Why TrackTrain app has been pulled from the App Store

You are reading this most likely because you’ve purchased “Track Train” iPhone app from the App Store and it stopped working, or you were looking to buy it and it disappeared from the app store.

Unfortunately, it has stopped working permanently. It has been been pulled due to MTA (the agency that runs Long Island Rail Road) telling me I can’t use their data anymore. Unless MTA change their policies – which is unlikely – the app won’t come back to the app store. If you’re interested in more technical detail, see below.

If you wish to get a refund, please contact me and I’ll accommodate.

Sorry for the inconvenience – the app was popular and I got some really positive feedback. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do – I tried to reason with MTA but it’s futile. I spent a lot of time on making this app after they gave me the green light originally, so it’s frustrating for me as well, but such is life.

Technical explanation:
MTA has several API’s (ways to access their data) that provide train schedule information. I’ve used the API that provided (among other data) the track number train was leaving from. I got official permission from MTA to use this API, and they issued me an API key to use the API.

Last month, MTA contacted me to say they don’t want anybody using that API anymore, and I need to switch to a different API. Unfortunately, the other API didn’t have the track information – which is the whole point of my app. I had an extensive conversation with MTA trying to still be able to use the original API, as that’s the only one that would work for my app, but they don’t want anybody using that API anymore. So unfortunately, I had to shut the app down.