Google has teamed up with The Trainline to provide journey planning and info and on the entirety of the British mainland’s national rail system for Google Maps. The free service expands on the Big G’s 2011 inclusion of public transport in London, but is there a chink in the armour?
The deal sees departure and arrival times added to Google Maps across the whole of England, Scotland and Wales, along with the ability to fully plan a route by entering your start and end point.
2,500 train stations stations have now joined Google Maps’ 8,000 bus stops and 250 London Underground routes. The national train routes number over the 170,000 mark.
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It’s a top addition to the forever-improving service, and a nice touch given that the official National Rail app is pricey on every mobile platform. But there is one problem…
Unlike National Rail, Google Maps isn’t able to keep up with delays, of which there are always many. We probably shouldn’t be picking holes in a free service like this, but a word of warning: This oversight could end in trouble for anyone who chooses to take Google’s word as sacrosanct throughout their entire journey.
