4 min readNew DelhiJun 2, 2015 12:43 PM IST
First published on: Jun 2, 2015 at 12:40 PM IST
APP REVIEW | The basic feature is a digital timetable with plenty of add-on features. (Source: Reuters)
The Rail Yatri app can be used to find, locate and track trains on the go. The app is available on both Android and Windows platforms.
The app is precisely a digital timetable with plenty of add-on features. The options are pretty much a collation of multiple Google searches on a single dashboard. They are overwhelming, but are enough for a perfect pre/on trip travel information about trains.
Just don’t go by the user interface, even though it is pretty dull and just dual-coloured, the features are over-the-top. Almost all details and services related to the Indian Railways are just a tap or two away to navigate. You can access information related to all trains available under Indian Railways as well as local trains of 11 different cities.
Rail Yatri App, mobile screenshots.
Thankfully, it also has options to hire cabs or order food through the ‘Quick Book’ option. The service claims to have ‘tie-ups with taxi services firms across 30 cities and food vendors across 300 stations’, which has to be tried on the go. For now, all we can say is that you have an option to request a call back for cab/food service providers.
Apart from basic options like PNR status, seat availability and train time table, the app has got some fancy features like GPS locator, fare calculator (beta) and speedometer (beta). The fare calculator does an exhaustive job; it provides very broad classifications to cater to all the classes, trains and fares needed or can be thought of to be inquired for.
The best feature has to be the tracking system which is convenient and quite accurate. Once you punch in the train number or the name you can track the train on the map at it’s current location, and also get an estimated time of arrival at every station en route. The tracking and mapping is smooth for the app on Android OS as it hooks up with Google Maps and on Windows platform with Bing Maps respectively.
Rail Yatri App, mobile screenshots.
We have tried other travel apps for tracking trains, but the map integration and the detailed scaling this app provides is quite unique and impressive. The app’s USP is its current location marker on the route which gives the status whether or not you are in the train you are looking for. While other apps might give a map view, but they failed to explore this area of integrating the position locator with the route.
For those who are lazy to enter the PNR number or find it difficult to locate the booking message, fret not. This app has the solution. It can pick up your IRCTC booking SMS from your message inbox and track the current PNR status and other train details.
The app has its limitations though. Being a free app, it shows a lot of ads. On an average, for every use, before you close the app, at least one ad pops up. Especially at the ‘Time Table’ tab, after every search, the pop-ups get more frequent and little annoying. There is also a slight lag if you go for a rapid navigation within the app.
Verdict: If you are willing to spare a couple of dead taps (for ads), this app is a must-need for all train travels in India.
APP REVIEW | The basic feature is a digital timetable with plenty of add-on features. (Source: Reuters)
Rail Yatri App, mobile screenshots.
Rail Yatri App, mobile screenshots.
Share
