Google Maps has a brand-new plan to make your next train journey less stressful
Google Maps is easily the most popular navigation app on the planet. Google is always rolling out new features to hang onto that top spot. The latest addition sees Maps attempt to make your commute on the train a little less stressful, and keep you safe before you head back to the office.
The new feature, improving on Google’s existing crowd prediction, begins rolling out to users on Android and iPhone worldwide from today. So, what actually changes? Well, Google will show you predictions on how busy a train is, and how many seats are available. In some bigger cities, such as New York and Sydney, Google is trialling a more advanced version that shows how busy each carriage is, rather than the train as a whole.
Working with over 1,000 different transportation companies in over 100 countries, Google hopes the feature will offer more insight for commuters.
When the feature rolls out, users will see a new “Live” indicator on the journey details page. The app will also tell you whether the train you’re about to take is “busier than usual” or “not too busy”. This feature works just like Google’s current crowd prediction for locations. As it stands, users can see a prediction of how busy a shop or restaurant will be in Google Maps. When checking this, users can also see current capacity, and whether the place is busier than usual or not.
