Israel Railways Threatens Legal Action Against Train Schedule App

Israel Railways has sent a legal warning to the developer of the Better Rail application, alleging unauthorized use of its systems and damage to its digital services. The railway company demands the app's immediate removal from app stores within seven days, claiming the app illegally accesses and commercially utilizes data directly from Israel Railways' systems, databases, and APIs.

In a letter dated August 9th, Israel Railways asserts that Better Rail's automatic data extraction, without proper authorization or adherence to terms of use, constitutes a "prohibited intrusion into systems" and computer material. The railway company also claims that this unauthorized access has strained its systems, impacted the stability of its digital services, and incurred significant financial and operational costs.

Israel Railways cited specific incidents, including a search engine and trip planner crash in August 2025 and repeated failures on May 19, 2026, attributing these issues partly to unauthorized external usage like that of Better Rail. The company estimates these additional costs to be in the hundreds of thousands of shekels.

The railway company also noted a prior communication on June 22nd, where its information systems manager requested the app operators cease using non-public information interfaces. Israel Railways is also raising potential violations of computer laws, though these are allegations made in the warning letter, not court findings.

Demands include an immediate halt to accessing its systems and data, cessation of commercial data use, deletion of all extracted data, and removal of the Better Rail app from distribution channels. Israel Railways also seeks details on data extraction methods and profits derived. Failure to comply within seven days will prompt Israel Railways to consider legal action and potentially report alleged criminal aspects to relevant authorities.