Traintrackr docs

How to add Traintrackr to your AI chat, what it can answer, three worked examples, and its limits.

Worked examples

1. Which platform?

Which platform is the next train from Cambridge to Kings Cross?

The assistant uses Departure platform. The answer contains:

• the train: its scheduled departure time, destination and operator;
• the platform, and whether it is live (announced) or scheduled (from the timetable, and able to change);
• the minutes until it leaves, and the expected time if it is late;
• a note if the train is cancelled or the platform is not yet announced.

Large stations often announce a platform about 10 minutes before departure. Until then you get the scheduled platform, marked as such.

2. Live departures

What are the next trains from Liverpool Street to Colchester, and are they on time?

The assistant uses Live departures. The answer contains, for each train in the next two hours:

• scheduled and expected departure times;
• its status: on time, late and by how many minutes, or cancelled;
• the reason for a delay or cancellation, where one is given;
• the platform, the operator and the destination;
• any notices posted for the station.

Ask to see the board (show me the departures board for Liverpool Street) and, in an app that supports it, the assistant uses Show a departure board to draw the same trains as a departure board. Its Refresh button asks for the board again.

3. Planning a journey

How do I get from Cambridge to Sudbury on Saturday morning?

The assistant uses Plan a journey. The answer contains:

• three options unless you ask for more, fastest first, and always the one with the fewest changes;
• for each option: departure and arrival times, the time it takes and the number of changes;
• for each leg: the train, where to board and where to get off, and the scheduled platform where known;
• for trains leaving today within two hours: live times, and a warning if a delay puts a connection at risk.

Changes between London terminals are included as estimated walking or Tube links.

Tools

An assistant chooses the tool; you don't need to name one. Every tool only reads data, and takes station names or three-letter station codes.

Find a station find_station

Matches a name, part of a name or a station code to stations. Used when a name fits several, such as Sudbury.

Live departures live_departures

The departure board for the next two hours: expected times, platforms, delays and cancellations. Where fewer trains than asked for run in those two hours, it goes on with scheduled trains from the timetable, up to a day ahead.

Live arrivals live_arrivals

The arrivals board for the next two hours, going on with scheduled trains where it is short.

Show a departure board show_board

The same departures or arrivals, drawn on screen as a departure board. Used when you ask to see a board.

Departure platform departure_platform

The platform for one train: the next departure, or the one scheduled at a time you give.

Departures from a platform platform_departures

The next trains to leave from one platform.

Timetable timetable

Scheduled departures or arrivals at a station on any date the timetable covers, usually months ahead.

Service details service_details

Every stop for one train, with live times where there are any.

Plan a journey plan_journey

Journeys between two stations, with changes.

Data status data_status

Which data sources are working and how fresh the timetable is.

Privacy policy privacy_policy

The privacy policy, so your assistant can answer questions about what is kept about you.

Limits

• Live data covers the next two hours. Beyond that, times are scheduled times from the timetable. A board with few trains in the two hours goes on with scheduled ones, marked Scheduled, so it is never empty overnight.
• No past running times. Traintrackr can't say whether yesterday's 08:00 was late.
• No fares.
• No Tube, bus or tram, apart from the estimated links between London terminals.
• Great Britain only: National Rail services. Northern Ireland is not covered.
• Engineering works appear in the timetable once Network Rail publishes them, and in live data on the day.
• Bank holidays: the timetable doesn't yet apply bank-holiday running, so check the live board on the day.
• When live data is unavailable, the boards show scheduled times and say so.
• Fair use. Each account can make 10 requests at once and 30 a minute; a journey plan counts as 3. Over that, the assistant is told how long to wait.

Check with your train operator before you travel if a journey matters.

Where the data comes from

• Live times, platforms, delays and cancellations come from Darwin, National Rail Enquiries' real-time system, through the Rail Data Marketplace. Powered by National Rail Enquiries.
• The timetable comes from Network Rail Infrastructure Limited's SCHEDULE data feed and is refreshed each day. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
• The station list comes from davwheat/uk-railway-stations, under the Open Database License.

Support

Email support@traintrackr.live. The code is open source: hugorodgerbrown/traintracker.