Best route planners during tube disruptions?

[SW19Traveller]

Thursday evening's major Circle/District/H&C disruptions got me thinking (eventually, after I'd stopped swearing...)

Trying to find alternative routes home in a hurry was a hassle because Google Maps doesn't seem to display live train running when the tube lines are suspended-it kept giving a list of journeys all using the Circle or District lines assuming normal timetabled running, with a subtle information box hiding "line suspended", and hence not giving useful alternatives avoiding the suspended lines. The only option it gives is to switch "underground" off completely, giving bus routes but ignoring all the other tube lines that are working.

Does anyone have suggestions for alternative route planning apps that handle tube disruption in mixed tube/bus/National Rail journeys?

 

[TFN]

I use Citymapper personally. As long as the TfL website is updated then it’s updated too. In reality it may take up to 15 mins between things going mayhem before TfL updates its status.

 

[Buzby]

Another vote for the CityMapper app - I’ve now used it across many of the UK’s urban areas and found it to be most responsive and well worth the small cost for the benefit it provides, even suggesting routes I was unfamiliar with. Rather than simply make a disrupted service disappear, it will show the revised timing (if available) or that the service is cancelled.

 

[BJames]

CityMapper is free* and I would also second that - it takes note of the severe disruption and offers alternative underground routes. It also gives more accurate connection times I have found, as well as the option to adapt your connection time if you know you can be quicker so it gives a more accurate end to end journey time (although only do this if you know the station you're changing at!). For some places it gives an idea of where you need to be to exit the train (usually just front/middle/rear).


*There is a small cost if you'd like to remove ads - I'm not aware that this offers any extra services but if it does then so far I haven't needed them!

 

[Buzby]

AIUI, the Club Level (small charge) removed all the adverts and included taxi connections as well as walking routes - I’m not sure if the ad version includes these? Even so, I’ve not found anything as sophisticated in the last 2 years!

 

[Benjwri]

*There is a small cost if you'd like to remove ads - I'm not aware that this offers any extra services but if it does then so far I haven't needed them!

Citymapper Pro no longer offers additional features, there was a time it did, but it now solely serves to remove ads, every other feature is available for free.

included taxi connections

I can't remember if this was behind the Pro paywall when it existed, but it is available in the free app as of now.

I would add another recommendation for Citymapper, really good, has found quicker routes Google and Apple didn't even dream of. It also doesn't have the classic Google issue of taking the closest stop of a line as the crow flies (Not a major one, although a bit funky by the river in a few places, but I've seen a case where Google told someone to walk around a bay, past multiple stops, to reach the one on the other side that's closest).

Has lots of great features such as lines with aircon and the ability to tell it to do things like avoid walking when it's raining.

 

[AlbertBeale]

I find the best planner if there are several underground lines playing up is a combination of a tube map, a bus map, and my brain. It's usually pretty easy to look at a map yourself, and figure out a sensible diversion!

 

[SW19Traveller]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, that does look a lot of votes for Citymapper!
I've not had another disrupted journey to try it out in anger, but I can see that this morning for instance the Piccadilly line is suspended Acton Town to Uxbridge- Citymapper clearly shows the tube as disrupted and not to go that way, while Google Maps has the usual vague text warning.

On the other hand, Google maps seems to be a bit better at bus diversions and bus stop closures than Citymapper!

 

[Dave W]

I'd held off commenting as I saw this quite late, but since you've responded: I love citymapper and use it liberally, but I actually find it's quite limited in disruption, and also (because it has to cater to its core user I guess) doesn't really offer any shortcuts which an experienced London traveller would know of.

I find myself piecing together the quickest journey across two or three of its suggestions sometimes. I work in Colindale and have the commute notification switched on. With the station closed, it would be a simple swerve to alighting at Hendon for the 186, but Citymapper can't work that out and just tells me the journey is impossible. It also loses its mind on live times for bus routes that double back on themselves (for example to serve an estate bus stop before rejoining the main route - see the aforementioned 186 at Colindale Library)

These are little niggles, and it does respond quickly to service outages in the centre - but I think the number of options in town hide some of its limitations personally! I don't have an alternative mind