On March 12, the JR Group will revise the railway line schedule (operation time) all at once. In line with this, many subways and private railways will also revise their schedules on the same day.
The "Timetable App" on your smartphone is useful for checking the revised timetable. In this article, I will introduce recommended apps while explaining how to use the timetable app.
There are various timetable appsWhat kind of app is "Timetable App"?
When you hear the word "timetable app", some people may think that the booklet-style "timetable" has been converted into an app as it is. Of course, there are also full-scale timetables that have been converted into apps (details will be described later), but most of them have a "transfer guidance" function, that is, routes by entering the departure station and arrival station (in some cases, transit stations). We are focused on presenting the time and fare.
Many timetable apps can be used for free, but those with advanced functions are often provided for a fee. For example, there are apps that offer the following functions for a fee.
If you are close to the community, the railway company's "official app"
It is mainly in urban areas, but if you specialize in checking the time at a local railway station, we recommend the "official app" distributed by the railway company. As a function unique to the official app, it is an advantage that you can check "on-line information (confirmation of driving position)" and "congestion information" based on official data (* 1).
(* 1) Depending on the railway company, it may not be supported or the service may be provided only on some lines.
If you are commuting to work / school by connecting multiple railway companies (including direct driving), in principle, you need an app for each company, but the app distributed by JR / major private railways in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai area is an app. Since it often implements a mutual cooperation function, it seems that it will not be inconvenient to that extent. Depending on the company, there are cases where it is convenient so that you can check the route guidance and operation information of other companies without installing a separate application.
"Transfer guidance app" when using various routes and transportation
If you use various railway lines nationwide for business trips or travel, or if you want to search by skewering multiple means of transportation such as buses, taxis, and aircraft, it is convenient to use the transfer guidance app. Many services are often offered in the form of free simple search and paid for additional features such as skewered search.
Here, we will introduce the major apps of the type "basic free, additional services are charged".
Transfer information (Jordan)
"Transfer information" is a transfer information service provided by Jordan. Jordan's transfer guidance series is a pioneer of transfer guidance apps provided for personal computers in 1994.
Rail / route bus transfer search, 1-bus / 1-bus search, operation information (railway / aircraft / ferry), Jordan Live! (Operation information posted by users), timetable confirmation, etc. are free of charge. If you use the paid "Plus mode" (* 2), you will be able to use the following.
(* 2) You can choose the Android version from the monthly system (360 yen per month: free for the first 31 days) or the ticket system (840 yen / 90 days, 2800 yen / 365 days). Subscribers to NTT DoCoMo's "Sugotoku Contents", au's "au Smart Pass", and SoftBank's "SoftBank App Pass" can use some or all of the services in the Android version of Plus mode. You can choose the iPhone / iPad version from the monthly system (360 yen per month) or the ticket system (860 yen / 90 days, 2820 yen / 365 days).
"Transfer information" is a pioneer of digital transfer information (Source: Jordan)Station search ★ Transfer information (station search)
"Ekitan ★ Transfer Information" is a transfer information application provided by Ekitan. Originally, Ekitan started its service in 1997 as Toshiba's new business "Ekitan Exploration Club". After that, it was spun off from Toshiba in 2003 and continues to the present day.
Searching for train / route bus transfers, checking timetables, and operating information are free of charge. If you register as a paid premium member (* 3), you can use the following additional functions.
(* 3) Android version is 200 yen per month (free for the first 31 days). The iPhone / iPad version can be selected from a monthly system (400 yen per month) or a period ticket system (120 yen / 10 days, 610 yen / 90 days, 1220 yen / 180 days, 2200 yen / 365 days: no automatic renewal). In addition, those who have a contract for "Ekitan" (330 yen per month) for mobile phones can also use the functions for premium members with the app (For those who are using both Android devices and iPhone / iPad, click here. it's recommended)
Ekitan ★ Transfer information is provided by Ekitan, a pioneer of transfer information for mobile devices (Source: Google Play).NAVITIME (Navitime Japan)
"NAVITIME" is a transfer guidance service provided by NAVITIME Japan. It became famous because it was adopted as "EZ Navi Walk" for au mobile phones in 2003, but now it is mainly a carrier-free smartphone application.
You can use the train / route bus transfer search, timetable confirmation, and map / facility search free of charge. If you subscribe to the paid "Premium Course" (* 4), you can use the following services additionally.
NAVITIME has an advantage in "door to door" guidance (Source: Navitime Japan)There is also an app that allows you to check the full-scale "timetable"
If you are a railroad fan or want to find out more about railroad times, we recommend the "digital version" of the railroad timetable published as a booklet.
In addition to simply digitizing the booklet, it also has a transfer guidance function that is also in the app introduced earlier, a function to search for routes from the route map (map), and a function to list the time for each train. doing.
Digital JR Timetable Lite (Kotsu Shimbunsha)
"Digital JR Timetable Lite" is a smartphone app of two books, "JR Timetable" and "MY LINE Tokyo Timetable" published by Kotsu Shimbunsha. Kotsu Shimbunsha is a newspaper company invested by each JR Group company, and publishes the "JR Timetable" that is always placed at the "Midori no Madoguchi" of the JR Group, in addition to the "Kotsu Shimbun" that specializes in the transportation field. It seems that this app was released in response to the request "I want a digital version of the JR timetable".
In addition to searching for times using transfer information, you can also search for train times and routes from route maps and route lists. It also has a route search specialized for Seishun 18 Ticket and a function to check operation information.
As a nice point for railroad fans, you can use the train search function (JR line only) using the "train number", and check a part of the JR business guide (ticket rules and limited express train organization list in the JR group). There are things you can do. It's a timetable app that is very much appreciated by those who ride the train as a hobby.
Unlike the apps introduced above, this app is a paid "ticket system" (most features are not available without purchasing a ticket). There are two types of tickets, 120 yen per week and 360 yen for 30 days (continuous purchase), and you can purchase them with in-app purchase on Google Play or the App Store (you can try it for free for 14 days only at the first installation). ).
Digital JR Timetable Lite is a timetable app specialized for smartphones (Source: Kotsu Shimbunsha)Digital JR Timetable Pro (Kotsu Shimbunsha)
"Digital JR Timetable Pro" is a higher version of Digital JR Timetable Lite introduced earlier, and as the name of Pro suggests, it has some additional functions. The main additional functions are as follows.
(* 5) Print out via Wi-Fi (wireless LAN). An additional device driver (app) may be required depending on the printer model (* 6) Please select "multilingual version" when purchasing a ticket (described later).
Like the Lite version, the app is also a paid "ticket system" (most features are not available without purchasing a ticket). The ticket lineup is as follows.
Tickets can be purchased with in-app purchases on Google Play or the App Store (free trial for 14 days only on initial installation). However, please note that the Pro version is for tablets only and is not compatible with iPhone and Android smartphones except for some.
If you want more perfect functions and multilingual display, the Pro version is recommended, but it is not compatible with most smartphones (Source: Kotsu Shimbunsha)