Israel Railways Threatens Lawsuit Over Free Train Schedule App

Israel Railways has sent a pre-litigation notice to the developer of the free app "Better Rail," demanding its removal from app stores. The state-owned company alleges "unauthorized commercial use" of its data, claiming the app infringes on its proprietary information and terms of service. Better Rail, which provides quick and convenient access to train schedules and real-time updates, has refused to comply, asserting that the information is public.

According to Better Rail developer Guy Tepper, Israel Railways knew about the app since its launch five years ago. Tepper stated that the app, developed as open-source and without ads or profit motives, aims to serve passengers better than the official, more cumbersome, railway application. He claims the railway company's digital manager initially contacted him, but a planned meeting never occurred.

The pre-litigation letter, dated August 9, 2026, from law firm Gornitzky & Co. on behalf of Israel Railways, accuses Better Rail of unauthorized commercial use of company data, including schedules and travel planning information. The railway company contends that the app bypassed technological barriers and used an unapproved access key, constituting illegal computer intrusion. Furthermore, Israel Railways claims the app's activity caused significant strain on its infrastructure, leading to repeated crashes of its official travel search engine and incurring hundreds of thousands of shekels in costs.

Better Rail's legal response, drafted by volunteer lawyer Guy Zomer, refutes these claims. The app developers argue that as a publicly funded entity, Israel Railways cannot claim exclusive ownership of public timetable information. They also state that the app has generated minimal revenue, primarily through user donations, far from covering development and maintenance costs. Regarding the alleged infrastructure strain, Better Rail suggests that equivalent user activity on the official website would produce similar load and demands proof from the railway company.

Tepper highlighted that the dispute affects all public transport app users in Israel, as many rely on data provided by the Ministry of Transport, which he claims is often inaccurate. Better Rail has released a new version using Ministry of Transport data, warning of potential inaccuracies in cases of cancellations or platform changes, and is seeking financial support for its operations. Israel Railways has not yet responded to Better Rail's detailed response.