Israel Railways threatens lawsuit against Better Rail app developers

Israel Railways is threatening to take legal action against the operators of the public transport app Better Rail, claiming that the app extracts information from the railway's systems without authorization, uses it for commercial purposes, and causes overloads in its systems.

Better Rail rejects these claims, arguing that it is a free, ad-free, open-source app, and that access to the railway's data was performed through standard network requests without hacking or bypassing security mechanisms. In a warning letter, the railway demands an immediate halt to access to its systems and API interfaces, the deletion of extracted information, and the removal of the app from distribution platforms.

Better Rail has been operating since 2021 as an independent, non-commercial app developed by Guy Teper. It is presented as a faster and simpler alternative to the official app, providing information on train times, delays, and real-time travel updates.

According to the railway, schedule data and trip planning information are proprietary assets, and their use is subject to terms that permit only personal, non-commercial use. The railway further claims that its systems are protected by technological controls, and that Better Rail bypassed these mechanisms, constituting unauthorized intrusion into computer material. The railway also points to system crashes in August 2025 and May 19, 2026, claiming that external usage, including Better Rail’s activity, contributed to these malfunctions and caused costs estimated at hundreds of thousands of shekels.

Better Rail rejects the allegations, noting that in five years of operation, it has received only about 2,000 shekels in user support, which does not cover maintenance costs. The company demands that the railway provide the investigations and calculations attributing the damage to the app. "We refuse the bullying and delusional demand to remove the app from the stores. We will continue to make train times accessible to the traveling public," they wrote on X.

The dispute began after the railway asked Better Rail to switch to using data transferred to the Ministry of Transport. Better Rail claims that after the switch, significant gaps were discovered between the Ministry's data and the railway's own data, particularly regarding operational events. Better Rail announced that, despite potential impacts on data accuracy, it has stopped direct connections to the railway's systems and switched to the Ministry of Transport's data feed.