Commuter Aladdin Moukhallalati creates Train Social app to meet others on his daily train journey
A TRAIN commuter that got sick of not getting to know anyone on his long rides to work decided to do something about it - and he’s got big plans for his app.
TRAIN Social is an app for millions of commuters to connect in what is normally a reclusive journey to and from work - and there is nothing else like it in the world
Aladdin Moukhallalati got sick of not getting to know anyone on his 90 minute journey every day from West Hoxton to Central on a train.
He said he’s never had a successful conversation on a train with someone during peak hour.
“It’s so boring on trains. I wanted to find a way to connect,” he said.
He said people were consumed by their smart phones and rarely spoke with others while they made their journey.
“During peak hour, everyone is face-deep in their phone. We call it ‘glow face’,” he said.
“Being able to provide a platform ... to speak without that awkwardness and anger on a train is what I was trying to achieve.”
So the 29-year-old created Train Social, a social media app that gives train commuters a platform and taps into people’s desire to get caught up in the tech world.
The business entrepreneur developed the idea over a two-year period, with it officially being available in December.
He said the average Aussie train commute was about 26 minutes and 92 per cent of them had smart phones or tablets.
“The idea of the app is to lessen the distance between strangers and bring like-minded travellers closer,” he said.
He said a person’s account can choose what information they share. You can see who is online, based on their distance from you.
With features like ‘Who’s Online’ users have the option to invite someone that they’d like to talk to on the train to connect.
“Like other social media, you have to send a chat request to talk with someone. And it’s up to them if they respond,” he said.
Another feature is that users can estimate in metres how far away other commuters are from them.
You can share photos, talk about your journey or even give other commuters a heads-up if there are any delays.
Mr Moukhallalati wants it to be the biggest Australian social media app on the market, with plans to spread to Melbourne, Brisbane and potentially overseas.
“There are over one million commuters in Sydney who travel on a train each day. And three million if you include all of Australia,” he said.
Mr Moukhallalati balances his full time job with his app, watching it grow organically but suspects it won’t be long before it becomes a full time job of its own.
Details: trainsocialapp.com
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