Idea / Proposal - Adding Trains 🚄 as Reviewable Entities on Google Maps for Local Guides

[NandKK]

Hello Googlers & Connect Moderators,

Currently, Google Maps allows users and Local Guides to add reviews, photos, and facts about fixed locations such as shops, restaurants, malls, and other immovable businesses. This system works well for stationary entities, but it misses a significant segment of public services that are mobile yet heavily used by millions daily — trains.

#Why Trains Should Be Added to Google Maps as Reviewable Entities

Trains, though constantly moving, function as critical service providers for a huge number of passengers every day. For example, in India alone, approximately 10,000 passenger trains operate daily, transporting millions of commuters. However, there is currently no structured way for passengers to share reviews, photos, or useful information about the quality of service, cleanliness, punctuality, facilities, or customer experiences related to these trains.

This gap leads to a lack of publicly available, reliable, crowd-sourced feedback, which can help future passengers make informed decisions. Imagine if each train had its own Google Maps listing — users could check:

1. Cleanliness and maintenance standards via photos and ratings

2. Punctuality and reliability through shared experiences

3. Facilities available on board such as Wi-Fi, charging points, catering services

4. Answers to common queries about schedules, stops, and onboard services

5. Overall passenger satisfaction ratings

#Technical Feasibility - While it is challenging to represent a moving entity like a train on a location-based map, it is not impossible for the technical team of Google Inc. The Google technical team could:

1. Use the train’s origin station as the primary geo-location for its Google Maps listing.

2. Link the train listing to its unique train number & name.

3. Integrate real-time tracking data to show current locations during journeys.

4. Allow reviews and photos to be associated with the train listing rather than fixed locations.

5. Add schedule, stoppage info, and alerts updated dynamically.

#Additional Suggestions for Implementation

1. Train-specific Profile Pages: Create dedicated pages for each train showing aggregated ratings, reviews, photos, schedules, and live tracking.

2. Integration with Transit Info: Sync with existing transit data for accurate timetables and delay notifications.

3. User-generated Q&A Section: Allow travelers to ask and answer questions about the train services.

4. Safety and Hygiene Ratings: Separate categories for cleanliness, safety, and customer service to help users evaluate different aspects of the journey.

5. Incentivize Reviews: Encourage frequent travelers to become “Train Guides” with badges and recognition to boost quality contributions.

6. Multi-language Support: Support reviews in multiple languages to cater to diverse traveler demographics.

7. Offline Review Submission: Allow users to draft reviews offline during travel to submit later.

#Pros of This Idea

∆ Enhanced Passenger Experience: Travelers gain access to crowd-sourced, real-time feedback on train services, helping them choose better options.

∆ Accountability for Train Operators: Public reviews and photos motivate better maintenance, punctuality, and service quality.

∆ Informed Decision Making: Users can plan trips better with knowledge of train cleanliness, amenities, and punctuality.

∆ Reduced Frustration: Access to transparent, up-to-date information helps manage expectations and reduces commuter dissatisfaction.

∆ Expanded Role for Local Guides: Empowers Local Guides to contribute in a new domain, increasing community engagement.

∆ Data for Improvement: Aggregated data on common complaints or praises can help railway authorities improve services.

∆ Global Applicability: Though focused on India, the system can scale worldwide for trains, flights, buses, ferries, and other mobile transport services.

Tagging 4 Google Moderators for their attention towards this post. I hope you won’t mind getting tagged here. If my tagging creates any sort of disturbance, I am seeking apology in advance.

@AngieYC @DeniGu @Ivi_Ge @MoniDi

[MortenCopenhagen]

Hi @NandKK

Thanks for your suggestions.

When I need to review a train service I add the review to the pin named as and owned by the train operator (the train company).

Live data about arrivals, departures, and delays are already implemented in many areas. So Google Maps already has the technical setup to continuously recieve and display such detailed information and they use it to calculate public transportation options for Maps users. Some transport providers might not yet be able to supply this data.

There are also existing features to ask passengers on trains about how crowded, cold/warm, and how safe individual trains,/busses etc are. This info is made available to other travelers.

[BudionoS]

Hello @NandKK your input is very good. on one hand I agree. but on the other hand, I also agree with what @MortenCopenhagen said. Hopefully later there will be a certain compromise from the Google Maps development team to find the best solution to continue involving Local Guides, while maintaining the accuracy of information about a train’s route. I myself quite often use train (and bus) arrival estimates in Singapore via Google Maps, and apparently it is quite accurate. in Indonesia, my own country, I have never used it.

[K.K.Sharma]

Great idea, @NandKK! Also, some trains—like Vande Bharat—offer better accessibility features. The entry gate is partially accessible from one side of the coach, allowing wheelchair users to board from that end. There is also a designated space for a wheelchair inside the coach. Additionally, accessible toilets are available, which are often missing in other trains.Thereofe review of trains is very useful for public.

@MortenCopenhagen

When I need to review a train service I add the review to the pin named as and owned by the train operator (the train company).

Until a separate category is created, I think we can continue adding and reviewing trains under the category of Railway Company or Railway Services, as @MortenCopenhagen is already doing.

[RaviSharma111]

Thank you @NandKK for your suggestions and feedback to sustainable means of transport, additionally i want to add some more information. In india Where is my Train an app from Google is deployed on play store where you can find more information about train and current status of the train. But here is limited access of everything what you suggest . This app is need to be more update and serve more to their users. Here is the screenshot of the app you can also send your suggestions and feedback to the app.

[NandKK]

Hi @MortenCopenhagen

Thank you for the detailed comment.

When I need to review a train service I add the review to the pin named as and owned by the train operator (the train company).

In my country there is nothing like a company / agency / organization who owns the train. Here all the train are run under Government of India under Ministry of Railway. No Train Operator / Company whatsoever.

Hence it is very difficult to find reviews about any train. For Example - From Delhi to Kolkata, on daily basis more than 5 to 10 trains are being operated. Without review about punctuality, cleanliness, food options, the commuters always remain in confuse which one to choose. If there will be any sort of option to read the reviews before booking, this will help a lot to the commuters.

[NandKK]

Hi @K.K.Sharma Ji,

Thank you for endorsing the idea.

But as you know, there is no train operator / train company in our country because each train is being operated by directly government of india under ministry of railway.

How we will be able to check review of any train anywhere ?

[NandKK]

Thank You @BudionoS for liking the idea. Currently we can only get to know about the punctuality and time-table through google or other apps. However, my proposal is to incorporate each train in the google map geo-located at its origin station so that everyone will be able to give and check review.

[NandKK]

I do agree with you @RaviSharma111 there are multiple apps (by google and other companies too), however all of them is limited to show the time-table, live location and availability only. How great it would be if the same will be incorporated on the Google Maps. Don’t you agree ?

[MadhurG]

This is genuinely great idea, i had trouble with finding best train for me with less crowd proper hygiene and tasty food. But as there is no such platform to review this we have to book tickets based on Luck instead of reviews…there is applications a third party ticket booking app show us review with train names but it’s not reliable as no body put efforts to review the train journey

[NandKK]

Thank you @MadhurG For liking and endorsing the idea. Indeed, the google technical team should think about the possibility for this one.

[BudionoS]

I get the point @NandKK and hopefully it can be adopted by the engineers of Google Maps in the next developments

[NandKK]

We should hope for the best @BudionoS

Thanks again.

[MoniDi]

Hello @NandKK,

Please keep in mind the Local Guides logo is a Google brand identity and is reserved for official use only. Do not use the Local Guides logo, pin, or any other Google imagery in any of your online or offline materials without expressed written permission. Please refer to The Local Guides brand for more information.

We ask you to edit your cover photo, change it, or your topic will be removed from Connect.

[RaviSharma111]

Thank you @NandKK , I will agree to each term and condition that makes Google Maps better. I agree with you to increase more features in public transport, especially trains, but I do not support giving train reviews, as this will mislead the users. In your previous response, you said that all trains are operated by the government in India, there is a dedicated department for it, the Ministry of Railways. Think 10 to 15 years back what was the condition of railway it was very bad but now stations are more clean and green some are High-tech also , How this could happen because of privatisation previously authority takes very less responsibility to their work but after privatization stations are more clean and accessible for passenger , TEJAS is the first private train and running between Lucknow to New Delhi you will see the difference between this train or other trains there are so many trains which provide luxuries facility to their passenger in India like Maharaj express on other people know about them , according to their ticket price you will get your compartment or seat in train , Railway ministry also provide some number to call for assistance where you are inside train , what I said the whole point is that we can think to add more features to these private trains but for other I can not recommend that sorry I cant agree more ,Review train is not good idea but yes off course update time table, seat availability and others feature like metro I will agree ,one more thing I want to add in this , in India we having different zones for railway when train passes from one station to another that will be responsibility of that zone to conduct train maintained and schedule as know we know trains are moving so giving review and finding the mismanagement will be complex task and I am sure that no authority will take responsibility for the bad review had given in their zone . yes I am sorry my opinion is different from you but I cant agree any more . I hope you will understand , thank you so much .

[NandKK]

I totally agree with you, thanks for your input. @RaviSharma111

[NandKK]

Oh, I wasn’t aware that this is the Local Guide logo — I’ll definitely make the change. The cover photo was AI-generated based on the provided keywords. I’ll also take a look at the link you shared. @MoniDi

Thank you for pointing that out!

[NandKK]

I have edited the Cover Photo @MoniDi

Thank you again for correcting me.

[RaviSharma111]

Thank you so much Dear @NandKK . Appreciate your efforts to making Google map more better for their users.

[MoniDi]

Thank you for editing your topic, @NandKK.