A smart Train Tracker Website

The difinition of Smartness is increasingly bringing user convenience in its ambit; and that user convenience means informing a user of the current status of the service and what is expected the very next second.

Have a look at this launch.

Chicago Transit authority or CTA has launched its CTA Train Tracker website which allows commutors to use their computers and smart phones to view estimated arrival times for trains on all eight CTA rail lines.

The website provides estimated arrival times for trains at all 144 CTA train stations on all eight of the agency’s rail lines. CTA customers can visit www.transitchicago.com and follow the link on the page to CTA Train Tracker. There is also a mobile version of the program for smart phones. The CTA Train tracker screens will be installed at platforms too.

In addition, the commutors can also select their rail line and then choose the station from which they will board the train. Arrival times of approaching trains are provided within a 15-minute timeframe for the selected station — with results refreshing approximately every 20-30 seconds.

All this smartness for the convenience of the users of CTA. Great.

How CTA Train Tracker gets the Data:

Estimated arrival times are generated through a combination of scheduling information and data collected by the software that monitors the signal system to indicate when a portion of track is occupied by a train. To caluculate the estimated arrival times, the software first measures how long it takes a train to travel a portion of track and then averaging the times of the last five trains to move across a portion of track.

NOTE: The new system is in Beta at present, so the CTA concedes the Train Tracker system will not be quite as accurate as the popular Bus Tracker system. The Bus Tracker uses GPS technology, but the Train Tracker will gather its information from signaling systems and sensors on the tracks. --------

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