# TransPennine Express vs Railcard

The clearest difference is rating: Railcard at 4.8 against TransPennine Express's 4.5. Railcard also leads on ratings volume (7.3K vs 204) and review sentiment (44% vs 28%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Railcard holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Railcard has 7.3K ratings behind it against 204, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of TransPennine Express's written reviews are positive against 44% of Railcard's.

TransPennine Express ships an update every 2 weeks, Railcard monthly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | TransPennine Express | Railcard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (204 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transpennine-express/id460359233/reviews) | **[4.8 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 204 | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 27.9% of reviews | **43.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 83 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TransPennine Express](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709943037) | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) |

## What reviewers say

### TransPennine Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transpennine-express/id460359233)

Plan your next UK train journey and purchase tickets without any booking or card fees. Save money with advance bookings and store your eTickets or digital railcards directly within the app for easy access.

**Highlights:** Book train tickets with no fees, Save up to 50% with advance tickets, Store eTickets and digital railcards, View live departure and arrival times, Save common journeys for quick search, Manage bookings in 'My account'

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy and quick to use
- 👍 Straightforward app
- ⭐️ Great savings and easy to navigate
- ⭐️ Efficient and quick to book and pay for tickets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and technical issues
- 🔒 Frequent log-outs and login problems
- 🔍 Difficult to find and access tickets
- 🤔 Unintuitive user experience and poor design
- 🔍 Lack of useful features like Apple Wallet integration

**Reported bugs**

- Tickets disappearing from the app
- Issues with adding tickets to Apple Wallet
- App not working outside the UK

**Requested features**

- Add tickets to Apple Wallet
- Remember login details and payment info
- Improve user interface and flow
- Provide better information on tickets and journeys
- Allow booking of open return tickets


### Railcard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048)

Access and display your train ticket discounts directly on your mobile device. Never forget your discount card again and save on most train fares. Supports a wide variety of railcards for different traveler needs.

**Highlights:** Store railcards on mobile, Save 1/3 on train fares, Instant digital access, Supports multiple railcard types, Ready for next train journey

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Great value
- 📱 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Fast digital delivery
- 🙌 Helpful customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app/website
- 🤯 Confusing renewal process
- 📵 Unusable without internet
- 🤖 Lack of accessibility features

**Reported bugs**

- Railcard disappearing from app
- Download codes not working
- Incorrect/missing card details

**Requested features**

- Add to Apple Wallet
- Automatic renewal reminders
- Offline mode for digital cards


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TransPennine Express free?

TransPennine Express is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Railcard free?

Railcard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TransPennine Express or Railcard?

Railcard is rated higher. TransPennine Express averages 4.5 out of 5 from 204 ratings, while Railcard averages 4.8 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do TransPennine Express or Railcard have ads?

Neither TransPennine Express nor Railcard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TransPennine Express or Railcard?

TransPennine Express ships an update every 2 weeks, and Railcard monthly. Most recently, TransPennine Express was updated on October 29, 2026 and Railcard on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*