train later today - if it exists.

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mycatiscalledFrodo@reddit

Yep, I like the fact you can really easily access your tickers, or add them to Google wallet,it's always updating rhe train time & platform info anx it sends reminders. I don't use the train that often so those features are very useful, my husband uses the train weekly and if you get your ticket on the day you don't pay the fee

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fuelledbywine12@reddit

I think this is the best train app.

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ImFamousYoghurt@reddit

I only use it for tickets I’m going to use on the day of purchase, as there’s no fee then. It’s more user friendly than other apps and I always use it to check for delays anyways so it’s just easier to get my ticket in the same place

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Whisky_Delta@reddit

It’s easy to use and heavily advertised, so people who don’t take trains often know it exists and intuitively how to use it cuz it’s in an app with a decent user interface. Especially true if you don’t know what specific lines you need to take. These days I’ll look up my departure/destination on Trainline to get an idea of routes and times (cuz good UI) and then go to the actual website of whichever line I’m taking and buy tickets there since their UIs are often less intuitive.

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greenarsehole@reddit

It’s my go to train app

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djthinking@reddit

Mostly travel for work, so I expense all my train costs - including any fees. Trainline was the first decent, functional train ticketing app that I recall when it launched, so probably still benefits from having the first-mover advantage? I still use it for train times as I find it marginally better than other options... That said, I actually buy all my tickets through LNER despite rarely travelling in that part of the UK - they have a perpetual cashback offer with Amex so I get at least 10% back every time.

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McCretin@reddit

I use it for my commute. There’s no fee for same-day train bookings. The app is really good - clear interface, clear options for which trains you can get, real-time updates and notifications, platform info, and automatic fare splitting. I’ve yet to find an alternative that comes close.

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citygray@reddit

I do and I don’t mind paying booking fees for the experience and ease of use.

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