Free Train Delay Alerts: Get Notified Before It Arrives

Waiting at a platform, or worse, sitting at home refreshing a status page, is the default way most people track an incoming train. It doesn't need to be. A browser notification a few minutes before your train actually reaches your station means you can get on with whatever you're doing until it's genuinely time to head down.

Can I get a notification a few minutes before my train reaches my station?

Yes. On any train's live status page, you can pick a station along its route, your boarding point, a pickup point, wherever you actually need the heads-up, and turn on an arrival alert for it. The alert fires a few minutes before the train is due, based on its live running position rather than the original static timetable, so it accounts for delays automatically rather than just repeating the printed schedule.

Do I need to install an app to get train alerts?

No. The alert works through your browser's own notification permission, on both phone and desktop, the same mechanism many websites use for order updates or breaking news. There's nothing to download and nothing that takes up storage space on your phone, and it works whether you're using Chrome, Safari or another modern browser that supports web push notifications.

Will the alert tell me if the train is cancelled or diverted?

Not as a separate message. The alert follows the train's live position and sends three kinds of notification: a heads-up a few minutes before it reaches your station, a message when it arrives (with the platform where it's known), and a notice if the platform changes. If the train is cancelled or diverted away from your station, the arrival heads-up simply won't come, so if you're picking someone up, also check the train's live status page before you leave home.

Does the alert stop automatically once the journey is over?

Yes. The alert is tied to that specific train's specific journey on that date, not a standing subscription, so once the train has reached and left your chosen station (or after a few days at most), there's nothing left running in the background and nothing to remember to switch off. If you want an alert for the same train on a different date, you set it up again for that journey.

How this compares to other options

Plenty of services gate similar alerts behind an app install, an account signup, or a subscription, and some charge for SMS-based versions. A browser push alert avoids all three: no app, no login, no recurring cost, and it works the moment you're on the train's page, which is also where you're already checking the live status in the first place.

Who this is genuinely useful for

• Daily commuters on a regular train who don't want to sit refreshing a page every evening before heading to the platform.
• Anyone picking someone up at a station, where a delay changes plans and you'd rather be told when the train is actually close than wait on the platform.
• Overnight travellers who want to be woken with enough notice before an early-morning arrival rather than setting a guess-based alarm.
• Anyone connecting to another train or a flight, where knowing the realistic arrival time changes how tight the connection actually is.

What the alert is based on

It uses the same live tracking data behind our running status pages, which updates as the train reports its position along the route rather than relying only on the original printed timetable. That's why the notification timing shifts automatically if a train is running early or late: it's calculated from where the train actually is, not from a fixed clock time set when you turned the alert on.

Where to turn it on

Open the specific train you're tracking, check its live running status, pick your station from the stop list, and enable the alert from there. If you're not yet sure which train you'll be on, our trip planner helps you find the right one first, seat availability and connections included, before you head to that train's page to set the alert up.

A practical use beyond your own journey

The same alert is useful for picking someone up: rather than guessing an arrival time or repeatedly checking the status page yourself, set an alert for the arrival station and let it notify you close to the actual arrival, adjusted for whatever delay has built up by that point in the journey. If you'd rather understand the delay pattern for a specific train before relying on it for a tight pickup window, our guide on why trains run late explains the common causes and how to read a train's typical punctuality.