Automatic journey detection
Railhop works out which train you took, so it can check it for Delay Repay. On a contactless or Oyster statement, it uses your tap-in and tap-out times. An Advance ticket names its train. In the app, optional journey detection uses your location near stations. When two trains fit, Railhop asks you rather than guessing.
- Statements, tickets and the app
- Asks when two trains fit
- You check and submit
How it works
Railhop finds the train first, then checks how it ran.
Add your journeys
A contactless or Oyster statement, a ticket, or the app's optional journey detection.
Railhop finds the train
From your tap-in and tap-out times, the train on your ticket, or station times from the app.
It asks when unsure
When two trains fit, you pick the one you caught. The app asks "Was this your train?"
Delays checked
Each train is checked against how it ran, with what you're owed and the date to claim by.
How Railhop finds your train
It uses what you add. When the times can't tell two trains apart, it asks you.
| What you add | How Railhop finds the train | Where it's read |
|---|---|---|
| Contactless or Oyster statement | The first train you could have caught after tapping in that arrived before you tapped out | On your phone or in your browser |
| Advance ticket | The train on the ticket, found on the day | On your phone or in your browser |
| Single, Return, Season Ticket or Travelcard | You pick the train from that day's list | On your phone or in your browser |
| Journey detection (app, optional) | Station arrival and departure times, boarding, and positions during the journey | Minimised events sent to Railhop, not linked to your account |
What journey detection sends
Journey detection is optional and an early version. It's off unless you turn it on in the app, and the rest of Railhop works without it. While it's on, the app sends:
- Station times. When you enter or leave a station area, the station code and the time. GPS times it, but the position isn't sent.
- Boarding. The time, and your speed rounded to whole km/h.
- During a detected journey only. At most one position a minute, rounded to about 10 metres. When Railhop can't yet tell two trains apart, one every 10 seconds for up to 5 minutes, once per journey.
- Battery level and your answers. So Railhop can measure battery use, and your answers to "Was this your train?".
- Accuracy checks. The app compares detected journeys with your other records of the trip on your phone, and sends the stations, times and train they name, never your account.
What it never collects
- No continuous location tracking. GPS switches on near stations, and during a journey it has detected.
- No location away from stations unless you're on a detected journey. Diagnostic logs, off unless you turn them on, are the only exception.
- No name, email address, ticket, payment or bank details. Your phone is identified by a random ID made for journey detection.
- Not linked to your account. If you keep your journeys in your account, only a summary of each one is copied, never positions.
Its full data policy is shown in the app before you turn it on. More in the privacy policy.
What it costs
Checking your journeys is free.
Your data stays with you
Statements and tickets are read on your device. Journey detection is optional, and what it sends is kept to a minimum.
- Statements read on your device. To check them, only each journey's date, stations, times and fare are sent, and they aren't kept.
- Location only if you turn it on. Without journey detection, Train Times and Track My Train use it only on your phone.
- Not linked to your account. Journey detection identifies your phone by a random ID made for it.
- Delete it at any time. "Delete my data" in the app removes it straight away. Privacy policy
Questions
How does Railhop know which train I took?
From what you give it. A contactless or Oyster statement has your tap-in and tap-out times, so Railhop finds the first train you could have caught that arrived before you tapped out. An Advance ticket names its train. For other tickets, you pick the train from that day's list. In the app, journey detection can spot your trains for you.
What does journey detection in the app do?
It works out that you've taken a train, and which train it was, so Railhop can check it for delays. It's optional and an early version: it's off unless you turn it on, it won't catch every journey, and the rest of Railhop works without it. After a journey, it asks "Was this your train?"
What location data does Railhop receive?
Without journey detection, none: Train Times and Track My Train use your location only on your phone. With journey detection on, the app sends station entry and exit times, boarding times and, during a detected journey only, at most one position a minute, rounded to about 10 metres (one every 10 seconds for up to 5 minutes when Railhop can't yet tell two trains apart). It is not linked to your account.
Does it track me all the time?
No. There's no continuous location tracking. When you come within a few hundred metres of a station, the app switches on GPS to time when you arrive and leave. If you only pass near it, GPS switches off again and nothing is sent. Away from stations, no location is sent unless you're on a detected journey. Diagnostic logs, which are off unless you turn them on, are the only exception.
How accurate is it?
Statement and ticket journeys are checked against National Rail's records of how each train ran. Journey detection is an early version: it won't catch every journey, and your answers help check and improve it. When Railhop can't tell two trains apart, it asks you instead of guessing.
Is my TfL statement uploaded?
No. Your statement is read on your phone or in your browser. To check for delays, Railhop sends only each journey's date, station names, touch-in and touch-out times and fare, and doesn't keep them. No card number, name or address is sent.
Can I turn journey detection off and delete its data?
Yes, at any time. In the app, go to Account, then Journey detection, then Settings and your data, and tap "Delete my data". It deletes your phone's journey detection record and everything linked to it straight away, and turns journey detection off.
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