Living in London, apps like Citymapper, Google Maps and, of course, TFL Go are essential for getting around the vast, winding public transport network to get from A to B. The problem? They’re not always the most reliable.
Since I relocated to a new area of London a few months ago, I’ve been getting myself acquainted with the local bus timings using the TFL Go app. It’s how I’ve been organising my morning commute since moving, and during that time, one thing is clear: the TFL app doesn’t do a great job of actually displaying when buses are going to arrive.
I’ve now lost count of the number of times when a regularly scheduled bus hasn’t appeared in the TFL app, or conversely, claimed a bus was arriving when, in reality, it wasn’t. That uncertainty has led me to try out apps like Citymapper – the problem is that they all use TFL’s data and, as such, suffer from the same flaws.
Then, one night while scrolling on Threads, I stumbled upon a post (a Thread? What do you call those things?) about a new non-profit, student-led public transport app called Catenary Maps, with a big difference. It can track specific buses, trains, and other forms of public transport in real time and display them on an interactive map.
Of course, I downloaded it immediately.
Catenary scratches an itch I didn’t know I had
Reader, Catenary Maps has been a game-changer for me these past few weeks, and I’ve told practically everybody in my personal life about it. I lead a thrilling life, I know.
The main sell is, as mentioned, the ability to track buses and trains in real-time – well, near-real-time anyway. It’s usually about 30 seconds behind in my experience, but that’s better than no information at all.
In fact, one morning when TFL Go claimed I’d missed my bus, I opened the Catenary Maps app and saw that the bus was actually running late, and was still around the corner.
It sounds like such a small thing, and for some people it might be, but for those who use buses regularly, it’s a massive help. You no longer need to rely on TFL’s hit-and-miss timetable; you can check where they are in real time and plan accordingly.
It has meant I can keep the Catenary Maps app open on my phone in the morning and leave when the bus reaches a certain area on its route, rather than relying on (sometimes inaccurate) timings.
That’s just the surface of what Catenary Maps offers too – it just so happens to be the feature I’ve used most these past few weeks. Combining data from a bunch of different official resources, Catenary Maps can help navigate hugely busy train stations like London Liverpool Street by showing which platform the train will arrive at, sometimes well before the station’s official announcement.
You can also track train journeys more accurately, ideal if you’re, say, picking up a friend or a loved one from the train station. Find their exact train (along with information like the train number!) and you’ll be able to follow them along their route – especially handy when there are delays mid-journey.
It’s not limited to TFL either; the app pulls in open-source data from transport providers around the world, meaning it not only works throughout the UK, but Europe and even the US, with more regions planned for inclusion soon.
It’s not perfect, but it’ll get there
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to knock Citymapper or Google Maps off their high perches just yet – but there’s a lot of potential here.
The amount of data is impressive and great for nerds like me, but it does also make for a pretty busy, hard-to-navigate interface at times. Even after using it for over two weeks, there are still times when I get downright confused about what I’m looking at or tap on the wrong thing. But given the choice, I’d prefer data accessibility over a more polished interface any day.
It also doesn’t do actual route mapping from A to B using this wealth of data – something that could potentially deliver faster, more accurate routes than TFL’s official alternative with true real-time data – but that is on the roadmap, and should be available soon.
But if you’re like me and love delving deep into real-time data and use public transport often, you’ll enjoy what Catenary Maps is offering – and all for free, with no ads or subscriptions necessary.
The app is available to download on Android now, and it’s also available on the web. An iOS app is also planned for the near future, but it’s not available just yet.
