Garbage
Confusing, poor interface, doesn’t provide the right platform numbers.
Failure of a perfect system
The old scotrail app did what it had to do, it was efficient and I never once had a problem with it. But now it forced you to use this new app that’s absolutely rubbish. It constantly signs you out including on parts of the journey with no service meaning you cant scan your ticket. It doesnt show earlier or later trains like the previous app does, you have to search repeatedly if you select trains that arrive at 3pm and theres one that gets in at 3:05. The app doesnt show your journey details anymore including platform, every time you need to figure out what your ticket does you have to go on live times and try figure it out yourself, god forbid its a journey with a change! You have to memorise what stations to get off at before buying as you wont be able to check once the train is less than 10 minutes away. What a colossal failure from scotrail.
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A Masterclass in Ruining Something That Worked
Genuinely impressive work from ScotRail here.
They’ve managed to take an app that was perfectly usable and replace it with something dramatically worse in almost every way.
The new app crashes constantly, logs you out for no apparent reason, and then seems to make getting back into your own account feel like a security challenge designed by someone who actively dislikes passengers.
Trying to quickly access a ticket shouldn’t feel like participating in an escape room.
The old app worked. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the basic job it was supposed to do. This new one feels like someone decided that reliability was overrated and that customers needed a bit more stress in their lives.
And of course, when the app inevitably fails at the worst possible moment, it’s frontline ScotRail staff who then have to deal with frustrated customers, even though they had absolutely nothing to do with creating this mess.
You have to wonder how this was tested before launch.
Did nobody try opening the app more than once?
Did nobody try logging in?
Did nobody actually stand in a station and attempt to access a ticket when they needed one?
Calling this an “upgrade” is extremely generous. It feels more like an unfinished beta version that has somehow escaped into the wild and been forced onto paying customers.
Replacing something that worked with something considerably worse takes a special kind of achievement.
If ScotRail wanted to demonstrate why the phrase “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” exists, this app is an excellent case study.
Please either fix it properly or bring the previous app back.
Passengers deserve better, and the staff who are left dealing with the fallout definitely deserve better too.
They’ve managed to take an app that was perfectly usable and replace it with something dramatically worse in almost every way.
The new app crashes constantly, logs you out for no apparent reason, and then seems to make getting back into your own account feel like a security challenge designed by someone who actively dislikes passengers.
Trying to quickly access a ticket shouldn’t feel like participating in an escape room.
The old app worked. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the basic job it was supposed to do. This new one feels like someone decided that reliability was overrated and that customers needed a bit more stress in their lives.
And of course, when the app inevitably fails at the worst possible moment, it’s frontline ScotRail staff who then have to deal with frustrated customers, even though they had absolutely nothing to do with creating this mess.
You have to wonder how this was tested before launch.
Did nobody try opening the app more than once?
Did nobody try logging in?
Did nobody actually stand in a station and attempt to access a ticket when they needed one?
Calling this an “upgrade” is extremely generous. It feels more like an unfinished beta version that has somehow escaped into the wild and been forced onto paying customers.
Replacing something that worked with something considerably worse takes a special kind of achievement.
If ScotRail wanted to demonstrate why the phrase “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” exists, this app is an excellent case study.
Please either fix it properly or bring the previous app back.
Passengers deserve better, and the staff who are left dealing with the fallout definitely deserve better too.
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Terrible - bring back the old app
App is terrible. Much preferred the old one, which I now can’t use to even check train times as it keeps reminding me to switch.
The old app was so good - would be helpful in breaking down your journey, showing how many stops and live times etc. you could also look at trains that had departed already to check their times. The new app will only show you direct routes when searching for live times (no use to me as I always have to change), I can’t see any journey break down so no idea when my next train is due to arrive or what platform I need to go to in the station (all helpful information to know when you’re having to run to catch your next train). Also the old app saved my railcard info so I didn’t have to enter it each time.
I miss the old app :(
The old app was so good - would be helpful in breaking down your journey, showing how many stops and live times etc. you could also look at trains that had departed already to check their times. The new app will only show you direct routes when searching for live times (no use to me as I always have to change), I can’t see any journey break down so no idea when my next train is due to arrive or what platform I need to go to in the station (all helpful information to know when you’re having to run to catch your next train). Also the old app saved my railcard info so I didn’t have to enter it each time.
I miss the old app :(
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Horrible!
Don’t waste your time! You can’t actually purchase a ticket in the app without entering your card details every single time (ApplePay doesn’t work). Just buy your tickets at the station.
Can’t access my tickets
Traveling in Scotland and got the app to get my train tickets as apps are usually the best way to go but the app continuously crashes so I have no way of accessing the tickets I bought. Don’t know if I’ll be able to get on the train. 10/10 would not recommend
Missed Opportunity to Improve Ticketing
While a new app is exciting, in the main it doesn’t feel like much of a departure from the previous app. The biggest usability improvement I’d suggest is to the ticket activation journey. Buying tickets is fine, but getting from a purchased ticket to a barcode you can scan at the barriers/on the train takes too many taps. To lay it out, it’s My Tickets > Outbound Ticket > Activate Ticket > Barcode.
This feels so long when you’re standing at the gate with a queue behind you trying to activate so you can get through. Ideally your tickets should just show in the tickets section, so there’s no need to select outbound or return. I question whether ticket Activation is necessary given no other train app I use requires it, so would suggest cutting that out. But if it is an essential step, when a ticket is activated, it should show the barcode immediately. Nobody needs the orange paper replica “Ticket” view that appears by default. At the very least, switch these two around so barcode appears first. And add integration for Apple Wallet so I can add the barcode to that and avoid needing to open the app at all once I get to the gate.
I think some of these improvements would go a long way to getting the star rating for this app up.
This feels so long when you’re standing at the gate with a queue behind you trying to activate so you can get through. Ideally your tickets should just show in the tickets section, so there’s no need to select outbound or return. I question whether ticket Activation is necessary given no other train app I use requires it, so would suggest cutting that out. But if it is an essential step, when a ticket is activated, it should show the barcode immediately. Nobody needs the orange paper replica “Ticket” view that appears by default. At the very least, switch these two around so barcode appears first. And add integration for Apple Wallet so I can add the barcode to that and avoid needing to open the app at all once I get to the gate.
I think some of these improvements would go a long way to getting the star rating for this app up.
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Useful features removed and ofcourse general user issues
I use trains on a weekly basis so I’m not always sure what train I need to catch as my schedule can change.
On the old app this isn’t a problem as I can see what estimated time any train will arrive at my destination at. On the new app when buying a ticket I can only see available trains around the time I have selected, but I’m unsure what time I need to catch the train so I cannot set it accurately.
You would think I could use the live trains feature which does show you every estimate time for the train.
Unfortunately, this feature only works well for the current day you are on, if you need to check the train times for tomorrow, you just have to sit and wait for the next day to arrive before you can see the estimated times.
This isn’t a problem on the old app so I don’t know why it is on the new one. If this is a feature and it’s a user issue in my behalf, there is nothing in the help centre that could direct me to the correct place.
I had another issue with the app where I was in Waverley station connected to the WiFi and the app wouldn’t even open up for 8 mins, the old one wouldn’t but not the new one. Anyways I eventually got on the app to realise my ticket I had bought earlier had disappeared from the my tickets section. I didn’t have time to perform any troubleshooting (due to the fact that the ticket took 8 mins to load) and the staff just repeat “Connect to the station WiFi” as if they are restricted from saying anything else so I had to buy another ticket.
AGAIN this has never been an issue in the old app but the new one it is
Maybe if we charge people who are travelling 1 stop £15 instead of £10 we can have someone rectify the issue
On the old app this isn’t a problem as I can see what estimated time any train will arrive at my destination at. On the new app when buying a ticket I can only see available trains around the time I have selected, but I’m unsure what time I need to catch the train so I cannot set it accurately.
You would think I could use the live trains feature which does show you every estimate time for the train.
Unfortunately, this feature only works well for the current day you are on, if you need to check the train times for tomorrow, you just have to sit and wait for the next day to arrive before you can see the estimated times.
This isn’t a problem on the old app so I don’t know why it is on the new one. If this is a feature and it’s a user issue in my behalf, there is nothing in the help centre that could direct me to the correct place.
I had another issue with the app where I was in Waverley station connected to the WiFi and the app wouldn’t even open up for 8 mins, the old one wouldn’t but not the new one. Anyways I eventually got on the app to realise my ticket I had bought earlier had disappeared from the my tickets section. I didn’t have time to perform any troubleshooting (due to the fact that the ticket took 8 mins to load) and the staff just repeat “Connect to the station WiFi” as if they are restricted from saying anything else so I had to buy another ticket.
AGAIN this has never been an issue in the old app but the new one it is
Maybe if we charge people who are travelling 1 stop £15 instead of £10 we can have someone rectify the issue
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Unusable
I used to use the old app to check train times and platforms etc. very frequently as well as to buy tickets. I’ve tried to use the new app several times for the same reasons and it’s just not fit for purpose. It crashes constantly. Even when you offload, re-download and ensure it’s updated. I managed once to get as far as purchasing a return ticket for a journey. This was a BIG mistake. As soon as I tried to activate my ticket the app crashed again. Nothing I done solved the issue. Thankfully conductors and station staff were very understanding when shown my email confirmation/receipt for the journey. However, this is obviously inconvenient for both them and me. Really very disappointed with the new app especially then the old app was reliable.
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Not remotely close to being an improvement
I never thought I’d miss the old ScotRail app but this version…. Oml. It’s almost like they saw any remotely convenient feature the other app had and decided to take it out. The main issues are that it doesn’t remember anything?? The old app would keep track of which railcard I had (I’ve entered the details for the railcard into the new app and it still defaults to me not having one) and my card details for an easy checkout, but this one doesn’t even have the option for that, which is basic for regular purchasing online.
Another thing that bugs me to no end is that when searching specific trains, you can’t look outside of like 4 options. You used to be able to scroll to later and earlier trains and you can’t do that anymore. That feature is only on live times now and it’s still worse than before because it only shows you trains within the day, whereas you used to be able to scroll onto the next morning, etc.
The old app could be kinda buggy and sometimes log me out at inopportune moments, but I’m just baffled by why this new app has had every vaguely useful feature removed.
Another thing that bugs me to no end is that when searching specific trains, you can’t look outside of like 4 options. You used to be able to scroll to later and earlier trains and you can’t do that anymore. That feature is only on live times now and it’s still worse than before because it only shows you trains within the day, whereas you used to be able to scroll onto the next morning, etc.
The old app could be kinda buggy and sometimes log me out at inopportune moments, but I’m just baffled by why this new app has had every vaguely useful feature removed.
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No journey details
The new app does not show journey details such as transfers, times, and platform numbers unless you click “amend booking” and click on “Direct, NaNh, NaNm.” Ah yes. My train at not-a-number hours, not-a-number minutes. I expect basic type conversion issues in a first year computer science class, not the official Scotrail app.
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Absolutely pointless.
Why? Just why? This new app was never needed.
First I experience the hassle of the original app no longer working, so I cannot access my seasonal ticket because of this damn persistent popup asking me to “get the new app”.
I log into the new one, after having to reset my password, and my seasonal ticket isn’t there! I’m not spending more money just to get another. Appalling, absolutely ridiculous.
This “new” app wasn’t ever needed and should be scrapped entirely. You’re trying to fix a problem that never existed.
First I experience the hassle of the original app no longer working, so I cannot access my seasonal ticket because of this damn persistent popup asking me to “get the new app”.
I log into the new one, after having to reset my password, and my seasonal ticket isn’t there! I’m not spending more money just to get another. Appalling, absolutely ridiculous.
This “new” app wasn’t ever needed and should be scrapped entirely. You’re trying to fix a problem that never existed.
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Terrible app experience
Bought my tickets via the new app and could not adjust the booking when I wanted to. Kept clicking “adjust booking” and it would as me to sign in when I already was signed in. Could not activate my tickets for my trips today either. I hope they are working to improve this app because it’s awful. Shout out to the helpful ScotRail staff who allowed me to get on my trains when I couldn’t activate my tickets and then when on board, the ticket disappeared. “The app is rubbish.” - ScotRail employee.
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Not sure it’s a step forward from old app
Searching is clunky. My experience tonight….Outbound search results displays some results but needed to see some later options as original results did not work for me. but app does not allow you to click to look at earlier or later results so you have to go back and modify original search parameter times. Then you find the time you want and get to the return times and they are all wrong because when you edit the outbound time is defaults the return time back to an hour after outbound leg. So I had to hit back button all the way to search results and modify again. A real pain.
Also I have a railcard and I’m logged in but every time I search I have to add the railcard. Previous app defaulted to having it selected
Also I have a railcard and I’m logged in but every time I search I have to add the railcard. Previous app defaulted to having it selected
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What a mess
Imagine releasing a new app that doesn't work, forcing customers to use it by kneecapping the old app, and then letting it go this long without a meaningful fix. It's embarrassing, not only because you're inconveniencing your citizens, but because visitors like me get stuck with the inconvenience of having to talk to a gate attendant every time I want to board or leave a platform - and having to explain myself to conductors who doubt whether or not I'm being honest even when I show my receipt. De better.
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Much worse than the old app
1. In the search screen you chose your stations and outbound time. You click show trains and prices. Then only 5 trains are shown around that time. But let’s say it arrives to my destination point earlier or later than I need it to. In the old app I could just click buttons to show earlier and later trains. Here u need to go back, amend the time of departure and search again. What a waste of time when you need to do it quickly.
2. Let’s say I finally somehow found the train I need and bought the tickets. I arrive to the departure station and guess what? The station has more than 1 platform. What platform my train departs from? This info is not in the ticket. Why???? I have to go to live trains, set up the route and find it there.
Whyyyy??? I’m a software engineer myself and before putting anything live we do QA, user testing and lots and lots of work. Why did you release half ready app which is much worse than the old one?
2. Let’s say I finally somehow found the train I need and bought the tickets. I arrive to the departure station and guess what? The station has more than 1 platform. What platform my train departs from? This info is not in the ticket. Why???? I have to go to live trains, set up the route and find it there.
Whyyyy??? I’m a software engineer myself and before putting anything live we do QA, user testing and lots and lots of work. Why did you release half ready app which is much worse than the old one?
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No train info
In the old app, the train information (final destination and route) and platform number was available. Now I have to figure out which train at the station based on the time rather than have the actual information needed to verify the train in advance.
Doesn’t work
Payment system doesn’t work. Tried Apple Pay, pay pal and card. I see others have complained, so had to buy paper tickets at the till :-( deleted app and tried again and it still didn’t work )
Getting better
I feel like this app deserves a new review. After reading all these horrible stories I started using the ticket machine again.
Today there was a big queue at the unique ticket machine so I decided to finally download the app and give it a try.
To my surprise the password reset email was quick. I was able to buy a return ticket easily. I couldn’t get a ticket for the train in a few minutes, but the anytime day return should allow you any train during the day so I bought for the next train and got on the previous one with no issue. Conductor and barriers were fine with it.
So there you go, the massive teething issues seem to be fixed 👌
Today there was a big queue at the unique ticket machine so I decided to finally download the app and give it a try.
To my surprise the password reset email was quick. I was able to buy a return ticket easily. I couldn’t get a ticket for the train in a few minutes, but the anytime day return should allow you any train during the day so I bought for the next train and got on the previous one with no issue. Conductor and barriers were fine with it.
So there you go, the massive teething issues seem to be fixed 👌
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no point in making a new app
the old app was so much more efficient. things i’ve noticed which has changed include: not being able to see past trains which usually includes trains that are about to arrive, messier layout, unable to set specific times and very buggy when changing from PM to AM and vice versa, and being unable to see previous stops on the live tracking, therefore you cannot see where your upcoming train is. i’ve just redownloaded the old app because this one is just a waist. why change something that doesnt need fixing?
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