LRT, MRT commuters can soon track train arrivals through new app

If you are one of the commuters who regularly use the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT), you have likely experienced waiting for a train on your way to work or heading home. Now, a new application aims to help commuters track train arrivals and better manage their time.

Rhey Jen Crusem, a 28-year-old software engineer and regular commuter, developed an app called 'TrainSight', which will allow users to check the estimated arrival of the next train across select MRT and LRT lines once launched.

Together with his team—Clyde Corpuz, John Patrick Diaz, and Frank Cayaco—Crusem developed the app as a tool to help thousands of commuters plan their journeys and reduce the uncertainty of waiting for trains. As a commuter from Cavite, Crusem understands firsthand the challenges faced by people who rely on public transportation to travel to and from Metro Manila.

“We built 'TrainSight' to reduce the uncertainty commuters experience while waiting. The goal is to help people plan their trips better instead of relying only on varying schedules or guessing when the next train will arrive, or worse, dealing with unexpected service delays and interruptions,” he said.

Metro Manila's railways serve millions of passengers each year, with many commuters traveling from nearby provinces such as Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal.

The growing demand for public transportation highlights the daily challenges faced by commuters, including long waiting times and overcrowding. For commuters who travel long distances to reach Metro Manila, tools such as 'TrainSight' could provide useful information to help them plan their trips more efficiently.

The developers are currently preparing for the launch of the app and are looking to expand the project in the future by adding trackers for buses and jeepneys through partnerships with transport operators and technology companies.

“We plan to further improve TrainSight's accuracy, expand it to mobile and wearable devices, and work with more transportation operators and technology partners. We are also now developing the road variant of this technology for buses and jeepneys and, in the future, its variant for ferry services,” Crusem said.