M
API Matrix

Transport for UK API

Transportation / API Key Intermediate HTTPS
Varies by plan (check documentation)
72 Score
Grade B
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

Overview

Transport for UK (TransportAPI) is a comprehensive transport data platform covering trains, buses, trams, and more across the United Kingdom. It provides real-time departures, journey planning, and timetable data from multiple operators in a unified JSON API. An API key is required — sign up for a free developer account at developer.transportapi.com with 1,000 calls per day.

💡

Beginner Tip

Sign up at developer.transportapi.com for a free app_id and app_key. The bus live departures endpoint is a great starting point: use a UK bus stop ATCO code and your credentials to get live arrivals.

Available Data

match scores and results
team standings
player statistics
schedule and fixtures

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "route": "Line 1",
  "origin": "Station A",
  "destination": "Station B",
  "departure": "08:30",
  "arrival": "09:15",
  "status": "On Time",
  "delays_min": 0
}

Field Reference

departures Map of route names to arrays of upcoming departures.
departures[route][].line Bus line number or route identifier.
departures[route][].direction Final destination or direction of the bus.
departures[route][].aimed_departure_time Scheduled departure time in HH:MM format.
departures[route][].expected_departure_time Real-time expected departure time, updated live.
stop_name Official name of the bus stop queried.

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://developer.transportapi.com/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
  "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
  }
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

403 Forbidden Missing or invalid app_id and app_key query parameters.
✓ Always include both app_id=YOUR_APP_ID and app_key=YOUR_APP_KEY as query parameters in every request.
Stop not found ATCO code or station code provided is incorrect.
✓ Use the places endpoint to search for stop codes by name before querying live departures.
429 Too Many Requests Free tier limit of 1,000 calls/day has been exceeded.
✓ Cache responses locally, reduce polling frequency, or upgrade to a paid plan for higher limits.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 5/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 12/20
✓ Reliability 10/15

Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth API Key
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Transportation
Difficulty Intermediate
Verified: 2026-04-04

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