Israel Railways Threatens Legal Action Against Third-Party Transit App

Israel Railways has threatened legal proceedings against the operators of the transit app Better Rail, alleging that the application illegally accesses and commercially utilizes railway system data, causing system overloads and malfunctions. Better Rail denies these claims, asserting it is a free, ad-free, open-source application that accesses railway data through standard web requests without any security breaches.

In a warning letter, Israel Railways demanded Better Rail immediately cease accessing its systems and APIs, delete all scraped data, and remove the app from distribution platforms. The railway company claims its schedule, travel planning, and system-generated data are proprietary assets, subject to its terms of use, which permit only personal, non-commercial use. Israel Railways further contends that Better Rail bypassed its security measures, constituting not only a violation of terms of use but also unauthorized access to computer systems and material.

The railway company stated that Better Rail went beyond the data regularly provided to the Ministry of Transport, directly extracting layers of information and technological products not publicly available, which it considers commercial secrets. Israel Railways claims this activity has caused hundreds of thousands of shekels in damages, citing system crashes and overload issues on specific dates in August 2025 and May 2026, which investigations allegedly linked to external usage, including Better Rail's.

Better Rail, operational since approximately 2021, presents itself as an independent, non-commercial alternative to the official app, offering real-time train times, delays, station information, and travel updates. The app is free, ad-free, open-source, and relies on user support. Better Rail refutes the allegations, emphasizing its free, non-profit nature and minimal user-supported income. They maintain that data access is via standard web requests without credentials and that their open-source code is publicly verifiable.

Regarding the alleged system overloads, Better Rail has requested the railway company provide the investigation data and traffic analysis attributing damages to the app, noting its significantly smaller user base compared to the official railway app. Better Rail has stated it will not comply with the demand to remove the app and will continue to provide train schedule information to the public.

The dispute escalated after Israel Railways asked Better Rail to switch to data provided to the Ministry of Transport. Better Rail claims this data showed significant discrepancies, particularly concerning operational events like cancellations and platform changes. Consequently, Better Rail has ceased direct connection to the railway's systems and is now using Ministry of Transport data, urging users to report errors to improve accuracy.