Comparison

CrossCountry vs TrC | TfW

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CrossCountry

Easily book train tickets and check live train times across the National Rail network. Get the best prices directly, apply Railcards and NUS discounts, and enjoy convenient travel planning.

Highlights
  • Book train tickets
  • Live train times
  • Real-time running information
  • No booking or credit card fees
  • Use Railcard and NUS discounts
  • Extensive network coverage
Features
Read full description

Book your train tickets quickly and easily with CrossCountry’s app. You can look up live train times, check real-time running information and buy your train tickets for any train on the National Rail network. It’s free to download, and we won’t charge you a booking or credit card fee. Buy with us direct to get the best price on your CrossCountry tickets, use your Railcard, and exclusive NUS discount on CrossCountry Advance train tickets! About CrossCountry About CrossCountry
 CrossCountry is a train operating company, running long distance train services in England, Scotland and Wales. The CrossCountry network is the most extensive in Britain, from Aberdeen to Penzance, and South Wales to East Anglia. Key destinations served to include Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, Bristol, Cambridge, Reading and Stansted and Birmingham International airports. CrossCountry's fast and frequent train services feature at-seat catering, quiet zones, and First Class. Visit our social media channels to stay up to date: https://www.facebook.com/CrossCountrytrains/ https://twitter.com/CrossCountryUK https://www.instagram.com/crosscountrytrains/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/282803/

About

TrC | TfW

Plan your train journeys across Britain with ease. This app allows you to check train times, purchase tickets, and manage your travel. Save money with discounted tickets and enjoy paperless travel with real-time updates and automatic compensation for delays.

Highlights
  • Check train times
  • Buy train tickets
  • Manage journeys
  • Save money on tickets
  • Paperless train travel
  • Live journey updates
  • Delay Repay compensation
Features
Read full description

Let the Transport for Wales app do all the thinking, so you don’t have to. Whether you’re planning ahead or travelling on the go, the TfW app makes it simple to check train times, buy tickets and manage your journeys to any destination in Britain. Gadewch i ap Trafnidiaeth Cymru wneud y gwaith meddwl drosoch chi. P'un a ydych chi'n trefnu teithiau ymlaen llaw neu’n cynllunio wrth i chi fynd, mae ap Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn ei gwneud hi'n syml gwirio amseroedd trên, prynu tocynnau a rheoli eich teithiau i unrhyw le ym Mhrydain. Save money - No booking fees - Access to Advance tickets with up to 50% off - Explorer passes with unlimited travel for one or four days on parts of our network. - Spread the cost with Pay in 3 from PayPal when you spend £30 or more - Dim ffioedd archebu - Mynediad at docynnau Advance gyda gostyngiad o hyd at 50% oddi ar docynnau - Tocynnau Crwydro gyda theithio diderfyn am un neu bedwar diwrnod ar rannau o'n rhwydwaith - Gwasgaru’r gost gyda ‘Pay in 3’ gan PayPal pan fyddwch chi'n gwario £30 neu fwy Smarter ways to travel - Manage your Pay as you go account for quick, contactless journeys (available on specific routes). - Easy to use design, shaped by your feedback - Improved performance across all devices - Improved accessibility for everyone, meeting the latest WCAG2.2 standards. - Rheoli eich cyfrif Talu wrth Fynd ar gyfer teithiau cyflym, digyswllt (ar gael ar lwybrau penodol) - Ap hawdd ei ddefnyddio, wedi'i lunio gan eich adborth chi - Perfformiad dibynadwy ar y dyfeisiau diweddaraf - Hygyrchedd gwell i bawb, gan fodloni’r safonau WCAG2.2 diweddaraf. Save time and effort - Enjoy the convenience of paperless train travel with train tickets added to your smartphone’s ticket wallet. - You can also quickly change or exchange your tickets in the app up to 18.00 on the day before you travel without any hidden charges. - Mwynhewch gyfleustra teithio ar y trên heb bapur gyda thocynnau trên wedi'u hychwanegu at waled dalu eich ffôn clyfar. - Gallwch hefyd newid neu gyfnewid eich tocynnau yn gyflym yn yr ap hyd at 18.00 ar y diwrnod cyn teithio heb unrhyw daliadau cudd. Enjoy live journey updates. If you purchased an Advance ticket to travel on a TfW service (for all or part of your journey) using the app or website, and have opted in then you’re covered by our automatic Delay Repay scheme if your train is delayed or cancelled. This means no forms to fill in to claim any compensation you may be entitled to. Key features - Save money with no added booking fees when you buy tickets on the app. - Get access to money-saving Advance tickets, and Explorer tickets. - Manage your Pay-As-You-Go account through the TfW app for smooth and easy travel. - Spread the cost with Pay in 3 from PayPal when you spend £30 or more. - Get real time travel updates. - Access Delay Repay if your train is delayed or cancelled from within your ticket wallet. - Make bike reservations on some services. - Change your Advance tickets up until 18.00 the day before travel without added charges - Customise your search preferences to save time purchasing your regular trips Nodweddion allweddol - Arbedwch arian heb unrhyw ffioedd archebu ychwanegol pan fyddwch chi'n prynu tocynnau ar yr ap. - Mwynhewch fynediad at docynnau Advance sy'n arbed arian, yn ogystal â chael mynediad at docynnau Crwydro Cymru. - Rheolwch eich cyfrif Talu Wrth Fynd drwy ap TrC ar gyfer profiad teithio esmwyth a rhwydd. - Gwasgarwch y gost gyda ‘Pay in 3’ gan PayPal pan fyddwch chi'n gwario £30 neu fwy. - Gallwch dderbyn diweddariadau a hysbysiadau teithio amser real. - Hawliwch Ad-daliad am Oedi os yw'ch trên wedi'i ohirio neu ei ganslo. - Mae modd i chi gadw lle i feic ar rai gwasanaethau. - Newidiwch eich tocynnau Advance hyd at 18.00 y diwrnod cyn teithio heb ffioedd ychwanegol From planning to payment, the Transport for Wales app takes care of the details so you can enjoy the journey.

Screenshots

CrossCountry4 screens
TrC | TfW4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TrC | TfW at 4.8 against CrossCountry's 4.3. TrC | TfW also leads on ratings volume (124 vs 15) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). CrossCountry's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 20%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TrC | TfW holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TrC | TfW has 124 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of CrossCountry's written reviews are positive against 20% of TrC | TfW's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CrossCountry ships an update every 3 weeks, TrC | TfW every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
CrossCountry versus TrC | TfW: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrossCountryTrC | TfW
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (15 ratings)4.8 (124 ratings) — better
Positive reviews32.8% of reviews — better20.2% of reviews
Number of ratings15124 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCrossCountry TrainsTransport For Wales

Customer experience

CrossCountry

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews137 reviews
Positive32.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative63.5%

TrC | TfW

All ratings124 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral0.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive20.2%
Neutral12.6%
Negative67.2%

Bugs and requests

CrossCountry

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

TrC | TfW

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App frequently logging users out
  • Inability to input station names or search for journeys
  • Ticket purchase and download issues
  • Live train information not updating accurately

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode for accessing tickets
  • Integration with digital wallets like Apple Wallet
  • Improved live train information and disruption alerts
  • Ability to save favorite journeys and tickets
  • Better accessibility features for disabled users

In-app purchases

None

CrossCountry

No in-app purchases

None

TrC | TfW

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CrossCountry free?
CrossCountry is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TrC | TfW free?
TrC | TfW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CrossCountry or TrC | TfW?
TrC | TfW is rated higher. CrossCountry averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while TrC | TfW averages 4.8 from 124 ratings.
Do CrossCountry or TrC | TfW have ads?
Both CrossCountry and TrC | TfW show ads.
Which is updated more often, CrossCountry or TrC | TfW?
CrossCountry ships an update every 3 weeks, and TrC | TfW every 6 weeks. Most recently, CrossCountry was updated on September 19, 2026 and TrC | TfW on September 19, 2026.

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