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New Translink app arrives – and soon you’ll know exactly when your bus or train will
By Felicity Caldwell
Translink’s new public transport app has arrived – and soon you’ll know exactly how far away your bus, train, ferry or tram is, with real-time service updates.
From Wednesday, commuters can download the Apple and Android versions of Translink’s new journey planning app, simply called “Translink”.
Last year, Brisbane Times revealed that Xamarin, a free open-source platform used to build the existing MyTranslink app, would no longer be supported.
The new Translink app, which will be available from Wednesday, includes real-time tracking.Credit: Translink
It became “end of life” on April 24 this year for iOS and May 1 for Android, forcing Translink to create a new interface.
The new app is an upgrade, but the Translink brand colours and overall look feel familiar.Credit: Translink
Commuters struggled to find the new Translink app in the App Store on Wednesday morning, but new apps can take some time to appear in searches when first released.
It can also be found by going to either this link, or the MyTranslink app listing. Scroll down and click on Department of Transport and Main Roads, and it should appear under the “Latest Release” heading.
Delivered by German company Siemens Mobility and subsidiary Hacon, the new app replaces MyTranslink, which was introduced almost a decade ago, in December 2014.
The new app includes real-time information on when services will arrive, a feature available in Google Maps but not present in the MyTranslink app.
It can also be personalised. A user can set the maximum distance they are willing to walk or ride a bike as part of their public transport journey.
Common stops, such as a home, school or workplace, can be added as “favourites”, so the user can quickly check when the next service will arrive or leave, and whether it is on time.
Extra features will be added to the app this year, including improvements to the integration of public transport trips with cycling and walking.
The existing MyTranslink app will stop receiving data on December 31. It can be used until then, although it has a rating of 2.3 stars out of 5 in Apple’s App Store and has been the subject of scathing reviews.
Translink’s general manager of passenger transport strategy and technology, Anjuna Singh, said the new app puts more accurate information about bus, train, tram and ferry services into users’ hands.
How to download the new Translink app
If the new app does not appear in your initial search, you can find it by searching for the old one.
What to do:
- Search the “MyTranslink” app listing
- Scroll down and click on Department of Transport and Main Roads
- The new app will appear under the “Latest Release” heading, where it can be downloaded
If you are using an Apple device, you can find it using this link.