Trainspy 🔍

Get departures at any UK train station & recieve instant real-time updates on trains throughout their journey, without an API key. Version 2.0 brings exact location tracking with precise latitude & longitude co-ordinates!

Add me on discord - I'd love to hear your feedback! @thaitiesthetie

Install trainspy

npm i trainspy

Find departures

findTrains(stationNameOrCode) -> Promise<typeof Object>

import { findTrains } from "trainspy";

(async () => {
  const trains = await findTrains("WLF");
  const moreTrains = await findTrains("Solihull");

  console.log(trains);
})();

this yields a response:

{
  name: 'Whittlesford Parkway',
  code: 'WLF',
  location: { latitude: 52.1035981209, longitude: 0.1656457011 },
  departures: [
    {
      serviceID: 'L13825',
      destination: 'Norwich',
      arrival: { actual: '2109', scheduled: '2109' },
      departure: { actual: '2109¼', scheduled: '2109' },
      platform: '2',
      stopsHere: true,
      state: {
        status: 'Passed',
        station: {
          name: 'Waterbeach',
          code: 'WBC',
          location: { latitude: 52.2623177182, longitude: 0.1968191721 },
          platform: '2',
          stopsHere: false,
          delay: 0,
          arrival: { actual: null, scheduled: null },
          departure: { actual: '2127½', scheduled: '2128' }
        }
      }
    },
    ...]
}

Tracking a train

trackTrain(serviceID, date?, timeTillRefresh?) -> Promise<typeof EventEmitter>

Emit live updates on a train until its journey is complete. You first need the serviceID. Retrieved by findTrains(stationNameOrCode) as shown above.

E.g. ServiceID P70052 departing on 18/08/2023:

import { trackTrain } from "trainspy";

trackTrain("P70052", "2023-08-18").then((emitter) => {
  emitter.on("journey", (update) => {
    //your code for journey updates!
  });
  emitter.on("information", (update) => {
    console.log(update);
  });
});

🌻 Note: Date must be in the form YYYY-MM-DD, defaults to today. You must enter an event name of "journey" for journey updates, and "information" for information (error, cancellation etc.) updates.

Example journey update:

{
  status: 'At platform',
  station: {
    name: 'Smethwick Rolfe Street',
    code: 'SMR',
    location: { latitude: 52.4963984863, longitude: -1.9706383988 },
    platform: '2',
    stopsHere: true,
    delay: 0,
    arrival: { actual: '2146¾', scheduled: '2146½' },
    departure: { actual: null, scheduled: '2147' }
  },
  callingPoints: [
  {
    name: 'Sandwell & Dudley',
    code: 'SAD',
    location: { latitude: 52.508672806, longitude: -2.0115900516 },
    platform: '2',
    stopsHere: true,
    delay: 0,
    arrival: { actual: null, scheduled: '2152' },
    departure: { actual: null, scheduled: '2153' }
  },
    ...
  ]
}

Example information update:

  {
    information: 'Error', details: 'Check service ID.'
  }

Return values

Journey updates

Property	Type
status	string
station	{ name: string, code: string | null, location: { longitude: number | null, latitude: number | null }stopsHere: boolean, delay: number | null, arrival: { actual: string | null, scheduled: string | null }, departure: -same as arrival- }
callingPoints	Array<station>

Information updates

Property	Type
information	string
details	string

Statuses

Status	Explanation
Passed	Train just passed this non-stopping station
Approaching	Train is now approaching this station
Arriving	Train is now arriving at this stopping station
At platform	Train is now at a platform of this stopping station
Departed	Train just departed this stopping station

More examples

Track the next service from London to Manchester, today:

import { trackTrain, findTrains } from "trainspy";

const response = await findTrains("EUS");
const serviceID = response.departures.find(
  (departure) => departure.destination == "Manchester Piccadilly"
).serviceID;
trackTrain(serviceID).then((emitter) => {
  emitter.on("journey", (update) => {
    //do stuff!
  });
});

Basic react implementation

import {trackTrain} from "trainspy";

class trainInformationComponent extends Component {
  state = {
    Status: '',
    Station:''
  };

  trackTrain("P56592").then(emitter=>{
    emitter.on("journey",(update)=>{
      handleInfoChange(update);
    })
  });

  handleInfoChange = (newData) => {
    const newStatus = newData.status;
    const newStation = newData.station.name;
    this.setState({
      Status: newStatus,
      Station: newStation
    });
  }

  render() {
    return (
      <>
      <title>Tracking service P56592</title>
      <label>Status: {state.Status}</label>
      <label>Station: {state.Station}</label>
      </>
    );
  }
};

A project by Tye. Special thanks to @ellcom for their list of longitude & latitude for each station, and to RealTimeTrains for providing the primitives for this project.