Comparison

Train Times vs TfL Platforms

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

Head to head
About

Train Times

Features
Read full description

Your next train, clearly. RailO brings live rail departures, arrivals and London Tube status into one clear view. Check your station, see the platform when available and open a service for the details of your journey. LIVE DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS Browse station boards with scheduled and expected times, platform information, delays and cancellations. Find stations by name or use your location to find nearby stations. YOUR JOURNEY AT A GLANCE See calling points and stop-by-stop timings. Explore the route on a map and view estimated train progress based on the available timetable and service updates. Train positions are estimates, not GPS locations, and routes between stations are approximate. A MORE VISUAL STATION BOARD Switch to an animated platform view to see which platform a service is expected to use. The scene is an illustration, not a station floor plan or walking guide. TRAVEL UPDATES THAT STAY OUT OF YOUR WAY Scan concise disruption notices, then open the full message for more detail. Delays and cancelled services are clearly marked alongside the trains they affect. LONDON TUBE STATUS Check line status and read disruption details before you travel. FAVOURITES, WIDGETS AND APPLE WATCH Keep your regular stations close, check departures with Home Screen widgets and glance at train times and Tube status on Apple Watch. RAILO PREMIUM Core station boards and Tube status are free to use. An optional auto-renewable Premium subscription unlocks destination filtering, unlimited favourite stations and additional widget options, including Tube status and destination-aware boards. Available plans, prices and billing periods are shown in the app before you subscribe. Subscriptions are charged to your Apple Account and renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Restore purchases from the app's Premium screen. Live information depends on data availability and may change. Check station displays and your operator's advice before travelling. RailO is an independent app and is not affiliated with train operators or Transport for London. Privacy Policy: https://stationboardone.lolados.app/privacy/en.php Terms of Use: https://stationboardone.lolados.app/privacy/terms-en.php Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

TfL Platforms

Features
Read full description

TfL Platforms shows live arrivals at Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line and London Overground platforms and at London bus stops. Save the platforms and stops you use, and open one to see its board of the next trains or buses. It has no ads and needs no account. Trams and National Rail are not covered. Free for everyone: • Trains and buses: see live arrivals at any Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line or London Overground platform, and for any route at any London bus stop. • Maps to find stations and stops: pick a station or a bus stop from a map of the ones around you. • Shared platforms: where lines share a platform, the board lists every line's trains. • Scheduled buses: after the live buses, the board lists the next ones from the timetable. • Line status: the board shows the service status of the lines at your platform. • Open nearest platform: if you switch this on, opening the app near a saved platform or stop shows its board. With TfL Platforms Plus: • Widgets: Home Screen widgets show a saved platform's or stop's arrivals. • Live Activities: the next trains or buses appear on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. • Live line map: see every train on a Tube line and spot gaps in the service. • Live bus map: see the next buses on their way to your stop. TfL Platforms Plus is a monthly or yearly subscription. New subscribers get a two-week free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the trial ends, or at purchase if you have had the trial before. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. If you got TfL Platforms while it was a paid app, you have Plus for life at no cost. You do not need to do anything. TfL Platforms uses Transport for London's open data. It is not an official TfL product, and TfL does not endorse it. Arrival times are TfL's live predictions: they change as trains and buses move, and are not guaranteed. Train and bus positions on the maps are estimates. Location is optional. The app uses it to centre the maps and find your nearest saved platform. It never sends your location anywhere. Privacy policy: https://tflplatforms.co.uk/#privacy-policy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Train Times4 screens
TfL Platforms4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TfL Platforms at every 2 days against Train Times's every 12 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Train Times sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and TfL Platforms sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Train Times ships an update every 12 months, TfL Platforms every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Train Times versus TfL Platforms: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrain TimesTfL Platforms
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB11 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperPedro AntunesConstantinos Neophytou

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Train Times

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Unlimited Premium3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Premium$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Plan$19.991 Year
3 purchases

TfL Platforms

Subscriptions2
  • Plus Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Plus Yearly14 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Plus Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Train Times free?
Train Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TfL Platforms free?
TfL Platforms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Train Times or TfL Platforms have ads?
Neither Train Times nor TfL Platforms shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Train Times or TfL Platforms?
Train Times ships an update every 12 months, and TfL Platforms every 2 days. Most recently, Train Times was updated on October 25, 2026 and TfL Platforms on October 30, 2026.

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