Translink Planner vs ThamesLink Railway
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Translink Planner
Plan bus, coach, and rail journeys across Northern Ireland and border regions. Get real-time travel updates, view departure boards, and purchase tickets for specific rail services. Features include interactive planning, ticket storage, and personalized alerts.
- Interactive journey planning
- Purchase NI Railways tickets
- In-app ticket wallet
- Real-time departure boards
- Personalized travel updates
- Accessible planning options
Read full descriptionHide full description
Plan Northern Ireland and cross border bus, coach and rail journeys with the Translink Journey Planner. Plan from any stop, station or address, see your next departures and get the latest travel updates from Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus, Goldline, NI Railways and Enterprise services. You can also buy single, day return and 3 day select tickets for NI Railways journeys. Features include: - Fully interactive journey planning - Buy single, day return and 3 day Select tickets for NI Railways services - Store purchased tickets within the app wallet - ‘Next Service’ departure board - Plan with Park and ride and bike journeys - Personalised travel updates - Accessible planning - Interactive map planning with real-time Metro and Glider location and a tracking feature - Quick planning using your current location, favourite stops and recent searches - CO2 journey saving calculation
ThamesLink Railway
Plan your journeys across Great Britain with real-time train information and ticket booking. Enjoy transparent pricing with no booking fees and flexible travel options. Get live service updates and assistance for a stress-free travel experience.
- Zero booking fees on GB tickets
- Flexible travel with keyGo
- Live service updates and alerts
- Auto Delay Repay for compensation
- On-the-go passenger assistance
- Digital railcards for fare savings
Read full descriptionHide full description
Download the official ThamesLink app to check train times and book tickets for any route in Great Britain. Experience stress-free travel with our transparent pricing and reliable service. With the ThamesLink app you can: ENJOY ZERO BOOKING FEES: Buy any GB tickets directly through our app and pay no additional booking fees. FLEXIBLE TRAVEL OPTIONS: Sign up for keyGo and travel seamlessly with Smartcards. Tap & go without pre-buying tickets. Track your journeys and manage your account easily. LIVE SERVICE UPDATES: Receive real-time updates on your regular services. Stay informed with personalised alerts from network experts. MAKE A CLAIM: Set-up your Auto Delay Repay feature and easily claim compensation for delayed journeys. ON-THE-GO ASSISTANCE: Request Passenger Assistance anytime you need it. Travel with confidence knowing support is just a tap away. DIGITAL RAILCARDS: Save at least 1/3 on train fares with digital railcards. Easily renew online and never worry about losing your physical card.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ThamesLink Railway at every 3 weeks against Translink Planner's every 6 months. ThamesLink Railway also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Translink Planner's advantage is ratings volume (215 vs 23). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ThamesLink Railway holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Translink Planner has 215 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of Translink Planner's written reviews are positive against 22% of ThamesLink Railway's.
Translink Planner ships an update every 6 months, ThamesLink Railway every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Translink Planner | ThamesLink Railway |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (215 ratings) | 4.7 (23 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | 22.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 215 — better | 23 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ulsterbus Ltd | The Go-Ahead Group plc |
Customer experience
Translink Planner
ThamesLink Railway
Bugs and requests
Translink Planner
Reported bugs
17 issues- App crashes on iPhone during ticket purchase
- Password reset emails not received
- Unable to renew or change passwords
- Journey planner adds unnecessary stops and complications
- Bus stops disappear when zooming in on map
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Location loading blocks text input
- App doesn't refresh automatically without returning to start page
- Tickets purchased not visible in app
- Cannot book tickets for multiple passengers
- Concession tickets unavailable on mobile
- Inconsistent journey suggestions vs actual timetables
- Bus times don't match timetable posters at stops
- Cancelled buses don't show as cancelled, just disappear
- App shows buses arriving but they never show up
- Incorrect fare calculations and pricing display
- Unable to access certain routes (e.g., Kilkeel from bus centre)
- Timetable PDFs show 'page not found' error
Requested features
18 requests- Unified app for journey planning AND ticket purchasing
- Live bus tracking with real-time location updates
- Ability to view actual departure times instead of countdown minutes
- Show actual time alongside minutes remaining
- Complaint/feedback option for late or cancelled services
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Simple timetable view without complex journey planning
- Live delay and cancellation notifications
- Apple Watch compatibility
- Exclude walking time option in journey results
- Direct access to timetables from home page
- Show platform/stop information for transfers
- One-click bus tracking from schedule view
- Ability to book tickets for groups over 10 people
- Support for concession tickets on mobile devices
- Better accessibility for tourists and non-locals
- Contactless card payment on vehicles
- Extended booking window beyond 3 weeks
- Proper ticket visibility after purchase
ThamesLink Railway
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Translink Planner
No in-app purchases
ThamesLink Railway
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Translink Planner free?
Is ThamesLink Railway free?
Which has better reviews, Translink Planner or ThamesLink Railway?
Do Translink Planner or ThamesLink Railway have ads?
Which is updated more often, Translink Planner or ThamesLink Railway?
Other comparisons
