MTA Metro-North Railroad launches new TrainTime app for Apple Watch
MTA Metro-North Railroad’s new TrainTime companion smartphone app makes it easier for customers to get their train information on-the-go.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad has announced the formal launch of its TrainTime app for the Apple Watch. This makes Metro-North the first commuter railroad to have a companion smartphone app available for customers.
The companion app will automatically populate an Apple Watch if the watch is paired with an iPhone that already has TrainTime downloaded. The watch version is available in six languages and is designed to share bookmarked information from the mobile version, making it easier for customers to get their train information on-the-go.
“I am so proud that Metro-North is the first commuter railroad to be able to provide its customers with a companion smartphone app that has all of the features of its mobile app. Now, customers can keep their phones in their pockets and get all of the train information that they need with a simple flick of the wrist,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad. “We are eager to expand this feature to Android users in the near future, and will use customer feedback from our Apple customers to make this companion app even better.”
The app, designed and developed in-house by the MTA IT Product Department, is easily accessible with minimal need for input from the user. A customer who takes the train from Stamford to Grand Central Terminal can bookmark their typical morning and afternoon trains on the mobile version of the app. When the customer opens TrainTime on their Apple Watch, selected trips will populate up under a ‘My Trips’ tab. When clicking a specific trip on the watch, the user can easily see the train’s expected departure time, journey time, the station stops and capacity in each train car. Using the mobile version of the app, users can turn notifications on for a certain trip, which will send notifications on the watch.
For those with less predictable commutes, the app allows users to bookmark stations, populating under a ‘Stations’ tab. Under this tab, a user will be able to see arrivals and departures information for selected stations. For stations like Grand Central that have several arriving and departing trains at all hours of the day, the app will show the next two scheduled arrivals and departures.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad has announced the formal launch of its TrainTime app for the Apple Watch. This makes Metro-North the first commuter railroad to have a companion smartphone app available for customers.
The companion app will automatically populate an Apple Watch if the watch is paired with an iPhone that already has TrainTime downloaded. The watch version is available in six languages and is designed to share bookmarked information from the mobile version, making it easier for customers to get their train information on-the-go.
“I am so proud that Metro-North is the first commuter railroad to be able to provide its customers with a companion smartphone app that has all of the features of its mobile app. Now, customers can keep their phones in their pockets and get all of the train information that they need with a simple flick of the wrist,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad. “We are eager to expand this feature to Android users in the near future, and will use customer feedback from our Apple customers to make this companion app even better.”
The app, designed and developed in-house by the MTA IT Product Department, is easily accessible with minimal need for input from the user. A customer who takes the train from Stamford to Grand Central Terminal can bookmark their typical morning and afternoon trains on the mobile version of the app. When the customer opens TrainTime on their Apple Watch, selected trips will populate up under a ‘My Trips’ tab. When clicking a specific trip on the watch, the user can easily see the train’s expected departure time, journey time, the station stops and capacity in each train car. Using the mobile version of the app, users can turn notifications on for a certain trip, which will send notifications on the watch.
For those with less predictable commutes, the app allows users to bookmark stations, populating under a ‘Stations’ tab. Under this tab, a user will be able to see arrivals and departures information for selected stations. For stations like Grand Central that have several arriving and departing trains at all hours of the day, the app will show the next two scheduled arrivals and departures.
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