London train travel: One simple way to find a happier commute by identifying the optimum journey and avoiding delays
With the new year fast approaching and the return to work imminent, there's also the spectre of the much-dreaded commute to contend with.
The return to crowded trains and, quite likely, delays, is not something anyone looks forward too. You can't change it, but there is one simple way to make your commute a little happier at least – find the optimum journey. And there's an app to help you do just that.
Read more: A third of London trains fail to run on time
Just enter your current journey into Fasteroute, online or via Android or iOS app (handy if you're doing it on the go) and see how delayed that route is. The information on delays takes into account data from the past eight weeks and lays it out in an easy to read format for each train heading to your destination from your chosen station around the time you travel, and for each day of the week.
For each journey, you can see how often there are delays of more than five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes or complete cancellation, and how often it runs on time. You can also view the stops further along the route to identify whether delays develop later in your journey, literally down the line.
The app, created by Fasterroute with funding and data from the Open Data Institute, gives you the most comprehensive data to analyse your daily commute (or indeed, any regular journey).
It can show, for instance, how a train three minutes earlier is much more reliable, or that Monday is the day most likely to suffer delays, meaning you can decide to catch an earlier train to avoid setbacks at the start of the week.
Getting up 10 minutes earlier might just save half an hour of travelling. Or perhaps a slightly later but less delayed train would still get you in on time.
If your train is delayed towards the end of a journey, it may be more efficient to get off a stop earlier and walk. Fasteroute works especially well for anyone having to catch a connecting train, as the reliability of the first service can affect getting to the connecting train on time.
What better way to start the new year than with a better commute. And you don't even have to move house or job.