Choo!
Never miss the next train past your bridge.
Pick a bridge, a footpath or a level crossing. Choo! works out which trains pass it, and counts down to the second the next one goes by. Made for train-mad little ones and the grown-ups who take them.
- Free to download
- No ads
- No accounts
- No tracking
Find a spot. Count down together. Wave!
Most train apps tell you when a train leaves the station. Choo! tells you when it passes the place you're standing.
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1
Pick your spot
Long-press the map beside any railway. Choo! finds the line and the stations either side, and shows what's due before you save it.
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2
Count down together
Every spot's pin counts down to the next train, with an arrow for the way it's going, so you know which way to look.
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3
Wave!
"Now!", then "Just gone", and the next countdown begins. Tap "A train just passed" and Choo! fine-tunes that spot's timings.
Not when it leaves the station. When it passes you.
Choo! works out when each train will pass your spot, part-way between stations. In the last couple of minutes the time comes straight from the railway's signalling, so as a train gets close the countdown is right to the second.
- Follow a spot on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island while you walk to the bridge.
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show the next train at a glance.
- Watch the next train come along the line on the map as it gets closer.
- National Rail, plus the Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line in London.
The special ones get a star.
Freight trains, test trains, charters, leaf-clearing trains and engines out on their own: the ones that make a small person's day. Choo! gives each an emoji and a star on the map, and can send you a heads-up 5 minutes before one passes one of your spots.
Trains that don't stop are counted too, not just the ones calling at the station.
Freight trains
Carrying goods like stone, containers or fuel instead of people.
Charters
Hired for a special trip. Sometimes it's an old steam engine!
Test trains
Checking the track and wires are in good shape. They're often bright yellow.
Leaf-clearing trains
In autumn, fallen leaves make the rails slippery. This train sprays water to wash them off.
Engines on their own
No carriages or wagons, on the way to pick up a train.
Other specials
Trains that don't carry passengers. Who knows what it might be?
"What's that one?"
Answers in plain English, ready for the hundredth "why?". Tap any train to see a picture of its type, how many carriages it has, its unit number, whether it's on time, and its whole journey on a map with your spot on it.
- 📷 A picture of its type
- 🚃 Carriages
- 🔢 Unit number
- ⏱️ On time or late
- 🗺️ Its whole journey
Stay behind the barriers.
Watch from public places behind a fence or barrier, never on or near the tracks, and hold little hands near the railway. At a level crossing, wait well back until the barriers are up and the lights have stopped.
Any railway you can stand beside.
You choose the spots. Long-press the map anywhere beside a line, and Choo! sets it up.
National Rail, across Great Britain
Every train past your spot, including the ones that don't stop, freight and empty trains. Times come from National Rail Enquiries and Network Rail's open data.
Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line
In London, with data from TfL. Watch the trains come along the line on the map as they get close.
Nothing to sign up for. Nothing watching you.
- No adsNo banners, no pop-ups.
- No accountsOpen it and go.
- No trackingNo analytics, no ad identifiers.
- Location stays putYour exact location never leaves your phone.
Ready, steady… Choo!
Choo! is in beta on TestFlight now, and coming to the App Store. Made by a parent for a train-mad little one, and for anyone who still waves at trains.
Needs an iPhone with iOS 18 or later, and the free TestFlight app from Apple.