RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Quote from: SurfRail on December 17, 2020, 09:27:52 AM
Just putting here (not sure if there is a more appropriate thread) - just noticed this seems to have been added to the TL website recently.

https://translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/printable-timetables

> started a new thread > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=14109.0

Thanks.

^ There are some wobbles - it seems to only be able to cope with 19 pages (if you enable it to search for everything it cuts out somewhere in the rail timetables).  Also some dead routes still showing up like the 709.  (This happens with service alerts too, where you will see even longer dead routes popping up like the N732 and N750).

It also appears to contemplate all the Qconnect regional timetables eventually coming across, which I expect is only a matter of time. 

^^They are on the Beta APP as well which is one of the enhancements to be released.

Smart Ticketing Thread---> Real Time info now available in Maryborough and Hervey Bay

Real time info now activated for Stradbroke Island

I'm interested to see how this will work considering most services between Dunwich and Point Lookout (and return) are run by 1-3 buses, depending on the day and time of day. I believe what happens is the first one leaves at the Point Lookout departure time, the next a few minutes after and any more a few minutes later if required. I was over there a few weeks back and I remember there being 3 buses at a time on the 880.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

29th July 2021

App trial puts transport options in the palm of your hand

A new smartphone app will put multiple transport options in the hands of University of Queensland students and staff as part of a 12-month Mobility as a Service (MaaS) trial.

The ODIN PASS app trial will test the ability to plan, book and pay for multi-modal trips on TransLink public transport services, taxis, rideshare, car-share and e-scooters, as well as e-bikes.

Users subscribe to monthly transport plans and bundles to pay for services through the app, which will offer discounts and reward points on selected modes of transport.

Transport service providers including Neuron, 13CABS and GoGet, will be part of the trial.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the trial would be co-led by Department of Transport and Main Roads and UQ as part of an iMOVE Cooperative Research Centres program, and would be supported by Australian-based app developer SkedGo.

"The app gives people the option to personally tailor their trips by combining multiple transport options, including focusing on that last mile connection," Mr Bailey said.

"For example, some people may get off a bus and need to walk some distance to get to their desired destination, so this app will assist trial participants to plan out a seamless transition using different transport modes to help them get to their destination faster.

"This is one of the largest real-world MaaS trials undertaken in Australia in terms of the number of service providers and has the potential to shape the future of the industry.

"Being able to plan and test different mobility solutions through a single app is a real game-changer, and we've also integrated traffic data into the app to provide information on things like road disruptions and suggested alternative routes."

Mr  Bailey said modelling of the transport plans and bundles was based on research with students and staff.

The plans and bundles will include unlimited public transport, e-scooters and e-bikes, as well as discounts on taxis, car-sharing and ride-sharing.

The trial would be available to all UQ students and staff, with applications accepted via the odinpass.com.au website.

The app includes options to choose the most environmentally friendly route to a destination which also earns extra reward points to trade in at the UQ campus.

UQ Chief Operating Officer Andrew Flannery said this was another example of UQ partnering with government, business and community.

"The MaaS trial is innovative and will investigate real options that make passenger and active transport more appealing," Mr Flannery said.

"By providing easy access and a seamless transition between multiple transport options, we're hoping this trial will to lead to more public transport use, taking more cars off the road.

"We're encouraging our staff and students to jump onboard and sign up for this trial and help design and deliver even better transport options for Brisbane." 

For more information on the app, which will be available on iOS and Android, visit odinpass.com.au

ENDS

Government News---> Queensland trials Mobility as a Service

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1420754821359960080

The Odinpass student pricing is quite good. I can see a huge uptake for this.

New Translink App look and feel. More new features to come.

Google Maps/Transit
Any Trip
Transit bus and train times
Odin pass
Brisbane Bus   
Moovit

Any Trip Real-time map

> https://anytrip.com.au/region/qld

^

QuoteMark Bailey MP
Customers only need to hold their phone in close proximity for a few seconds to scan the tag.
If you're using an iPhone, you should hold the top rear of the phone to the tag to scan.
On Android? Hold the back of the middle part of your phone to the tag to scan.

Wow, The Translink app as we know is dead. Translink/TMR are going out for tender to build a new app from scratch.

I wonder if we can get an online meeting with the IT team at TMR responsible for this?

I just hope that what we end up getting isn't a downgrade from the App we have. While the journey planning engine is fairly hopeless, I do find the favourite stops functionality quite good. 

Anytrip does it all and much better, albeit for $7 a year - plus it works outside Queensland.

For people like me, the ability to track the vehicle ID can be helpful.  On more than one occasion I have worked out the bus I want is actually showing a wrong or faulty sign.  Being able to run the vehicle number through the app once on board is also a quick shortcut to show the specific service's stopping pattern, ETA at a given stop etc.

Quote from: verbatim9 on November 15, 2023, 16:27:01 PMWow, The Translink app as we know is dead. Translink/TMR are going out for tender to build a new app from scratch.

I wonder if we can get an online meeting with the IT team at TMR responsible for this?

They aren't going out to tender to build a new app from scratch. They're going out to tender to buy something relatively off the shelf. At least, that's what I remember the article saying (can't find it now).

So their input is probably limited to setting the scope. Even then, it probably has to be features that are somewhat common, and the cynic in me says if the price is low enough they'll take anything.

Hopefully they're looking for something that at least allows TL to add custom logic, and some of their own bells and whistles (e.g. go card login)
If it's just a skin of a barebones GTFS journey planner what's the point.

Yep, The BT article did say the Translink would want the current features reflected in the new app as well as the ability to add new enhanced features. So saying that it could be similar to that of the Opal App, hopefully.

Quote from: SurfRail on November 17, 2023, 14:53:13 PMAnytrip does it all and much better, albeit for $7 a year - plus it works outside Queensland.

For people like me, the ability to track the vehicle ID can be helpful.  On more than one occasion I have worked out the bus I want is actually showing a wrong or faulty sign.  Being able to run the vehicle number through the app once on board is also a quick shortcut to show the specific service's stopping pattern, ETA at a given stop etc.

I like Google Transit and in NSW it prompts you to pay with your phone and provides you with the estimated fare which is good.

As we know there is a new Translink App currently in development, therefore is it worth while to put in submission for requested features?

I would like it to reflect the current Opal Travel App but with additional features showing electric scooter and bikes when planning a journey or nearby your current location.

As per previous a report the new Translink App is meant to be released by May or June this year. I guess it will incorporate smart ticketing features and the number of trips travelled at a glance.

QuoteThe current Translink App will no longer be supported and would be "end of life" from April 24 for iOS, and May 1 for Android.

- (Brisbane Times, 2023).

Thus, no more security updates from those dates, leaving the app vulnerable.

^^The new upgraded app compatible with smart ticketing can't be too far away then.

Interesting concept to keep track of school kids to and from school. ---> https://rollcall.com.au/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwudexBhDKARIsAI-GWYUW2KQEOl9ubQi9J87iuU91T0MNHuCYira1gjDxqvnZ0OGrobatZIkaAhVrEALw_wcB

Some news about the upcoming replacement to the Translink App. Has anyone used the SmartRide app?

"The Queensland government has now awarded Siemens Mobility the contract to deliver a new mobile app and journey planner, with Translink working with the German company and its subsidiary, Hacon, on the new interface.

Hacon is responsible for the award-winning SmartRide app, used in Germany and Austria, which enables people to find and compare public transport, walking, biking and car routes, with respective travel times, and accounts for current traffic conditions, construction sites, traffic jams, and late buses and trains."

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/end-of-the-line-for-translink-app-with-new-model-to-link-with-walking-and-riding-20240501-p5fo2f.html

You can download it onto your phone and have a look around. Doesn't seem too bad, although the map is a bit slow to load.

Google maps does the same by allowing comparison across modes as well as allowing for live traffic delays.

It's good that they are getting those extra features and hopefully it will also show eMobility hire as well, such as Lime and Beam.

More importantly it would be good to see your completed trips on the Home Screen similar to that of the Opal Travel App. This can allow users to track trips at a glance as well as show how many trips are still to go before reaching half price or a cap.

Google does have the benefit of producing cross-border routes, although it does occasionally produce undesirable options (eg telling you to get a Greyhound or other long distance service when it isn't the fastest or cheapest option).  Airtrain having its own trips and station markers set up in GTFS also means it duplicates the same journeys in TransLink's feed, which looks unprofessional and confusing.

Quote from: SurfRail on May 08, 2024, 09:44:35 AMAirtrain having its own trips and station markers set up in GTFS also means it duplicates the same journeys in TransLink's feed, which looks unprofessional and confusing.

Add the long-distance NSW train to the mix and you have 3 separate markers for Roma Street... plus a couple more which don't link to any GTFS feed. It's a bit of a joke really. Even my local station (Toombul) has 4 markers in the map with only one of them linking to the GTFS feed. Can be a right pain so I generally avoid using google maps (I use anytrip normally).

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For those who want more information on the app btw: https://www.mobility.siemens.com/global/en/portfolio/digital-solutions-software/mobility-as-a-service/hafas-app.html.

Quote from: RowBro on May 08, 2024, 10:45:46 AM

Quote from: SurfRail on May 08, 2024, 09:44:35 AMAirtrain having its own trips and station markers set up in GTFS also means it duplicates the same journeys in TransLink's feed, which looks unprofessional and confusing.

Add the long-distance NSW train to the mix and you have 3 separate markers for Roma Street... plus a couple more which don't link to any GTFS feed. It's a bit of a joke really. Even my local station (Toombul) has 4 markers in the map with only one of them linking to the GTFS feed. Can be a right pain so I generally avoid using google maps (I use anytrip normally).

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Yes, there are numerous markers for some stations in a Google Maps, but this can be alleviated by saving the correct marker as a favourite.

I only use Google for trip planning, but never for stop timetables - I use Anytrip for that as it is much cleaner and more reliable.

New Translink App comes out tomorrow.

^ Source?

The base product out of Siemens looks good, though I suspect it's too high maintenance for TL. Suppose we will see.

Brisbanetimes --> New Translink app arrives – and soon you'll know exactly when your bus or train will $

QuoteTranslink's new public transport app has arrived – and soon you'll know exactly how far away your bus, train, ferry or tram is, with real-time service updates.

From Wednesday, commuters can download the Apple and Android versions of Translink's new journey planning app, simply called "Translink".

Last year, Brisbane Times revealed that Xamarin, a free open-source platform used to build the existing MyTranslink app, would no longer be supported. ...

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1828468425209041282

Been looking on the App Store for it, but haven't found it yet.

Quote from: nathandavid88 on August 28, 2024, 07:35:21 AMBeen looking on the App Store for it, but haven't found it yet.

I have been advised that the new Translink app should be available by mid-late morning today.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/translink/id6504676908

Not yet in Google Play store.

I've just downloaded it, and after having a very little play around with it, it seems to work pretty well.

Still not available in the Google Play store ...