I downloaded this app and I was going through its features. Quite a cute little app.
The menu options (there are few more if you scroll below in the app. They didn't fit into the screen):
What I didn't like about the app:
- It would not install on the SD card.
- I could not find the list of trains between two places.. Every menu option assumes you have the train number. This is inconvenient. I use another app to find the train number and then use it here. I hope I got it wrong.
- I couldn't make sense of some of the menu options.
- "My Favorite Trains (PRS)" shows timetable (TT) only from among those trains in which user has reservations. "My Favorite Trains (All)" potentially shows timetable (TT) of all trains. Why does someone need the former (PRS)?
- Similarly there is a "Trains Between Stations (PRS)" and "Trains Between Stations (All)". I wonder what the difference between the two is.
- Unfortunately there is no option to show where the various compartments are in a train rake - meaning where S12, for example, is between the engine and guard compartments.
What I loved about it:
- Doesn't seem to consume too much internet data - remember you will not be on broadband when you are traveling. I still am kinda doubtful about the app behavior when the data connection is not good as in 2G/3G mobile data.
- It has a feature "Current seat availability" you specify a station - the app shows you all the trains departing in the next 4 hours and ticket available by class and train number. I selected the station RJY (Rajahmundry) it showed about 6 trains in which tickets were not available in any class (and I guess to any intermediate station or final destination in each of the trains). Only one 1st AC ticket was available on the Garib Rath to Hyderabad. See picture to the right.. I chose Rajahmundry because I wanted to see how the feature works on a station that is not a terminus. I checked availability of 3AC ticket in IRCTC.co.in and found that no tickets were available. I checked back on the app. True enough, all trains now showed red. The lone Garib Rath ticket must have been booked in the meanwhile. Of course I have not checked this feature exhaustively. This feature is very useful for people like me who tend to plan a trip on the fly based largely on tickets that are available. It might also be useful for couples that plan to elope. For example, Kareena and Shahid could have used this feature in Jab We Met. See right.
- The menu item "My Train Tickets" allows you to enter your PNR numbers and then all the train, seat etc details are displayed for each of your PNR. And the PNR details are listed one below the other sorted by date of travel which is very nice. You can then click on a train, you are taken to train schedule.
- Arrival/Departures Live: You choose a station (I chose Chennai Central). The tool shows you expected departures and arrivals for the next few hours sorted on time. I would have like departures and arrivals to be color coded differently. What is available is still nice. See below.
- There are couple more interesting menu items. "Special Trains" and "Rescheduled/Canceled/Diverted Trains" See below.
- The "Coach Layout/Seat Map" option shows where the seats are in a compartment. It is dependent on the train number but depends only on the class of the compartment (such as CC, 3A, SL etc). See below.
- I checked "Automatic PNR tracking". Whenever PNR status got updated I got notified. I have not yet checked "Automatic Train Tracking". These options are very nice.. But I wonder what the impact will be on battery and data usage.
Additional reading:
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