Look here first probably (I haven't yet myself but it looks like a better option) -- https://opendata.metlink.org.nz/
This is an unofficial description of the API used by https://www.metlink.org.nz/ to provide current bus, train and ferry information.
I wanted to write a little Slack bot the other day to tell me when the next train would be at the J'ville mall. I could look at the web site--it's a very nice web site--but I wanted to do this instead.
It's impossible to say how stable this information is. Metlink appeared on the verge of releasing a documented API but nothing has come of it. There's clearly been no attempt made to obfuscate the one being used on the web site. And, it's got enough to it that I suspect it's also used by the display signs planted at many stops.
I suspect this is the one that they were going to make public and maybe then decided not to.
Icon and Link references have \ escaped /'s. I don't know why this is but I'm sure there's some reason.
These point to resources which are available under https://www.metlink.org.nz/
Example: "Icon": "\/assets\/StopImages\/WELL.jpg"
Examples:
https://www.metlink.org.nz/api/v1/StopDepartures/WELLhttps://www.metlink.org.nz/api/v1/StopDepartures/CROFhttps://www.metlink.org.nz/api/v1/StopDepartures/7093
The StopDepartures call returns at nice summary of upcoming departures along with information about a specific stop.
The returned JSON object contains 4 top level items:
-
LastModified- an RFC3339 formated timestamp related to this query. Ex:2016-05-26T14:04:47+12:00 -
Stop- a record containing static details about this stop
"Stop": {
"Name": "Wellington Station",
"Sms": "WELL",
"Farezone": "1",
"Lat": "-41.2789686",
"Long": "174.7805617",
"LastModified": "2015-09-03T11:14:30+12:00",
"Icon": "\/assets\/StopImages\/WELL.jpg"
}
Notices(optional) - a list of records. TheLineNotefields contain the interesting info.
"Notices": [
{
"RecordedAtTime": "2016-05-26T14:04:39+12:00",
"MonitoringRef": "7093",
"LineRef": "",
"DirectionRef": "",
"LineNote": "Police incident resolved in the CBD. Expect some delays while services, esp in & out of Karori, get back to normal. metlink.org.nz"
}
]
Services- a list of (always 20?) upcoming trains or buses coming to this stop, soonest first
Example of a Services record list item:
{
"ServiceID": "JVL",
"IsRealtime": true,
"VehicleRef": "3718",
"Direction": "Outbound",
"OperatorRef": "RAIL",
"OriginStopID": "WELL",
"OriginStopName": "Wellington Stn",
"DestinationStopID": "JOHN",
"DestinationStopName": "JOHN - All stops",
"AimedArrival": "2016-05-26T14:09:00+12:00",
"AimedDeparture": "2016-05-26T14:09:00+12:00",
"VehicleFeature": null,
"DepartureStatus": "delayed",
"ExpectedDeparture": "2016-05-26T14:11:28+12:00",
"DisplayDeparture": "2016-05-26T14:11:28+12:00",
"DisplayDepartureSeconds": 479,
"Service": {
"Code": "JVL",
"TrimmedCode": "JVL",
"Name": "Johnsonville Line (Johnsonville - Wellington)",
"Mode": "Train",
"Link": "timetables\/train\/JVL"
}
},
Examples:
https://www.metlink.org.nz/api/v1/ServiceLocation/JVL(Jville train)https://www.metlink.org.nz/api/v1/ServiceLocation/14(14 bus)
The returned JSON object contains 2 top level items:
-
LastModified- an RFC3339 formated timestamp related to this query. Ex:2016-05-26T14:04:47+12:00 -
Services- A list of major stops. For the Jville train, for example, it lists Wellington and Johnsonville only.
"Services": [
{
"RecordedAtTime": "2016-05-26T14:35:32+12:00",
"VehicleRef": "3729",
"ServiceID": "JVL",
"HasStarted": true,
"DepartureTime": "2016-05-26T14:32:00+12:00",
"OriginStopID": "WELL",
"OriginStopName": "Wellington Stn",
"DestinationStopID": "JOHN",
"DestinationStopName": "Johnsonville Stn",
"Direction": "Outbound",
"Bearing": "36",
"BehindSchedule": true,
"VehicleFeature": null,
"DelaySeconds": 82,
"Lat": "-41.2633438",
"Long": "174.7850647",
"Service": {
"Code": "JVL",
"TrimmedCode": "JVL",
"Name": "Johnsonville Line (Wellington - Johnsonville)",
"Mode": "Train",
"Link": "timetables\/train\/JVL"
}
},
{
"RecordedAtTime": "2016-05-26T14:35:32+12:00",
"VehicleRef": "3736",
"ServiceID": "JVL",
"HasStarted": true,
"DepartureTime": "2016-05-26T14:30:00+12:00",
"OriginStopID": "JOHN",
"OriginStopName": "Johnsonville Stn",
"DestinationStopID": "WELL",
"DestinationStopName": "Wellington Stn",
"Direction": "Inbound",
"Bearing": "204",
"BehindSchedule": false,
"VehicleFeature": null,
"DelaySeconds": -2,
"Lat": "-41.2420845",
"Long": "174.7938232",
"Service": {
"Code": "JVL",
"TrimmedCode": "JVL",
"Name": "Johnsonville Line (Johnsonville - Wellington)",
"Mode": "Train",
"Link": "timetables\/train\/JVL"
}
}
]
If you happen to have a Go compiler installed then try this:
$ go build -o stopstat go/stopstat/main.go
$ ./stopstat -stop 7093
Taiaroa Street (near 10)
Notices:
Some cancelled services & CLOSED CBD bus stops for Massey Uni Pde, 1-1.30pm approx. Thurs 26 May. metlink.org.nz
Services:
6:43AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Wgtn Station
6:59AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
7:13AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Molesworth Street
7:19AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
7:28AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Wgtn Station
7:43AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Molesworth Street
7:53AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Wgtn Station
7:55AM Strathmore Park - Inbound - School Bus
7:59AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
8:08AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Victoria University
8:30AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Victoria University
8:59AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
9:29AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
9:59AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
10:29AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
10:59AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
11:29AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
11:59AM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
12:29PM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
12:59PM Strathmore Park - Outbound - Khandallah
$ ./python/stopstat.py well
Wellington Station
Notices:
28-29 May: Some services on the WRL are replaced by bus between WELL and MAST. See posters or tranzmetro.co.nz for details.
4-6 June: all services on the HVL are replaced by bus. see posters or tranzmetro.co.nz for more information
4-6 June: all services on the KPL are replaced by bus. see posters or tranzmetro.co.nz for more information
Services:
04:10PM (sched) Wellington Stn to TAIT - All stops*
04:15PM (sched) Wellington Stn to WAIK - Express
04:17PM (sched) Wellington Stn to UPPE - Express
04:17PM (sched) Wellington Stn to JOHN - All stops
04:19PM (sched) Wellington Stn to MELL - All stops
04:21PM (sched) Wellington Stn to PORI - All stops
04:25PM (sched) Wellington Stn to MAST - WRL Service
04:30PM (sched) Wellington Stn to TAIT - All stops*
04:32PM (sched) Wellington Stn to JOHN - All stops
04:35PM (sched) Wellington Stn to WAIK - Express
04:37PM (sched) Wellington Stn to UPPE - Express
04:39PM (sched) Wellington Stn to MELL - All stops
04:43PM (sched) Wellington Stn to PORI - All stops
04:47PM (sched) Wellington Stn to JOHN - All stops
04:50PM (sched) Wellington Stn to TAIT - All stops*
04:55PM (sched) Wellington Stn to WAIK - Express
04:57PM (sched) Wellington Stn to UPPE - Express
04:59PM (sched) Wellington Stn to MELL - All stops
05:02PM (sched) Wellington Stn to JOHN - All stops
05:03PM (sched) Wellington Stn to PORI - All stops
I have a working Slack bot which I'll tidy up and drop here.
Not complete or fully tested but it totally just works.