1. Introduction
Departure Town ("we", "us", or "our") provides real-time train, bus, and metro departure information across the United Kingdom. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we handle it when you use our website at departure.town.
2. Data We Collect
2.1 Account Information
You do not need an account to use most features of Departure Town. If you choose to create an account for the sync feature, we collect:
- Email address and password (for email sign-in)
- Basic profile information provided by Google or GitHub (for social sign-in), such as your name and profile picture
Authentication is managed by Google Firebase Authentication. We do not store your passwords directly; they are handled entirely by Firebase.
2.2 Location Data
The "Nearby Stops" feature uses your browser's Geolocation API to find stops near you. This only happens when you explicitly grant permission. Your location coordinates are sent to our server to return nearby results and are not stored after the request is fulfilled.
2.3 Usage & Analytics Data
We use Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to understand how visitors use Departure Town. This may collect:
- Pages visited and time spent on the site
- Device type, browser, and operating system
- Approximate geographic region
- Referral source
This data is aggregated and anonymised. We do not use it to personally identify you.
2.4 Cookies
Departure Town uses cookies and similar technologies for:
- Essential cookies – required for authentication sessions and basic site functionality.
- Analytics cookies – used by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to measure site usage.
- Marketing cookies – used by Google AdSense to display relevant advertisements. These are only loaded if you accept marketing cookies.
When you first visit the site, a cookie consent banner allows you to choose which categories of cookies to accept. You can update your preferences at any time using the "Manage cookie preferences" option in the banner or footer.
3. How We Use Your Data
We use the data we collect to:
- Provide and improve departure information services
- Authenticate you and enable the sync feature
- Show nearby stops based on your current location
- Understand how the site is used so we can make it better
- Display relevant advertisements (only with your consent to marketing cookies)
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
4. Third-Party Services
Departure Town relies on the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:
- Google Firebase – authentication and analytics (Firebase Privacy)
- Google Analytics & Tag Manager – website usage analytics (Google Privacy Policy)
- Google AdSense – advertising (only loaded with your consent) (Google Privacy Policy)
- National Rail Enquiries – departure data (NRE Privacy Policy)
- MapLibre / OpenStreetMap – map tiles and rendering
5. Data Retention
Account data is retained for as long as your account exists. If you delete your account, your data will be removed from our systems. Analytics data is retained in an aggregated, anonymised form as configured in Google Analytics.
6. Your Rights
Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR), you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction or deletion of your data
- Withdraw consent for location access or analytics cookies at any time
- Object to processing of your data
You can manage your location permissions through your browser settings. To delete your account or request your data, please contact us.
7. Children's Privacy
Departure Town is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us so we can delete it.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, email [email protected]