Focus of work
trainable is a Scotland-based website that aims to help people discover places to visit within reach of train stations. The team is working on launching the service across the whole of Scotland in spring 2026, and is introducing new features to help make trip and holiday discovery by train simpler, more attractive and engaging. Learning from user feedback, the team aims to expand the service into the rest of Great Britain in 2027, and potentially overseas thereafter.
Impact
Early versions of trainable received very positive feedback, particularly from people with no access to a car. Surveys showed that users are keen to see the service expand and introduce new options, such as itinerary planning, train+bike-friendly options, and improved accessibility information. The profile of the site is growing, with recent mentions in Edinburgh media outlets leading to thousands of site visits.
The funding from FIT will support running costs though to the end of 2026, which will be vital for 1) rebuilding the user interface and technical architecture; 2) building a marketing strategy to test and iterate user-focused features; and 3) testing revenue-building options and partnerships to help take trainable to the next level. An end-of-year user survey will explore in more detail the impact the service is having in terms of improved understanding of the rail network, modal switching and behaviour change.