A fight may be looming over who gets to tell iPhone and iPod
Touch users how late their trains will be.
Software house Agant has launched iTrain, a £4.99 application
that gives real-time access to National Rail's journey planning
information. This puts it into direct competition with Aspire's
£1.79
iTrainLive,
which purports to do the same. iTrainLive is currently App Stores'
seventh most popular travel application.
A spokesman for the Association of
Train Operating Companies, said iTrain is the only application
with legitimate access to National Rail information. She declined
to say if National Rail would take action against infringers.
Ra Wilson, National Rail Enquiries' web development manager,
described iTrain as "SatNav for passenger rail". It enables the
user to find their nearest station and to plan their journey home
using the touch screen, he said.
The software uses the device's built-in GPS to find the nearest
station anywhere in Britain. The Next Train Home feature allows the
user to plan the best route home from there.
Users can save regular journeys for quick planning as well as
favourite stations for one-touch access to departure and arrival
information.
The software is available online from Apple's
App Store
via a PC or directly on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Agant will add
new functions later, and all upgrades are free.