Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 08:35 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
07:20 Reading to Gatwick Airport
08:13 Newbury to Bedwyn
08:46 Bedwyn to Newbury
09:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
Short Run
04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:55 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
07:24 Exmouth to Paignton
07:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Westbury
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
08:41 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads
09:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 08:39:26 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[77] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[72] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[70] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[63] Return of the BRUTE?
[56] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[44] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: New GWR mobile app  (Read 7223 times)
Surrey 455
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1229


View Profile
« on: May 17, 2017, 22:31:08 »

Yesterday, GWR (Great Western Railway) updated its mobile app on Android phones and tablets. Maybe they updated Apple and Windows as well. There's an awful lot of complaints about the update. It appears to have lost existing mobile tickets, tickets on collection details, functionality etc. The old version of the app no longer works even if you have not yet updated. I can't comment myself as I have not yet updated and have no plans for train journeys in the next few weeks

Details and user comments below:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.firstgreatwestern
Logged
chrisr_75
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1019


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2017, 01:01:18 »

Apple version was also updated. Seems ok to me although I've only just checked some trains times and priced up a couple of journeys
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7747



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2017, 05:17:41 »

I've updated it, not impressed...previous version was far superior and much more user friendly.
Logged
ChrisB
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 12334


View Profile Email
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2017, 09:17:07 »

I can't update - not yet on ios9 - but the mobile ticket stored still seems to be accessible.

On these reports, I don't think I'll bother yet if/when I upgrade to ios9. Shame as I was collecting Nectar very nicely booking most tickets through it. But why deactivate the old version? Madness, there are some iphones not able to upgrade to ios9 still in use
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2017, 11:51:46 »

I haven't pressed the final button to actually purchase a ticket yet, but it seems on the new version you can now make bicycle reservations and buy Plusbus tickets which you couldn't on the old one.

Had a brief look at the journey planner and for two sample journeys it provided accurate bus connections each end.

One thing neither app had/has is the ability to add a journey to your calendar which I would find a useful feature.
Logged
chrisr_75
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1019


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2017, 12:52:42 »

I can't update - not yet on ios9 - but the mobile ticket stored still seems to be accessible.

On these reports, I don't think I'll bother yet if/when I upgrade to ios9. Shame as I was collecting Nectar very nicely booking most tickets through it. But why deactivate the old version? Madness, there are some iphones not able to upgrade to ios9 still in use

The met office also recently did that with their app, but they didn't give any prior warning at all, the old one just stopped working with no indication it had been replaced.

Not sure if this is becoming a thing amongst app developers?
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2017, 13:07:52 »

Strange - I had a message flash up on the old Met Office app giving a month's notice of the change.

There is certainly a move to force the updating of older apps, certainly on ios.  There are warnings that older apps will no longer work when the next major software upgrade takes place in the autumn.  I am sure some will not be replaced as they were written a long time ago and the authors have moved on to other things.

The GWR (Great Western Railway) app is not one of those - the old version *would* have worked on the new software.
Logged
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2017, 11:01:41 »

Now had a chance to use the new app.

I suspect one of the reasons the old app was disabled is that the new one caters for Verified by Visa and the like - banks are less willing to help companies with fraud if the extra layer of security is not in place.

Two things I did note however. 

  • The new app requires you to log into your account each time. It doesn't remember your username nor store your password.
  • You can still only buy one ticket at a time.
Logged
ANDYMO1962
Newbie
*
Posts: 2


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2017, 10:01:06 »

The main beef [with the Apple version, I'm guessing it's the same with Android] is that, although there's a nice folder for m-tickets, the list of tickets booked online to be collected at a machine has disappeared.
This was a massively useful feature as it made it really easy to locate that pesky reference code while fiddling with your credit card at the ticket machine; Now you have to rummage around in your emails for the right one and then expand the screen to be able to read the number. From the comments this sounds like one of the main things users really liked about the app. This feature worked at account level and the app kept you logged in so, regardless of which device you used to book a ticket, the reference was always there at the tap of a button.
I'm hoping that the pile of negative comments is causing GWR (Great Western Railway) app developers to scramble to restore this feature; Meanwhile, I for one am checking other train company apps to see if they have this feature. [The trainline app does it very well but of course if you book via them you end up paying entirely unnecessary booking and credit card fees.]
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page