Tfl

TfL London Transit

Real-time London TfL transit data — Tube arrivals, bus predictions, line status, disruptions, journey planning, and route information. Uses TfL's single unified REST API for all modes. API key optional (free, recommended for higher rate limits).

When to Use

• User asks about the Tube, London Underground, TfL, or London public transport
• User mentions specific Tube lines (Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Waterloo & City)
• User asks "is the Northern line running" or "when's the next Tube"
• User mentions London stations (King's Cross, Oxford Circus, Waterloo, Victoria, Paddington, etc.)
• User asks about London buses, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line, or trams
• User asks about TfL service status, delays, disruptions, or planned closures
• User asks about Oyster, contactless, or TfL fares
• User asks about journey planning in London

Data Sources

TfL has a single unified REST API (api.tfl.gov.uk) that returns JSON for ALL modes — Tube, bus, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line, trams, river bus, cable car. No protobuf, no SIRI, no multiple feed formats. Just one clean REST API with consistent JSON responses.

API key: Register for a free app_key at https://api-portal.tfl.gov.uk/ — append ?app_key={KEY} to requests. The API works without a key for basic usage but is rate-limited; with a key you get 500 requests per minute.

Key Endpoints

All endpoints return JSON. Append ?app_key={KEY} for authenticated requests.

Implementation

Quick Start: Use the helper scripts

The scripts in this skill's scripts/ directory handle fetching, parsing, and presenting TfL data.

Script: scripts/tfl.mjs

Main entry point. Supports these commands:

# Tube line status
node scripts/tfl.mjs status
node scripts/tfl.mjs status --all
node scripts/tfl.mjs status --line victoria

# Arrivals at a station
node scripts/tfl.mjs arrivals --station "Oxford Circus"
node scripts/tfl.mjs arrivals --stop 940GZZLUOXC
node scripts/tfl.mjs arrivals --stop-search "kings cross"
node scripts/tfl.mjs arrivals --stop-search "kings cross" --line piccadilly

# Bus arrivals
node scripts/tfl.mjs bus-arrivals --stop 490005183E
node scripts/tfl.mjs bus-arrivals --stop-search "oxford circus"
node scripts/tfl.mjs bus-arrivals --stop-search "oxford circus" --route 24

# Disruptions
node scripts/tfl.mjs disruptions
node scripts/tfl.mjs disruptions --line northern

# Routes and stops
node scripts/tfl.mjs routes
node scripts/tfl.mjs routes --all
node scripts/tfl.mjs bus-routes
node scripts/tfl.mjs stops --search "waterloo"
node scripts/tfl.mjs stops --near 51.5074,-0.1278 --radius 500
node scripts/tfl.mjs stops --line victoria
node scripts/tfl.mjs route-info --line bakerloo
node scripts/tfl.mjs route-info --route 24

# Journey planning
node scripts/tfl.mjs journey --from "waterloo" --to "kings cross"
node scripts/tfl.mjs journey --from "51.5031,-0.1132" --to "51.5308,-0.1238"

Setup: API Key (Optional, Recommended)

Basic functionality works without a key (rate-limited). For 500 requests/minute:

1. Register at https://api-portal.tfl.gov.uk/
2. Set environment variable: TFL_API_KEY

Tube Lines Reference

Other TfL Rail Modes

TfL Fares Reference (from March 2025)

Peak: Mon-Fri 6:30-9:30am and 4:00-7:00pm (except public holidays).

Tips for Users

• NaPTAN IDs are the station identifiers — Tube stations use 940GZZLU{code} format
• Use --station or --stop-search for name-based lookups; use --stop for exact NaPTAN IDs
• Times are shown in 24-hour format (London convention)
• The arrivals command uses timeToStation (seconds) from the TfL API for ETA
• Bus stops have their own NaPTAN IDs in 490{code} format
• Journey planning returns fare estimates when available

Error Handling

• If TFL_API_KEY is not set, requests still work but are rate-limited — a note is printed
• 429 rate limit responses print a helpful message with the key signup URL
• Invalid station/stop searches show "No matching station found" with suggestions
• Network errors and API error responses produce friendly messages
• Station closed or no service shows an appropriate message

Response Formatting

When presenting transit info to the user:

• Lead with the most actionable info (next arrival time, line status)
• Show line name with color emoji (e.g., "🔴 Central: Good Service")
• Show times in 24-hour format (London convention)
• For arrivals: show line + destination + minutes (from timeToStation / 60)
• Show platform name when available
• For journey planning: show step-by-step with mode, line, duration, and fare
• Always mention disruptions for queried lines

External Endpoints

API key is passed as a query parameter to TfL's official API. No other user data is transmitted.

Security & Privacy

• API key optional — TfL Unified API works without a key (rate-limited); with a free key you get 500 req/min
• No user data transmitted — requests contain only the optional API key and route/stop identifiers, no personal information
• No local storage — this skill does not write any files to disk (no GTFS cache needed — TfL is all live API)
• No telemetry — this skill does not phone home or collect usage data
• Input handling — stop names and route IDs from user input are URL-encoded in API queries, never interpolated into shell commands

Trust Statement

This skill reads publicly available transit data from TfL's official Unified API. The optional API key is used only for TfL API rate-limit authentication. The skill does not access, store, or transmit any personal information beyond the API key configured by the user.