Where Is My Train MCP

🚀 Where's my train? MCP Server

A MCP server for real-time NYC subway information. It uses AI/LLM geographic knowledge for intelligent location handling and provides structured JSON data for stations, arrivals, alerts, and service status with live MTA data.

⚠️ Important Note

Data from MTA • Personal use only • Not endorsed by MTA • Data provided "as is"

🚀 Quick Start

Quick Examples

• "where's my train? I'm looking for the Q at DeKalb Av"

✨ Features

• Real-time train arrivals with crowding information
• Station search with fuzzy matching and accessibility info
• Service alerts and disruption analysis
• Intelligent location handling - AI converts location names to coordinates
• Nearby station finder using GPS coordinates or location names
• Transfer information for complex routes
• Live MTA GTFS-RT data from all subway lines

📦 Installation

Option 1: Use on Smithery (Recommended)

Instant access - Visit smithery.ai/server/@sasabasara/where_is_my_train_mcp and click "Install" to add it to your AI client.

No setup required - works immediately with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients.

Option 2: Run Locally

Prerequisites:

• Node.js 18+

Quick Start:

# Clone and install
git clone <your-repo>
cd whereismytrain-mcp
npm install

# Start development server (recommended)
npm run dev

# Or start traditional MCP server
npm start

The server automatically downloads and caches MTA GTFS data on first run.

💻 Usage Examples

What You Can Do

Station-Based Queries

• Find stations: "find Times Square station"
• Next trains: "next trains at Union Square"
• Transfers: "transfers at Atlantic Ave"

System Information

• Service status and alerts
• Real-time disruptions
• Train crowding data

Location-Based Searches

• Nearest stations: "stations near Times Square" or "near SoHo"
• GPS coordinates: lat: 40.7589, lon: -73.9851
• AI automatically converts location names to coordinates

What You Cannot Do (MTA Data Limitations)

Complex Journey Planning

• ❌ Multi-modal transit (bus + subway combinations)
• ❌ Real-time traffic-aware routing
• ❌ Ride-sharing integration
• ✅ AI can chain tools for basic subway journey planning

Non-Subway Transit

• ❌ Bus routes and schedules
• ❌ LIRR, Metro-North, NJ Transit
• ❌ Ferry, taxi, rideshare information
• ✅ NYC Subway only (all lines: 1-7, A-Z, shuttles)

Historical/Future Data

• ❌ Past service performance
• ❌ Schedules beyond ~2 hours
• ❌ Planned service changes (beyond current alerts)
• ✅ Real-time data only (current conditions)

📚 Documentation

Core Tools

• next_trains - Real-time arrivals with crowding indicators
• find_station - Fuzzy station search with accessibility info
• nearest_station - Find closest stations (AI converts location names to coordinates)
• station_transfers - Transfer options at stations

System Tools

• service_status - System-wide or line-specific status
• subway_alerts - Detailed service alerts with filtering
• service_disruptions - Disruption analysis with alternatives

Example Queries

// Core functionality
next_trains("Union Square", "N")  // N trains at Union Square
find_station("herald", true)      // Herald stations with accessibility
nearest_station({lat: 40.7589, lon: -73.9851})  // GPS coordinates
station_transfers("Atlantic Ave") // Transfer options
service_status("Q")              // Q line status

// AI Enhanced Queries
"stations near Times Square"      // AI converts location → coordinates
"how to get from SoHo to Brooklyn" // AI chains multiple tools
"any service alerts for my commute?" // AI contextual understanding

🔧 Technical Details

MTA Compliance & Usage Terms

• Personal Use Only - This server is designed for individual, non-commercial use.
• Key Requirements:
  • ✅ Personal development - Direct MTA feed access permitted
  • ❌ Public distribution - Requires data caching server and MTA license
  • 📋 Attribution required - "Data from MTA" in outputs
  • 🚫 No redistribution of raw feed data
• Data Disclaimers:
  • Data provided "as is" without accuracy guarantees
  • May be delayed or incomplete due to processing
  • Not affiliated with or endorsed by MTA

For production/public use, you must implement proper data caching infrastructure and obtain MTA licensing.

Deployment

Smithery (Recommended)

npx @smithery/cli deploy

Traditional MCP

Use npm start for stdio protocol with any MCP client.

Data Sources

• Real-time feeds: All NYC subway lines via MTA GTFS-RT
• Static data: Stations, routes, transfers (auto-downloaded)
• Service alerts: Live disruption and delay information
• Update frequency: Every 30 seconds (real-time data)

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details