Plan a UK Rail Journey
Plan a train journey between any two UK stations, including connections, journey time, and line status.
Check Live Train Departures
Get real-time departure information for any UK station, including platform numbers, delays, and expected arrival times.
Quick answer: Use the Train Tracker tool through ToolRouter to check live train departures directly from Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw — connect once, then drive it with plain-language prompts. No code required.
ToolChecking train departures usually means opening a rail app, navigating through a cluttered interface, and hoping the live data is actually current. For regular commuters or anyone catching a specific train, you want the information in seconds without switching apps or browsers.
Train Tracker's `station_search` and `live_departures` skills return live departure boards for any UK station — train operators, scheduled and expected departure times, platform numbers, and delay status — in a clean, readable format. You can ask by station name without needing station codes or exact formatting.
Commuters, business travellers, and anyone meeting someone off a train use this to check departure boards in conversation, get the next available train to a specific destination, and monitor whether a specific service is running on time.
How to check live train departures with Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw
Use Claude with Train Tracker to check live departures from any UK station in plain conversation. Claude can look up the station, pull the departure board, and answer specific questions — next train to a particular destination, whether a specific service is delayed, or which platform to head for — without you navigating a rail app.
Connect ToolRouter to Claude
1Open connector settings Open Settings
2Add a custom connector with these details
Name
ToolRouterURL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Let Claude set you up Open Claude
How to check live train departures with Claude
Once connected (see setup above), use the Train Tracker tool:
- Ask Claude for departures from any UK station by name.
- Claude uses `station_search` to find the station and `live_departures` to get the current board.
- Ask follow-up questions: next train to a specific destination, whether a service is delayed, or which platform.
- Ask Claude to filter the board to trains going to a specific destination if the full board is long.
Example prompt for Claude
Try this with Claude using the Train Tracker tool
Use train-tracker to check live departures from Manchester Piccadilly. I need to get to London Euston — what's the next train, what platform is it from, and is it running on time?
Tips for Claude
- Ask for departures to a specific destination to get a filtered view rather than the full board.
- If you need the next few trains rather than just the next one, ask for the next three or four to a destination.
- Ask Claude to tell you the expected arrival time, not just the scheduled one, when there are delays.
Use ChatGPT with Train Tracker to get live UK train departures formatted as a clear departure board. ChatGPT is a good fit when you want the departure information presented cleanly — a formatted table of the next few trains to your destination, ready to reference at a glance.
Connect ToolRouter to ChatGPT
1Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced settings and enable Developer mode
2Click Create app and enter these details
Name
ToolRouterIcon
Download
DownloadDescription
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.MCP Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Check the box and click Create
How to check live train departures with ChatGPT
Once connected (see setup above), use the Train Tracker tool:
- Ask ChatGPT for live departures from a UK station.
- ChatGPT uses `station_search` and `live_departures` to pull the current board.
- Request a formatted table showing the next 5 trains to your destination with departure time, platform, and status.
- Ask ChatGPT to highlight any trains that are significantly delayed or cancelled.
Example prompt for ChatGPT
Try this with ChatGPT using the Train Tracker tool
Use train-tracker to get live departures from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. Show the next 5 trains as a table with: departure time, scheduled arrival, platform, operator, and status (on time/delayed/cancelled). Highlight any that are delayed by more than 10 minutes.
Tips for ChatGPT
- Ask for a table with scheduled versus expected times side by side so delays are visible at a glance.
- Request the next 5 trains rather than just the next one so you have options if the first is delayed.
- Ask ChatGPT to highlight cancelled services specifically — they are easy to miss in a long list.
Use Copilot with Train Tracker to pull live departure data and return it as typed JSON for a travel application, notification service, or commuter tool. Copilot is best when the departure data needs to feed a structured display component or trigger downstream logic based on delay status.
Connect ToolRouter to Copilot
1In your agent, go to Tools → Add a tool → New tool
2Choose Model Context Protocol and enter these details
Server name
ToolRouterServer description
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Set Authentication to None and click Create
How to check live train departures with Copilot
Once connected (see setup above), use the Train Tracker tool:
- Identify the station and destination for your departure query.
- Ask Copilot to run `station_search` and `live_departures` via `train-tracker`.
- Have Copilot return the result as typed JSON matching your application schema.
- Use the departure data to populate a display component or trigger a delay notification.
Example prompt for Copilot
Try this with Copilot using the Train Tracker tool
Use train-tracker to get live departures from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. Return JSON: {station: string, departures: Array<{scheduled_departure: string, expected_departure: string, platform: string, operator: string, destination: string, status: 'on_time' | 'delayed' | 'cancelled', delay_minutes: number}>}.
Tips for Copilot
- Use `status` as a union type ('on_time' | 'delayed' | 'cancelled') so your UI can apply status-specific styling cleanly.
- Include `delay_minutes` as a number so your notification logic can apply time-based thresholds.
- Return `expected_departure` separately from `scheduled_departure` so your display shows both.
OpenClaw lets you monitor live departures from multiple stations on a schedule — pulling the departure board every few minutes and triggering alerts when delays exceed a threshold. This is the right approach for automated commuter notifications, travel assistant bots, or operations teams monitoring multiple rail routes.
Connect ToolRouter to OpenClaw
1Install the CLI
npm install -g toolrouter-mcp2Call tools directly from OpenClaw
toolrouter-mcp call web-search search --query "AI tools"
toolrouter-mcp toolsHow to check live train departures with OpenClaw
Once connected (see setup above), use the Train Tracker tool:
- List the stations and routes to monitor.
- Run `live_departures` for each station on your monitoring interval (e.g., every 5 minutes).
- Compare the expected versus scheduled departure times and trigger an alert when delay exceeds your threshold.
- Push the alert to your notification channel — Slack, SMS, or webhook.
Example prompt for OpenClaw
Try this with OpenClaw using the Train Tracker tool
Use train-tracker to monitor live departures from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston every 5 minutes. Return departure status for the next three trains. Trigger an alert payload when any train is delayed by more than 15 minutes with: service_id, scheduled_departure, expected_departure, and delay_minutes.
Tips for OpenClaw
- Set a meaningful delay threshold for alerts — 5 minutes is noise, 15 minutes is actionable.
- Monitor the next 3 trains rather than just the next one so an alert can recommend the next available option.
- Include the scheduled departure in the alert payload so recipients know which specific service is affected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check live train departures with an AI assistant?
Get real-time departure information for any UK station, including platform numbers, delays, and expected arrival times. Connect the Train Tracker tool to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw through ToolRouter, then ask the assistant in plain language. For example: Ask Claude for departures from any UK station by name. Claude uses `station_search` to find the station and `live_departures` to get the current board.
Which AI assistants can check live train departures?
Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw can all check live train departures using the Train Tracker tool through ToolRouter, with no API keys or coding required.
What does the Train Tracker tool do?
Get live train departures, track specific trains, plan journeys, and check line status for UK rail.
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