Frequently Asked Questions

RailChecker is a website and app that allows users to look up any train service in Great Britain. It uses the full wealth of data provided by National Rail's "Darwin" feed to provide its users with the most accurate and meaningful information possible. It contains many unique features, such as indicating live crowding levels on certain services, and also providing formation information which is supplemented by RailChecker's own algorithms to determine the train type being used on a certain service so that even more information can be provided.

RailChecker relies solely on data supplied through Darwin. Unfortunately, there is currently no mechanism in place to force operators to supply all the data suppliable through Darwin. As such, the additional information, aside from train forecast and actual times, is provided on a voluntary basis by the train operating companies. RailChecker is working on reaching out to operators to try to encourage them to supply this additional data, as we believe it has a positive impact on both their current customers as well as their potential customers who may be put off from travelling because of a lack of information.

No. There is no facility for this through Darwin, so for the forseeable future this will not happen. It is not in anyones interest for us to approach operators to supply this data to us on a closed-source basis - RailChecker works on open data.

The reasons depend on the feature. For example, notifications come under the Pro subscription because they demand additional server capacity which needs to be paid for. Similarly, for the website, it requires additional work alongside the app as it runs on a seperate "code base", so to make this an economical service it is necessary to charge for it.

No. This would introduce additional complexities that we are currently not prepared for.

There are multiple ways in which you can contact us. You can use Twitter to send a message to the RailChekcer account (@railchecker), alternatively you can send a message via the contact form on topolowski.com/contact.

Contact us in the first instance. You can use Twitter to send a message to the RailChekcer account (@railchecker), alternatively you can send a message via the contact form on topolowski.com/contact.

Do not send us your banking details.

Yes. RailChecker uses Stripe to handle all web payments. Do not worry, the RailChecker server is informed of your purchase and it will be added to your account as soon as confirmation is received by RailChecker.

No. All web subscriptions are managed by Stripe, and subscriptions made via the app are managed by the respective app store (App Store/Google Play).

Yes. Your subscription is linked to your RailChecker account.

Please note: you will need to manage your subscription via the platform you subscribed through (i.e. via Apple App Store, Google Play Store or via this website).

There are two options. One is to leave it as it is. Your subscription will still be debited via the original platform, and as your subscription is linked to your account, you will still be able to benefit from the features of RailChecker Pro on your new device. However, if you want to switch over, you'll need to cancel the subscription on the original platform, wait for the subscription to expire and then re-subscribe on the new platform.

Please note that your subscription will not be pro-rated in option two, so therefore you should only re-subscribe once you have received an email confirming that your original subscription has ended. You can use the same account.

If you will be switching devices frequently, you should subscribe via the website for ease of managing your subscription (you can also access the website on your phone).

No. This is strictly prohibited and can result in account termination as it would constitute a clear violation of the terms of service.

There are multiple reasons for this. Firstly, it allows you to access the web version of RailChecker, which needs some form of authentication. Secondly, in the event that you switch devices, you will be able to continue using your subscription. Finally, if something were to go wrong, we need some way to be able to reach you.

If, for whatever reason, you want to cancel your subscription, go into the app or website (whichever way you subscribed) and cancel it there. If you subscribed via Google Play/App Store, you can also manage it through there.