Train Departure Board

A dynamic web application that displays live rail departures, TFL status updates, station information, and optional AI-driven features. This project integrates:

• TransportAPI for live train departures (Darwin data).
• TFL API for London transport line status.
• OpenAI (optional) to enhance station info and produce friendly text explanations.

Table of Contents

1. Features
2. Requirements
3. Installation
4. Environment Variables
5. Running the App
6. Usage
7. Directory Structure
8. Roadmap
9. License

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Features

1. Live Departures Board

   • Shows upcoming trains, departure times, platforms, and countdown timers (via TransportAPI).
   • Countdown changes color/animation as departure time approaches.

2. TFL Network Status

   • Displays line status for Tube, Overground, DLR, Tram, and Elizabeth line.
   • Color-coded for quick reference (Good service, Minor delays, Severe delays, etc.).

3. Station Search & Tooltip

   • Change the station by clicking the three-letter code in the board title.
   • A station search modal with predictive or manual input.
   • Hover tooltip provides station details (fetched via an OpenAI prompt or your own data).

4. Timetable Popups

   • Clicking a train destination shows its planned timetable (from TransportAPI / Darwin).
   • Optional AI integration: friendly or expanded "reason for delay" or "route summary."

5. Extra Box (Ticker & Fullscreen)

   • A floating box with large text for next departures, clock, and a scrolling ticker.
   • Great for kiosk or big display usage.

6. Dark/Light Toggle & Responsive UI

   • Quickly switch between dark & light modes.
   • Responsive layout for desktop, tablet, and mobile.

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Requirements

• Node.js (14 or later recommended)
• npm or yarn
• A TransportAPI account (for live departures)
• A TFL API endpoint (free, no key required for TFL line statuses)
• OpenAI API key (optional, only if you want the AI station info or advanced text generation)

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Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/<username>/train-departure-board.git
   cd train-departure-board

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

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Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root. Provide the following:

# For OpenAI (optional)
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-<YOUR_KEY_HERE>

# Transport API Credentials
APP_ID=<YOUR_TRANSPORTAPI_APP_ID>
APP_KEY=<YOUR_TRANSPORTAPI_APP_KEY>

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000

Note: If you do not plan to use OpenAI, you can omit or leave it blank. The app will still run with just TransportAPI details.

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Running the App

1. Start the server:

   node server.js

   or with nodemon (if installed):

   npx nodemon server.js

2. Open your browser at http://localhost:3000.

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Usage

1. Viewing Departures

   • The board defaults to station LST (London Liverpool Street) if no code is set.
   • Real-time train data is fetched from TransportAPI’s /v3/uk/train/station/:code/live.json endpoint.

2. Changing Stations

   • Click the station code (e.g., “LST”) in the heading.
   • A search modal lets you type a new station code or name.
   • If predictive search is enabled, results appear in a dropdown as you type.

3. Viewing Timetable Details

   • Click a row’s destination to open a popup.
   • It shows planned intermediate stops from Darwin (TransportAPI’s service timetable).

4. TFL Status

   • A separate table displays line statuses.
   • The color-coded lines indicate disruptions or closures.

5. Extra Box

   • Click the “Hamburger” button → “Open Extra Box” to display a floating box with next trains, a clock, and a scrolling ticker.

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Directory Structure

train-departure-board/
│
├── data/
│    └── stations.json          # (Optional) Station list for predictive search
│
├── public/ or root folder for static files
│    ├── index.html             # The main HTML front-end
│    ├── style.css              # Additional CSS
│    └── script.js              # Additional JS (or inline in index.html)
│
├── .env                        # Environment variables
├── .gitignore
├── package.json
├── server.js                   # Main Express server
└── README.md                   # This file

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Roadmap

1. Predictive Station Search

   • Add fuse.js or an OpenAI-based station matching approach.

2. AI Summaries

   • Use the OpenAI API to summarize frequent disruptions or “explain” delay reasons in plain English.

3. Alternative Journey Suggestions

   • If a train is canceled, optionally show next best routes from TransportAPI’s journey endpoint.

4. Voice Assistant

   • Implement speech synthesis on the front-end to read out the next departures.

5. Historical Stats

   • Cache daily logs, feed them into OpenAI for “weekly performance” summaries.

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License

This project is open-sourced under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Happy hacking! If you have any issues or questions, please open an issue on GitHub or submit a pull request.