Get in touch directly, or search the common questions below. Rail Mate is built and supported by one person — replies usually come within one to two business days.
One email for everything — feature requests, bug reports, Pro unlock issues, refunds, privacy enquiries. Include your iOS version, Rail Mate version, and a brief description of what's happening. Screenshots help a lot.
support@railmate.com.auRail Mate is a field engineering tools app for Australian rail maintenance professionals. It bundles the calculations you run regularly on track — twist, curve, gauge, ballast, destress, horizontal alignment, short top, sleeper counts, and rail profile reference — into a single iOS app with scope management and PDF export.
It's built by a rail contractor, for rail contractors.
Rail Mate launches first on iOS 15 and later, available through the Apple App Store. Android support is planned and will follow once the iOS version is stable and we've had time to port.
No. Rail Mate has no accounts, no sign-up, and no login. You install the app and start using it. All your data is stored locally on your device.
Yes. All calculations, scope management, and photo attachments work fully offline. The only operations that need a network connection are downloading the app from the App Store and verifying the Pro unlock purchase. Once Pro is unlocked, it works offline indefinitely.
The Twist Calculator references ARTC ETS-05-00 Table 5-14, Brookfield Rail Code of Practice Table 6.2, and more. It performs consecutive-pair twist calculations with both 2m short-base and 14m long-base options, and flags readings against class limits.
You choose which standard to measure against when setting up the twist run. Additional standards are being added over time — let us know via support@railmate.com.au if there's a specific one you need.
For chord-based versine measurement, Rail Mate uses the standard approximation R = c² / 8v, where R is the curve radius, c is the chord length, and v is the versine (mid-ordinate).
The tool also supports solving in any direction — provide any two values and it gives you the third, plus degree of curve if you need it.
Rail Mate is metric-first, since Australian rail standards are metric. Some tools (notably Sleeper Calculator) support both metric and imperial spacing intervals. Unit toggles are provided where sensible — let us know if there's a specific tool where you'd like imperial support added.
Scope management is a Pro feature. A scope is a container for a single inspection or job. You create a scope, give it a name (e.g. "KM 142.3 to 143.1 — twist inspection"), then add items to it as you work: calculator results, measurements, photos, free-text notes.
When you finalise a scope, you can export it as a PDF that includes all calculations, photos, and notes — ready to hand to a supervisor or file against the job.
Entirely on your device. Rail Mate does not have a backend server that stores your scopes, photos, or calculator history. This means your data is private, but it also means it's your responsibility to back it up. We recommend exporting finalised scopes as PDFs and storing those in your own system (email, cloud drive, asset management tool).
Currently, no — because data lives on-device only, it doesn't follow you to a new phone automatically. Exported PDFs are the portable record. iCloud sync for scopes is on the roadmap but isn't available in v1.0.
From inside a scope item, tap the camera icon to either capture a new photo with the camera or select existing photos from your library. You'll be prompted by iOS to grant permission the first time. Attached photos are copied into the app's storage and stay with the scope item — deleting the photo from your library later won't remove it from the scope.
Free gives you Curve Calculator, Ballast Calculator, Sleeper Calculator, and Rail Profile Reference — all fully functional, with on-device storage and no ads.
Pro adds Twist Calculator (ARTC, Brookfield CoP and more), Gauge Checker, Destress Calculator, Horizontal Alignment, and Short Top — plus the full scope management workflow: creating inspection scopes, attaching photos to scope items, and exporting finalised scopes as PDFs.
No. Pro is a one-time purchase of A$49.99. You pay once, Pro stays unlocked on your Apple ID forever. No recurring charges, no auto-renewal, no subscription management to worry about.
Sign in to the new device with the same Apple ID you used for the original purchase. Inside Rail Mate, go to Settings → Restore Purchases and your Pro unlock will be reinstated. Pro is tied to your Apple ID, not the specific device.
App Store purchases are refunded by Apple, not by us. Request a refund via reportaproblem.apple.com using the Apple ID that made the purchase. If there's a specific issue with the app that's driving a refund, please also email support@railmate.com.au so we can fix it for the next user.
Your inspection data, photos, and scopes stay on your device — we never receive them. The only data that leaves your device is:
→ Anonymous crash reports via Sentry (so we can fix bugs)
→ Anonymous usage analytics via PostHog (so we know which tools are used)
→ Purchase receipts via Apple and RevenueCat (to verify Pro unlock)
No personal identifiers, no inspection content. Full details in the Privacy Policy.
Go to Rail Mate → Settings → Privacy and toggle off "Share anonymous usage data" and/or "Send crash reports." The change takes effect immediately and persists across app launches.
No. We don't sell data to advertisers, data brokers, insurers, or anyone else. We don't run ads in the app. The revenue model is simple: pay once for Pro, that's it.
If you can't find an answer above, email us directly. Include your iOS version, Rail Mate version, and a brief description of what's happening — screenshots help a lot.
Email Support →