A Nach B

VOR AnachB - Austrian Public Transport API

Query Austrian public transport for real-time departures, route planning, and service disruptions using the HAFAS API.

Quick Reference

API: HAFAS (Hacon Fahrplan-Auskunfts-System)
Endpoint: https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate

1. Search Stations/Stops

Find station IDs by name:

./search.sh "Stephansplatz"
./search.sh "Wien Hauptbahnhof"
./search.sh "Linz"
./search.sh "Salzburg Hbf"

Returns station names, IDs (extId), and coordinates.

Response fields:

• name: Station name
• extId: Station ID for use in other queries
• type: S (Station), A (Address), P (POI)
• coordinates: WGS84 coordinates (lon/lat in 1e-6 format)

2. Real-Time Departures

Get next departures from a station:

./departures.sh <station-id> [count]

# Examples:
./departures.sh 490132000        # Wien Stephansplatz, 10 departures
./departures.sh 490132000 20     # Wien Stephansplatz, 20 departures
./departures.sh 490060200        # Wien Hauptbahnhof
./departures.sh 444130000        # Linz Hbf
./departures.sh 455000100        # Salzburg Hbf

Response fields:

• line: Line name (U1, S1, RJ, etc.)
• direction: Final destination
• departure: Scheduled departure time
• delay: Delay in minutes (if any)
• platform: Platform/track number

3. Route Planning

Plan a trip between two stations:

./route.sh <from-id> <to-id> [results]

# Examples:
./route.sh 490132000 490060200        # Stephansplatz → Hauptbahnhof
./route.sh 490132000 444130000 5      # Wien → Linz, 5 results
./route.sh "Graz Hbf" "Wien Hbf"      # Search by name (slower)

Response fields:

• departure: Departure time
• arrival: Arrival time
• duration: Trip duration
• changes: Number of transfers
• legs: Array of trip segments with line info

4. Disruptions

Check current service disruptions:

./disruptions.sh [category]

# Examples:
./disruptions.sh            # All disruptions
./disruptions.sh TRAIN      # Train disruptions only
./disruptions.sh BUS        # Bus disruptions only

Common Station IDs

Tip: Always use ./search.sh to find the correct station ID.

Transport Types

API Details (for advanced usage)

The scripts use the HAFAS JSON API. For custom queries:

curl -s -X POST "https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "svcReqL": [{
      "req": { ... },
      "meth": "METHOD_NAME",
      "id": "1|1|"
    }],
    "client": {"id": "VAO", "v": "1", "type": "AND", "name": "nextgen"},
    "ver": "1.73",
    "lang": "de",
    "auth": {"aid": "nextgen", "type": "AID"}
  }'

Available methods:

• LocMatch - Location/station search
• StationBoard - Departures/arrivals
• TripSearch - Route planning
• HimSearch - Disruptions/service messages
• JourneyDetails - Details of a specific journey

Tips

1. Find station IDs first: Always use search.sh to find the correct station ID before querying departures or routes.

2. Station vs Stop: Major stations have multiple platforms - the main station ID covers all platforms.

3. Real-time data: Departures include real-time delays when available.

4. Austria-wide: This API covers all Austrian public transport, not just Vienna.

5. Cross-border: Some routes extend to neighboring countries (Germany, Czech Republic, etc.).