ÖBB Scotty

Query Austrian public transport for trip planning, station departures, and service alerts via the public VAO HAFAS API. Covers all of Austria — ÖBB trains, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams, and buses.

Note: No API key required. Uses the public VAO endpoint.

Quick Reference

| Method | Purpose | |--------|---------| | LocMatch | Search for stations/stops by name | | TripSearch | Plan a journey between two locations | | StationBoard | Get departures/arrivals at a station | | HimSearch | Get service alerts and disruptions |

Base URL: https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate

All requests are POST with this base body:

{
  "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"}
}

---

1. Location Search (LocMatch)

Search for stations, stops, addresses, or POIs by name.

Request

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

Response Structure

{
  "svcResL": [{
    "res": {
      "match": {
        "locL": [{
          "name": "Wien Hauptbahnhof",
          "extId": "490134900",
          "type": "S",
          "crd": { "x": 16377950, "y": 48184986 }
        }]
      }
    }
  }]
}

Key Fields

| Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | extId | Station ID (use in other queries) | | name | Station name | | type | S (Station), A (Address), P (POI) | | crd.x/y | Coordinates (x=lon, y=lat, scaled by 10^6) |

---

2. Trip Search (TripSearch)

Plan a journey between two locations.

Request

curl -s -X POST "https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "svcReqL": [{
      "req": {
        "depLocL": [{"extId": "490134900", "type": "S"}],
        "arrLocL": [{"extId": "455000200", "type": "S"}],
        "getPasslist": false,
        "maxChg": 5,
        "numF": 5
      },
      "meth": "TripSearch",
      "id": "1|1|"
    }],
    "client": {"id": "VAO", "v": "1", "type": "AND", "name": "nextgen"},
    "ver": "1.73", "lang": "de",
    "auth": {"aid": "nextgen", "type": "AID"}
  }'

To search at a specific time, add to req:

"outDate": "20260523",
"outTime": "080000",
"outFrwd": true

Parameters

| Param | Description | |-------|-------------| | depLocL | Departure location(s) — use extId from LocMatch | | arrLocL | Arrival location(s) | | outDate | Departure date (YYYYMMDD) | | outTime | Departure time (HHMMSS) | | outFrwd | true = search forward, false = search backward | | numF | Number of connections to return | | maxChg | Maximum number of changes | | getPasslist | Include intermediate stops | | jnyFltrL | Product filter (see below) |

Product Filter

"jnyFltrL": [{"type": "PROD", "mode": "INC", "value": "1023"}]

| Bit | Value | Product | |-----|-------|---------| | 0 | 1 | ICE/RJX (High-speed) | | 1 | 2 | IC/EC (InterCity) | | 2 | 4 | NJ (Night trains) | | 3 | 8 | D/EN (Express) | | 4 | 16 | REX/R (Regional Express) | | 5 | 32 | S-Bahn | | 6 | 64 | Bus | | 7 | 128 | Ferry | | 8 | 256 | U-Bahn | | 9 | 512 | Tram |

Use 1023 for all products, or sum specific bits.

Response Structure

{
  "svcResL": [{
    "res": {
      "outConL": [{
        "date": "20260523",
        "dur": "025200",
        "chg": 0,
        "dep": {
          "dTimeS": "075700",
          "dPltfS": {"txt": "8A-B"},
          "locX": 0
        },
        "arr": {
          "aTimeS": "104900",
          "aPltfS": {"txt": "7"},
          "locX": 1
        },
        "secL": [{
          "type": "JNY",
          "jny": {
            "prodX": 0,
            "dirTxt": "Salzburg Hbf"
          },
          "dep": { "dTimeS": "075700" },
          "arr": { "aTimeS": "104900" }
        }]
      }],
      "common": {
        "locL": [...],
        "prodL": [...],
        "dirL": [...]
      }
    }
  }]
}

Key Connection Fields

| Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | dur | Duration (HHMMSS) | | chg | Number of changes | | dTimeS | Scheduled departure | | dTimeR | Real-time departure (if available) | | aTimeS | Scheduled arrival | | aTimeR | Real-time arrival (if available) | | dPltfS.txt | Departure platform | | aPltfS.txt | Arrival platform | | secL | Journey sections (legs) | | secL[].jny.prodX | Index into common.prodL[] for train name |

Understanding prodX and dirX

• prodX is an index into common.prodL[] for the train name (e.g., "RJX 662")
• dirX is an index into common.dirL[] for the direction text
• locX is an index into common.locL[] for the station name

Extracting Trip Summaries with jq

curl -s -X POST "https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ ... }' | jq '
    .svcResL[0].res as $r |
    $r.common.prodL as $prods |
    $r.common.locL as $locs |
    [$r.outConL[] | {
      dep: .dep.dTimeS,
      arr: .arr.aTimeS,
      from: $locs[.dep.locX].name,
      to: $locs[.arr.locX].name,
      depPlatform: .dep.dPltfS.txt,
      arrPlatform: .arr.aPltfS.txt,
      dur: .dur,
      chg: .chg,
      legs: [.secL[] | select(.type == "JNY") | {
        train: $prods[.jny.prodX].name,
        from: $locs[.dep.locX].name,
        to: $locs[.arr.locX].name,
        dep: .dep.dTimeS,
        arr: .arr.aTimeS
      }]
    }]'

---

3. Station Board (StationBoard)

Get departures or arrivals at a station.

Request

curl -s -X POST "https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "svcReqL": [{
      "req": {
        "stbLoc": {"extId": "490134900", "type": "S"},
        "type": "DEP",
        "maxJny": 20
      },
      "meth": "StationBoard",
      "id": "1|1|"
    }],
    "client": {"id": "VAO", "v": "1", "type": "AND", "name": "nextgen"},
    "ver": "1.73", "lang": "de",
    "auth": {"aid": "nextgen", "type": "AID"}
  }'

To query at a specific time, add to req:

"date": "20260523",
"time": "080000"

Parameters

| Param | Description | |-------|-------------| | stbLoc | Station — use extId from LocMatch | | type | DEP (departures) or ARR (arrivals) | | maxJny | Maximum number of journeys | | date | Date (YYYYMMDD) | | time | Time (HHMMSS) |

Response Structure

{
  "svcResL": [{
    "res": {
      "jnyL": [{
        "prodX": 0,
        "dirTxt": "Salzburg Hbf",
        "stbStop": {
          "dTimeS": "080000",
          "dTimeR": "080200",
          "dPlatfS": "8A-B",
          "dCncl": false
        }
      }],
      "common": {
        "prodL": [{"name": "RJX 662"}],
        "dirL": [{"txt": "Salzburg Hbf"}]
      }
    }
  }]
}

Key Fields

| Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | prodX | Index into common.prodL[] for train/line name | | dirTxt or dirX | Direction (dirX indexes into common.dirL[]) | | dTimeS / dTimeR | Scheduled / real-time departure | | dPlatfS | Platform | | dCncl | true if cancelled |

Extracting Departures with jq

curl -s -X POST "https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ ... }' | jq '
    .svcResL[0].res as $r |
    $r.common.prodL as $prods |
    $r.common.dirL as $dirs |
    [$r.jnyL[] | {
      line: $prods[.prodX].name,
      direction: (if .dirX then $dirs[.dirX].txt else .dirTxt end),
      scheduled: .stbStop.dTimeS,
      realtime: .stbStop.dTimeR,
      platform: .stbStop.dPlatfS,
      cancelled: .stbStop.dCncl
    }]'

---

4. Service Alerts (HimSearch)

Get current disruptions and service information.

Request

curl -s -X POST "https://vao.demo.hafas.de/gate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "svcReqL": [{
      "req": {
        "maxNum": 20,
        "himFltrL": [{"mode": "INC", "type": "HIMCAT", "value": "*"}]
      },
      "meth": "HimSearch",
      "id": "1|1|"
    }],
    "client": {"id": "VAO", "v": "1", "type": "AND", "name": "nextgen"},
    "ver": "1.73", "lang": "de",
    "auth": {"aid": "nextgen", "type": "AID"}
  }'

Response Structure

{
  "svcResL": [{
    "res": {
      "common": {
        "himL": [{
          "hid": "HIM_FREETEXT_843858",
          "cat": 1,
          "prio": 0,
          "head": "Schienenersatzverkehr",
          "text": "Wegen Bauarbeiten...",
          "sDate": "20260520",
          "eDate": "20260525"
        }]
      }
    }
  }]
}

---

Common Station IDs

| Station | extId | |---------|-------| | Wien Hauptbahnhof | 490134900 | | Wien Westbahnhof | 490024300 | | Wien Praterstern | 490056100 | | Wien Karlsplatz | 490024600 | | Wien Stephansplatz | 490132000 | | Wien Schwedenplatz | 490119500 | | Salzburg Hbf | 455000200 | | Linz Hbf | 444116400 | | Graz Hbf | 460086000 | | Innsbruck Hbf | 481070100 | | Klagenfurt Hbf | 492019500 | | St. Pölten Hbf | 431543300 | | Wiener Neustadt Hbf | 430521000 | | Krems a.d. Donau | 431046400 |

Tip: Always use LocMatch to find the correct station ID.

---

Time Format

• Dates: YYYYMMDD (e.g., 20260523)
• Times: HHMMSS (e.g., 080000 = 08:00:00)
• Duration: HHMMSS (e.g., 025200 = 2h 52m)

---

Transport Types

| Code | Type | |------|------| | ICE/RJ/RJX | High-speed trains | | IC/EC | InterCity/EuroCity | | NJ | Nightjet | | REX/R | Regional Express/Regional | | S | S-Bahn (suburban rail) | | U | U-Bahn (Vienna metro) | | STR | Tram/Strassenbahn | | BUS | Bus | | AST | Demand-responsive transport |

---

Error Handling

Check err field in response:

{
  "err": "OK",
  "err": "PARSE",
  "err": "NO_MATCH",
  "errTxt": "..."
}

---

Notes

• This API covers all Austrian public transport, not just ÖBB
• Cross-border routes to Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc. are included
• Real-time data is available when provided by the operator
• No API key required — uses the public VAO endpoint
• Source: VOR AnachB / HAFAS