RailTrak vs Railside
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RailTrak
Track Amtrak and major transit systems nationwide with real-time updates on a beautiful interactive map. Monitor train speed, on-time status, and receive push notifications for important alerts. Features dynamic island and lock screen tracking for convenient access.
- Nationwide Amtrak and transit tracking
- Interactive map with live vehicle updates
- Dynamic Island and Lock Screen tracking
- Speed, heading, and on-time status
- Detailed analytics and journey progress
- Push notifications for status updates
- Comprehensive station information
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• Track Amtrak trains nationwide plus major transit systems • MBTA (Boston subway & commuter rail) • SEPTA (Philadelphia regional rail) • NJ Transit trains • Metro-North Railroad (New York) • LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) • MTA Subway (New York City) • MARC (Maryland commuter rail) • Shore Line East (Connecticut) • RTD (Denver light rail & commuter rail) • CATS (Charlotte light rail) • Beautiful interactive map with all vehicles updated continuously • View speed, heading, and on-time status • Track trains from coast to coast on a single map ** DYNAMIC ISLAND & LOCK SCREEN TRACKING** • Start Live Activities to follow your train right from your lock screen • See real-time updates in the Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro and later) • Never miss important updates - train information always at a glance • Automatic updates every 30 seconds while tracking ** DETAILED ANALYTICS** • Speed history charts showing performance over time • Journey progress with visual timeline • Station-by-station schedules with actual vs. scheduled times • Estimated arrival calculations based on current speed ** SMART FEATURES** • Save favorite trains for quick access • Filter trains by speed, route, or favorites • Search by train number or route name • Push notifications for train status updates • Share train information with fellow travelers ** COMPREHENSIVE STATION INFO** • Complete list of all stops with arrival/departure times • Station locations plotted on interactive map • Delay information and status for each stop • Distance and time to next station ** REAL-TIME ALERTS** • Service alerts and important notifications • Weather information along the route • Automatic status updates • Integration with official Amtrak alerts ** NETWORK STATISTICS** • Track over 1000+ trains and transit vehicles simultaneously • Monitor 12+ different rail and transit providers • Average speeds across networks • On-time performance metrics • Most popular routes ** BEAUTIFUL DESIGN** • Modern iOS interface with smooth animations • Dark mode support for comfortable viewing • Clean, intuitive navigation • Color-coded indicators for each transit system • Provider-specific icons and branding ** PERFECT FOR:** • Amtrak passengers tracking long-distance journeys • Daily commuters using regional rail and subway • Meeting someone arriving by train or transit • Rail enthusiasts watching multiple networks • Transit planners and researchers • Anyone interested in real-time transportation across America ** PRIVACY FIRST** • No account required • Your location is never shared • Minimal data collection • Built with privacy in mind ** REQUIREMENTS** • iPhone running iOS 16.1 or later • Live Activities require iOS 16.2 or later • Dynamic Island requires iPhone 14 Pro or later ** DATA SOURCES** RailTrak leverages official real-time data feeds from Amtrak and major transit agencies using GTFS-RT (General Transit Feed Specification) to provide accurate, up-to-the-minute vehicle positions and status information. Whether you're a daily commuter, long-distance traveler, or passionate railfan, RailTrak gives you the most comprehensive real-time view of America's passenger rail and transit networks—all in one app. Download now and never lose track of your train again!
Railside
This app provides real-time Amtrak train status, including delays and current location. It offers a clear, at-a-glance overview of your train's progress before, during, and after your journey.
- Live Amtrak train data
- Delay information
- Current train location
- Pre-ride status
- During-ride updates
- Post-ride information
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Railside turns live Amtrack U.S. rail data into one calm, glanceable answer: is your train running, how late is it, and where is it right now before, during, and after the ride.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Railside at 100% against RailTrak's 0%. Railside also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.7). RailTrak's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, 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.
Railside holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of RailTrak's written reviews are positive against 100% of Railside's.
RailTrak ships an update every 5 days, Railside every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RailTrak | Railside |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Palmetto Digital Services, LLC | GovLense LLC |
Customer experience
RailTrak
Railside
In-app purchases
RailTrak
No in-app purchases
Railside
No in-app purchases









