# RAIL Magazine — UK railway news & analysis

> Authoritative UK railway news, analysis, and industry insights. (iPhone/iPad app by Bauer Media (Publishing).)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rail-magazine/id592764235 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Bauer Media (Publishing)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1753963887)
- Category: Magazines & Newspapers, News
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 30 App Store ratings · 46 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 77 MB
- Languages: American English, German (Germany)
- Released: 2013-02-16
- Data updated: 2026-09-07
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rail-magazine/id592764235/reviews.md

## What is RAIL Magazine?

Since 1981 RAIL has been the UK’s most respected, authoritative, and influential railway industry magazine and is the first choice for anyone interested in today’s railway, whatever their reason. RAIL’s second-to-none news coverage is given context by its top-quality opinion, comment and analysis pieces covering the full spectrum of rail industry activity from Britain’s leading expert commentators. 

Widely respected within Government, RAIL delivers unrivalled insight, helping to inform policy, operations, maintenance, and services providers including Network Rail, train operators and the wider industry. 


With a Membership to RAIL, you can expect: 

Independent and in-depth news RAIL is the first choice for anyone interested in today’s railway news. Our second-to-none breaking news coverage is the best place to find out about UK rail news including rolling stock, structure and governance, infrastructure, electrification and high-speed routes. 

Knowledgeable and valued experts Our experts are the best in the business. As well as our team of industry-leading journalists, we are backed by a raft of authoritative commentators bringing their own insight from a wide-range of industry expertise. 

Forensic and incisive analysis and comment Our unrivalled research means we can dig deeper into the issues facing the modern rail industry, offering widely respected opinion alongside industry-leading data. 

Read and respected from Ballast to Boardroom RAIL magazine is read by influential figures from within Government, helping to inform policy decisions in Whitehall, as well by leading professionals from all sectors of the industry including operations, maintenance, and services providers including Network Rail, train operators and the wider industry. 

 
Features of the app we love: 

- Read or listen to articles (choice of three voices) 

- Browse our archived issues 

- Free articles available to non-members 

- Search content that interests you! 

- Save articles from the content feed to enjoy later 

- Switch between Digital View and Magazine View for the best experience 

 
Download the RAIL magazine app now! 

Please Note: This app is optimised for iOS 14 and up. If you're using an iPad 1 or 2, iPad Mini 1 or iPhone 5 (or before) you may struggle to run this app smoothly.  
Your subscription will automatically renew each billing period, and you will be charged through your iTunes account within 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. 
You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your iTunes account settings up until 24-hours before the end of the current period, but refunds will not be provided for any unused portion of the term. Please visit our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for more information:  

 
Terms of use: 
https://www.bauerlegal.co.uk/app-terms-of-use-03032025

 
Privacy policy:  
https://www.bauerdatapromise.co.uk

## Key features

- In-depth news coverage
- Expert opinion and analysis
- Archived issues access
- Read or listen to articles
- Searchable content
- Save articles for later

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rail Annual Sub Backissues | $71.99 | per year |
| Rail - 50% Annual Subscription | $66.99 | per year |
| RAIL Magazine subscriptions | $22.99 | per 3 months |
| RAIL Magazine subscriptions | $84.99 | per year |
| RAIL Magazine subscriptions | $12.99 | per 2 months |
| Rail Magazine Discount Subscription 1 Year | $64.99 | per year |
| RAIL Magazine 549 | $5.99 | per month |
| RAIL - 50% discount monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Free trial - 1 Month | $6.99 | per month |
| Rail | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $79.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rail Magazine Issue 798 9 Apr 2016 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Rail Magazine Issue 802 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Rail Issue 818 | $2.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 46)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rail-magazine/id592764235/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Utter rubbish

*2026-03-18*

Never been able to access for more than a few days before getting stuck in an unsuccessful cycle of being asked to enter and reset passwords. This is despite several calls to the contact centre. No chance I will be renewing subscription.

### 1/5 — Waste of time and money

*2026-03-08*

The app does not work as the ‘digital view’ version is frequently unavailable. Customer service are unhelpful.

### 3/5 — Not a shoddy app

*2026-01-16*

Very hard to open a downloaded magazine, unless the app has access to the internet.  Very annoying when out of WiFi/mobile coverage.  The darn thing has been paid.  Other magazines from different media groups don’t have such petty restrictions.

They only require access to download.

The digital version, as opposed the magazine version on the app is often very, very late.  Much easier to read the digital version on the phone than the magazine version.

Basically, like the railways in Britain, mostly shoddy with a poor service.

### 1/5 — Pay pay pay

*2025-10-12*

Why does it not state on the app information before you download that you need to subscribe at £4.99 per month before you download, install then try to use the app. 
Deleted as a waste of time. 
If had been told was pay pay pay I would not have downloaded it.

### 1/5 — Major Problems

*2025-10-07*

I have had many problems with this service. Had the app already as had a subscription 2 years ago. Unable to get my OLD access to previous purchases. The online version of the magazines are not resilient enough. Paper is still in my possession and control, unlike digital.. 
Need to lock my purchases into an account safely and kept for many years; not months etc.

### 2/5 — Clunky

*2025-05-23*

The app is rather difficult to navigate and because it doesn’t remember you’re logged in, you have to remember which edition and page you were last at. Very frustrating. 
The browser version was always my savour but now that’s gone. 
I won’t be renewing the digital subscription

**Developer response:** Hi Jcfhdegv, thank you for your feedback. Your comments are important to us, and we’re continuously working to improve the app. Please feel free to reach out to us at appsupport_uk@bauermedia.com if you’d like to share more details or need assistance.

### 5/5 — Great Magazine

*2024-11-16*

Keeps me up to date with all that’s happening on the railway network.

**Developer response:** Hello, thank you so much for your kind words! We really appreciate your positive review and it's nice to have you as a customer.

### 1/5 — Don’t like the format

*2023-10-12*

Why can’t I see the magazine in a digital format of the hard copy rather than these separate stories

### 1/5 — Software doesn’t work

*2023-10-02, version 9.8*

The online magazine doesn’t open.  It’s a real pity as it is an excellent, authoritative publication.

### 4/5 — Subscription button doesn’t work - IPad

*2023-04-06*

This morning tried to subscribe from iPad app - ‘failed due to too many redirects’ after allowing to share my email with you.

**Developer response:** Hi Hadrian, Thanks for letting us know. We are sorry this has happened. Please contact us at appsupport_uk@bauermedia.com or send us a message out of the feedback of the app. We can help work out access for you so that you can start reading soon. Hope to hear from you. Kind regards

## Frequently asked questions about RAIL Magazine

### What kind of content does the RAIL Magazine app offer?

The app provides authoritative and influential UK railway industry news, opinion, comment, and analysis. It covers topics such as rolling stock, infrastructure, electrification, and high-speed routes, informed by expert commentators and industry-leading journalists.

### What are the key features of the RAIL Magazine app?

Key features include the ability to read or listen to articles with a choice of three voices, browse archived issues, search for specific content, save articles for later, and switch between Digital View and Magazine View for an optimal reading experience.

### How does the subscription and payment work for the RAIL Magazine app?

Subscriptions automatically renew each billing period and are charged through your iTunes account within 24 hours before the current cycle ends. You can turn off auto-renew in your iTunes account settings, but refunds are not provided for unused portions of the term.

### Is the RAIL Magazine app compatible with older devices?

The app is optimized for iOS 14 and up. Users with older devices such as iPad 1 or 2, iPad Mini 1, or iPhone 5 (or earlier) may experience performance issues and may struggle to run the app smoothly.

### Who is the target audience for the RAIL Magazine app?

This app is designed for anyone interested in today's railway, whether they are professionals in the rail industry, policymakers in government, or enthusiasts who want to stay informed about the latest developments.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.11 — 2025-09-23

Performance improvements.

### 9.10 — 2025-04-10

Performance improvements

### 9.9 — 2024-08-20

Performance improvements.

### 9.8 — 2023-08-03

Performance improvements.

### 9.7 — 2023-02-14

Improved UX.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-07.*
