Find out where your next train is - An app for the MassDOT Hackathon.
Trains have GPS sensors, and apps today can tell you where they are. However, before a train reaches the end of its route, trainmasters decide which route it will serve next. A train that is running two hours late could be replaced by another train, with the appropriate data. However the trainmasters lack analytical tools to make the most optimal decisions.
The commuter taking the MBTA rail may want to know the status of their train an hour in advance, but they would not be able to know if their train has not become "their" train yet.
The MBTA kept track of the train changes with 'consist numbers' in 2011, where a consist is a number identifying a unique train, which may be serving one, two, or more lines in a day. Our team is analyzing this data, and creating a proof of concept in the form of a website to demonstrate how we can help commuters (and trainmasters) make better decisions. We anticipate working with the MBTA to begin collecting the consist data again, and developing a full-fledged web and mobile app for both types of users.