Terrible experience
Never was able to buy a ticket
Camera access not used.
It appears to be a security and battery concern that the app ask for camera access but nothing in the process requires camera access. If they added QR codes to each seat to register your seat so you didn’t have to show your ticket, then requiring camera access would be fine. Or even letting paper ticket passengers take a picture of their paper ticket and the QR code would be convenient well. Then they would only have to ask for tickets for those who are not app savvy. Then the app could also notify you when your stop was coming up. I always worry about missing my stop especially in the evening.
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Pure Garbage
Spending half an hour trying to form an account and paying for a ticket is ridiculous.
I would say that the app so clunky and ugly it looks like a sugared up grade schooler created it with dull crayons … but I don’t want to insult the grade schoolers who could do a better job than this.
I would say that the app so clunky and ugly it looks like a sugared up grade schooler created it with dull crayons … but I don’t want to insult the grade schoolers who could do a better job than this.
Screen time out is annoying
So, the normal process is that you activate a ticket on the platform and then show the ticket when asked about 10 minutes later. The issue is the app has a timeout that is just about that time frame and you have to normally go back to the tickets tab and click show ticket again. The ticket is valid for two hours so the time out should be at least two hours or should match the validation. It’s also a security concern that the app ask for camera access but nothing in the process requires camera access
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Decent on phone, tablet a different story
Constantly crashes on my iPad. Ticketing works well on my phone, but I can’t check schedules or train status on my iPad even after reinstalling it. Worthless, so I removed it
Difficulty in poor signal areas
The app seems to require an internet connection to display a ticket. These tickets should be stored on the phone. The conductors on the Manassas line have a habit of asking for tickets when the train is at a dead stop in a cell signal dead zone before Alexandria
makes the process easy but it could be better
The app opens the camera but they have not yet implemented QR codes on the trains to register your seat. So, it’s a bit cart before the horse. The app’s trains status does not remember the last station or even my favorite stations (I only use two of the 19). Otherwise, I’m a big fan of both the app and the VRE!
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It’s garbage
I cannot buy tickets from app. Only use to check the train status. Very hard to use UI
I can’t buy tickets??
For some reason I can’t buy tickets on the app or online. It won’t allow me to choose a route which means I can’t choose a pick up spot or destination. If it is because it’s the weekend or a holiday, it would be better if an error message displayed letting me know this is the reason.
App login experience needs big improving
Increase the “inactivity” having to use username and password in order to get face id to work again is ridicules as a once twice a month rider.
Find a new job
Whoever designed this trash app needs to find a new line of work
Worsening layout
The VRE app used to show train live status, but they have disabled the feature making it impossible for the riders to know when the next train will arrive.
Poor app, but it works; privacy not included.
Terrible experience; feels like an app from 2010.
Permissions are a hot mess. Location permission is required or the app doesn’t work correctly. Provides value to VRE only for tracking. No customer value. Then camera access… a clever hack to verify the ticket isn’t a screen shot. Maybe use actual technology to do that (like every other train in the world) instead of inconveniencing riders. This app is a joke for transit serving the nation’s capital.
Permissions are a hot mess. Location permission is required or the app doesn’t work correctly. Provides value to VRE only for tracking. No customer value. Then camera access… a clever hack to verify the ticket isn’t a screen shot. Maybe use actual technology to do that (like every other train in the world) instead of inconveniencing riders. This app is a joke for transit serving the nation’s capital.
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Mostly good
The app ticketing function does what it’s supposed to. The train status function does not. There’s never an indication that a train is delayed when it clearly is 10+ minutes past published arrival time. The two things that I extremely dislike are the forced camera access, though I understand the reasoning behind it to make sure the passenger isn’t displaying a manipulated screenshot instead of activating a ride. The other is the forced use of location to purchase tickets and also to activate a ride. There’s no reason to require location access when 1) it shouldn’t matter where I am when I buy tickets because I obviously am not going to be able to use them anywhere but onboard a VRE train for the limited stations that the train serves, and 2) the passenger location has nothing to do with validating a ride because the noted origin and destination points on the validated ride are per the points of origin and destination as purchased and are not changeable thereafter. Requiring location access to buy tickets and to validate rides is 100% unjustified snooping and spying on riders and is most likely to generate user data to sell to the countless data hoarders out there. Location access requirement needs to go away.
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Blue on Blue?
Who thought blue text on a blue banner was s good idea?
Won’t accept credit cards
This app is great except for the fact that it won’t let me pay for a ticket. Even using the scan option for my card it returns an error.
My tickets won’t load
This app was never great but now it can’t even do the most basic function. I’ve tried deleting, reinstalling, and other things but it simply won’t work.
Version 4.0.0 Killing the battery - update 2
Update 3March-Smart Benefits with split payment is working although not the most intuitive interface to get to split payments.
The app continues to not load, log me out, and generally just lag. I cannot leave the app open and ticket displayed (as requested by VRE) as it will kill my battery by running both GPS and Camera. Overall, still not a great user experience.
The latest version requires both the camera and the gps to be on the entire time. This is just unnecessary.
At least every other time, the app logs me out and disables the thumb login. Also, trying to enter my smart benefit is proving to be a challenge. I will try again at the beginning of February to see if I can then. Should have beta tested but I guess that is what we are doing since ridership is low due to COVID. It would have been nice to have been asked to be a beta tester though.
The app continues to not load, log me out, and generally just lag. I cannot leave the app open and ticket displayed (as requested by VRE) as it will kill my battery by running both GPS and Camera. Overall, still not a great user experience.
The latest version requires both the camera and the gps to be on the entire time. This is just unnecessary.
At least every other time, the app logs me out and disables the thumb login. Also, trying to enter my smart benefit is proving to be a challenge. I will try again at the beginning of February to see if I can then. Should have beta tested but I guess that is what we are doing since ridership is low due to COVID. It would have been nice to have been asked to be a beta tester though.
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The new changes don’t make anything better
Very few things work now that they have upgraded.
No way to split payments anymore
I dislike this “new” version very much. Now they won’t let us split payments for tickets and they want to track us.
