VRE Mobile for Android
The most useful n the most used option is, the Train Status. It is supposed to show realtime status but it is consistenly behind by 4 minutes to actual departures. Rely on it and you will miss your train. Needs calibration badly.
The in-app "Submit Feedback" email address automatically rejects all messages, so I guess I'll submit it here. The app crashes the first time I open it, every time. Works fine the second time you launch it. This has happened twice a day for years, across 3 different phones. It mostly works once you finally get it to launch. Once an update completely broke the app and they didn't let the conductors know, it required an email to their support (back when they still accepted emails) to recover my tickets. Apparently there's some site where they post these issues but I don't know where it is. It's certainly not in the app. So I guess it's technically functional.
This app always crashes when you first try to open it. Train status should be tied to the ticket you're using, but something else is off because it's always wrong. Also why don't you have the schedules on the app instead of making you go to the website? It's usable, but not much better than paper tickets.
Well I can finally purchase tickets again for now. Only giving this a three star due to the fact that it shouldn't have been inoperable for so long in the first place. If we lose the ability to purchase tickets are if we keep the ability to buy tickets for a while the rating with change accordingly.
App crashes upon first run every time. This has occurred on multiple devices
Does what it needs to.
Occasionally crashes
App works well enough to use daily. Docked a star because it will sometimes crash upon opening making me reopen it to use it. (Always works the second time) The most recent update made it hard to find the payment options, I have to scroll a 1 line item list to find it. Very annoying until I figured that out.
Still broken! Ticket purchase option does not work. The app does not allow for the purchase of a monthly ticket and splitting the payment anymore. Only payment option shown is SmartBenefits option. App also crashes at initial launch most days when opening app.
7/4/17 Finally able to purchase via credit card again! The fix for me was to go back into the "My Account" section of the app, and add a "postal code" for each credit card. After this, they now show up in the payment screen. However, please note that the payment screen has a small window at the top, that you will have to scroll down, in order to see your cards, and the split payment / submit button. (the window border is invisible) I hope this helps anyone else who's been stuck for a while.
***6/13/17 UPDATE: Still no fix to the problems previously stated. VRE Mobile is now a definite FAIL. Do not download!!*** ****6/3/17 UPDATE: I changed the rating from 3 stars to 1; wishing -1 was an option. This app seems to lose more functionality with each update. as others have noted, the app has deleted previously saved credit card information and doesn't provide a way to reenter it. The only option it shows for purchasing a ticket is Smartbenefits -- no longer able to use a credit card or PayPal. I'm back to purchasing paper tickets and passes at the kiosk. Now definitely deleting this pitiful app.**** Before the last update, I would have given this app a 5. What genius decided to take away access to Trip Tools? Instead of the app being a useful, one-stop utility for VRE travel, it's now simply an electronic ticket. For that I can go back to a paper ticket and use the space on my mobile for something else...like a useful app.
I can no longer see my credit card under Payment Options. Works on the iPhone, though. Not a good way to push Android phones. A month later and still no Payment Options. Are any VRE reps reading these reviews?
App will not let you buy with credit only smart benefits fix now before the weekend otherwise VRE you are shafting folks hard come JUNE 2017.....
What happened to the app? It's not letting me buy tickets and crashes every time I open it.
Developers: where is the monthly ticket option? Did anyone test the app before it was released? Monthly ticket holders are the most frequent customers.
Can't buy a ticket with a credit card. Not even an option. Your app developer should be fired. This is one hell of a way to run a railroad.
App dropped my credit card info and will not allow add card info. Only shows smart benefits option!!!
Please fix the payment screen. Can no longer make a payment for tickets except thru SmartBenefits.
I can no longer purchase a monthly pass with the app, please fix
no place to enter credit card. useless app!
At first I really liked this app. For purchasing tickets it is great and does allow for split purchases. For some reason now that is all i can do with it. All other features have disappeared. Now i have to go go the website to get statutes. Frankly I'd like it to alert me when my train is delayed. At a minimum though you need to get the train statues working again on the app.
Like others said, the train information and other tools are now gone. Also this has placed two VRE titles on my phone, one of which doesn't work but when you go to remove it it deletes both titles. Also I can not remeber before but this now asks for permission to use my phone location and if I do not want to give it access to that, then I can not use the app at all, even to pull up my already purchased ticket.
Where did the trip tools go? That was the selling point I used to tell another friend about what was once a useful tool. Now all the trip tools - train schedules, train status - are gone. And the app won't close out. I started using VRE this past summer when Metro "safe tracking" made VRE seem more convenient. After the latest safe tracking episode, I'm ready to go to VRE full time. I'm just disappointed this app has been stripped of its usefulness.
The app is suddenly not working correctly - two icons show up even when re-installing. Fortunately they didn't mess up the ticket part (yet!) But the schedules and train status menu has disappeared and you have to 'hard' shut it down. Someone pushed a bad upgrade on February 1. I see lots of other folks posting the same problem. I filled out a form online and sent several messages from my phone. I am hitting social media next.
Horrible app. It takes 30 to 90 seconds just to open a validated ticket. Quite frustrating for myself and the conductors who have to stand there waiting for the app to work before they can check other tickets.
Crashes, unresponsive, must force close several times before it works correctly, removed useful features. Don't know what VRE is doing, but making something that's helpful for riders doesn't seem high on their priory list. Thank you for leaving me disappointed each time I have to use this buggy app.
Used to be good. Now it's just a ticket selling tool. Most of the useful information has vanished. Would you care to address the matter, VRE, or are we going to have to flood your office with phone complaints?
Can't find another way to ask - what happened to the schedules and train information? All I can do now is use and buy tickets. Do I have to the regular site for that? Why would you take it away?
Used to be halfway decent app when they had schedules, train locations, maps, etc. Now it's just a way to buy a ticket. Useless for me when I have a monthly ticket.
Yes, you will have bugs, that is inevitable, but to not fix them, or worse tell your customers that you will fix them and don't, is inexcusable. As a software engineer, who has work Agile and waterfall quarterly releases, I don't know what cycle you are on but you should figure this out. This coming month, I am going back to a paper ticket; that is how bad the app is. Multiple icons, one works one doesn't, can't place a shortcut on desktop because it always crashes, takes too long to open when I need to show the conductor (they know, they just wave it off and don't check). Fix it and I will come back and update my review.
As others said this removed most of the features and is now just a ticket machine. Also after uninstallźreinstall it still has 2 app entries. Not worth the memory it consumes.
This used to be okay... now only sells tickets... no train schedules, tracking,...all gone... last update sucked everything out!
This used to be a decent app with the Tools and Train information. Now all it is good for is buying tickets. My app routinely closes and has used multiple 10 trip tickets when I only needed 1. Once, on a Saturday it purchased 2 tickets without my ever entering the app...
Hi, what happened to the train information? It disappeared in this update.
Is the train Info and map coming back when the new schedule starts. Why is this just a purchase app now? Terrible for rider support!
Why on Earth does the latest update have two icons on my S7 edge app drawer, only one of which works?
This app use yo have train schedules and a whole of useful information. It doesn't have anything now. I can buy a ticket a the station but what made this app useful was the other items.
Is this crazy or what no map or schedule info... One giant leap backwards... I wonder which genius decided "let's go with less functionality than the previous versions "
This app has a mind of it's own. It can be very, very slow and I find I have to close it and open a few times to get it to work. It is very difficult to edit if you make an error. Some errors can cost you if you are charged twice for the same fare.
by M####:
Pretty lame. Status not always accurate. Does not have a train schedule. Would be nice to have the schedule instead of having users go to the website. Scratching my head as to why I have this using up space