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@uktrains is no longer operating

This version was saved 13 years, 9 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Ben Smith
on June 15, 2010 at 7:39:07 pm
 

@UKTrains - http://uktra.in

 

Disruption alerts for UK train services by Twitter

supported by backstage.bbc.co.uk 

 

NEWS!  @uktr_eurostar and @uktr_eurotunnel are now @uktr_euro as the use of trademarked names in the Twitter account names was against the service's T&Cs.

 

Tweet from @tom_watson

Inspired by this tweet from MP Tom Watson and enabled - in part - by BBC Backstage's travel feeds, this prototype service:

 

  1. Tweets disruption alerts for 38 UK train operators (for all services or by operator).
  2. Gathers 'crowd-sourced' disruption alerts from users and re-distributes them [more details].
  3. Collects questions, complaints or praise for rail operators. [discontinued]

 

To get started register for a Twitter account and follow one or more of these accounts:

 

@uktrains - Alerts for services from all the companies below.

 

For alerts limited to the operators that interest you, follow individual rail operator(s) from the list below:

 

@uktr_arrivawale - Arriva Trains Wales

@uktr_blackpool - Blackpool Tramway 

@uktr_c2c - c2c

@uktr_cc - CrossCountry

@uktr_chiltern - Chiltern Railways

@uktr_eastanglia - National Express East Anglia

@uktr_eastcoast - East Coast

@uktr_eastmid - East Midlands Trains

@uktr_euro - Eurostar and Eurotunnel [UPDATED]

@uktr_eurotunnel [CLOSED]  

@uktr_firstcc - First Capital Connect

@uktr_firstgw - First Great Western

@uktr_gatwickexp - Gatwick Express

@uktr_glasgow - Glasgow Subway

@uktr_grandcent - Grand Central Trains

@uktr_heathrowco - Heathrow Connect

@uktr_heathrowex - Heathrow Express

@uktr_hulltrains - Hull Trains

@uktr_islandline - Island Line

@uktr_londonmid - London Midland

@uktr_londonover - London Overground

@uktr_manchester - Manchester Metrolink

@uktr_midmetro - Midland Metro

@uktr_merseyrail - Merseyrail

@uktr_northern - Northern Rail

@uktr_notexptran - Nottingham Express Transit

@uktr_nirail - Northern Ireland Railways

@uktr_scotrail - First ScotRail

@uktr_sheffield - Shefield Supertram

@uktr_stansted - Stansted Express

@uktr_southeast - Southeastern Railway

@uktr_southern - Southern

@uktr_southwest - South West Trains

@uktr_tramlink - Tramlink

@uktr_twmetro - Tyne and Wear Metro

@uktr_transpenex - TransPennine Express

@uktr_virgin - Virgin Trains

@uktr_wrexshrop - Wrexham & Shropshire

 

Alternatively the individual train operating companies are grouped into 3 lists:

 

@uktrains/national-rail-operators

@uktrains/light-rail-operators

@uktrains/international-operators

 

 

I originally built this in the hope it would be useful to people like me who regularly travel by train and would like an easy way to be alerted to disrupted services.  It also highlighted that National Rail Enquiries prevent even non-commercial re-use of their data in the T&Cs (which they actively enforce), prefering to charge 25 pence per delayed train for alerts via SMS.  They have now launched 27 feeds of their own replicating a sub-set of this service with an official equivalent. This is a welcome development with direct access to the original data which is not covered by the usual restrictive T&Cs when published via Twitter.  However, for now, it lacks the clarity of the BBC-provided content and does not provide crowd sourced data so I recommend you follow both services.

 

This service is enabled by BBC Backstage's common-sense terms which this service respects.

 

For any questions, suggestions, requests, complaints or kind words please contact me @bensmithuk.  For journalists / bloggers I have produced a short primer-page with more contact details here.  I'm tracking any blog and media coverage here.

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