konkan-railway_api

This API scrapes the Konkan Railway Current Train Position website, converts the essential data into JSON and uses it to serve the various endpoints.

Usage

Docker Compose

• Clone this repository

  git clone https://github.com/sibi361/konkan-railway_api.git
  

• Run the server

  docker compose up --build
  

Docker Compose might not be viable for hosting on a cloud service such as MS Azure due to the requirement of chrome.json. In that you may follow the Docker Method instead.

Docker

• Switch to the azure branch

  git checkout azure
  

• Build a docker image

  docker build . -t img_konkan-railway_api_v2
  

• Create and run a container from the above image

  docker run -p 3000:3000 img_konkan-railway_api_v2
  

NodeJS

• Clone this repository

  git clone https://github.com/sibi361/konkan-railway_api.git
  

• Install NodeJS
• Install dependencies

  cd konkan-railway_api
  npm install
  

• Run the server

  npm run start
  

Parameters such as the API listening port can be configured in .env for Docker Compose and constants.js for NodeJS.

Available Endpoints

All endpoints return JSON and serve at http://localhost:3000/api/v2/ by default.

• /api/v2/fetchTrains/ Returns live status about all the trains currently moving on the Konkan Railway

  Appending ?latest to the URL will trigger a manual update from the upstream

• /api/v2/fetchTrain/<TRAIN-NUMBER> Returns an object containing information about the queried train such as - most recently touched station - arrived/departed time from that station - delay time i.e. whether the train is late or not

  Appending ?latest to the URL will trigger a manual update from the upstream

• /api/v2/fetchStations/ Returns an object containing all the stations on the Konkan Railway route

• /api/v2/fetchStation/<STATION-PLACE-NAME> Returns an object containing information about the queried station such as - type i.e. big station or small station - state - description

TODO

• Implement rate limiting
• Utilize VisualTrain upstream to get more info such as train type
• Send PR to public-api-lists after hosting on a stable cloud as azure keeps suspending this API since it's currently running on free tier

Motivation

Due to poor network connectivity near most railway stations and during transit, the Current Train Position site with a size of ~250KB would take a long time to load.

When deployed on a cloud server, this API can instantly fetch the upstream site and send the required information to the client, consuming well under 1KB, hence leaving no chance for lag.

~550 Bytes versus ~120KB, that too without the assets

Legal

This project is in no way affiliated or related to any railway or other company/organization, for e.g. Indian Railways. It is a completely independent and not-for-profit API built for educational purposes only.