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UK's National Rail Shuts Down Free Timetable App

Posted by timothy on from the hey-buddy-we-said-often-not-always dept.

JHaselden points to this "sad tale of one developer's trying time with the National Rail, the owners of the UK's train timetable data, which flies in the face of the recent assertion of Chris Scoggins (Chief Executive, National Rail Enquiries) in Wired recently stating that they had 'opened up' their data, 'often free of charge.'" This is a good case for keeping your old emails handy; the app's author uses cut-and-paste to excellent effect in his correspondence with the rail system.

8 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Re:WTF by ciderbrew · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've been using the trains for years and I've yet to see a successful service.

  2. Re:Syummary written by a 'tard by Kilrah_il · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hope you were joking, because criticizing another's grammar while having 2 misspellings (one of them in the subject line!) is ironic at best and pathetic at worst.

    --
    Whenever in an argument, remember this.
  3. Late? by 19061969 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Given that this decision was by National Rail, I'm amazed that they came to a decision at all. I applied for a job once - got a description from the job center and wrote off to apply.

    Three months later, I got a reply. Fully expecting, "Sorry but the competition was too intense, etc" I instead got the application form. I replied with it within 24 hours. Over 1 year later, I finally got a rejection letter.

    --
    bang goes my karma... again...
    1. Re:Late? by Froggie · · Score: 5, Funny

      "This delay is caused by the late arrival of another application."

  4. Re:WTF by jeffasselin · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're afraid terrorists will use those schedules to plan attacks!

    --
    If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
  5. Re:Syummary written by a 'tard by antifoidulus · · Score: 4, Funny

    What are you talking about, I just bought stock in Micropsoft yesterday. Their CEO Steve Booper throws choirs while screaming "De-volvers, De-evolvers, De-volvers"(which apparently OS X doesn't think is a word)

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    Monstar L
  6. Re:WTF by TheLink · · Score: 4, Funny

    Heh, you should see a Japanese person waiting at a non-japanese train station for the first time.

    They start getting anxious when it's 2 minutes and no train has showed up yet...

    Related links:
    http://www.japanechoweb.jp/economy/jew0210
    http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/25405/Tokyo+Train+Timetable.html

    Japan seems to be a really different country from the rest of the world.

    Joke: when the Japanese went to watch football in a football stadium, the stadium ended up cleaner when they were done... :).

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  7. Re:WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Considering the timetables' accuracy, wouldn't it be safer to keep providing them?