metra
Chicago Metra commuter rail — real-time train arrivals, vehicle tracking, service alerts, and schedule info for all 11 Metra lines serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Use when the user asks about Metra trains, Chicago commuter rail, or specific Metra lines and stations.
Install via CLI (Recommended)
clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/brianleach/metraWhat This Skill Does
The Metra skill provides real-time integration with the Chicago Metra commuter rail network, enabling the OpenClaw AI to fetch live trip updates, vehicle positions, and service alerts. By leveraging GTFS-RT (General Transit Feed Specification - Realtime) and static GTFS data, the agent can accurately inform users about arrival predictions, delays, construction notifications, and general schedule inquiries across all 11 of Chicago's regional commuter lines. Whether commuting from the suburbs into Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, or LaSalle Street Station, this skill provides the ground truth data required to navigate the Chicagoland rail system effectively.
Installation
To install this skill, use the ClawHub CLI inside your project environment:
clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/brianleach/metra
Ensure you have obtained your free Metra API key from the developer portal at https://metra.com/developers and configured it within your agent's environment variables as METRA_API_KEY to enable authenticated requests to the Metra GTFS-RT endpoints.
Use Cases
- Commuter Planning: Helping daily commuters identify the next train on lines like the BNSF or UP-NW.
- Service Disruption Awareness: Proactively checking for delays, cancellations, or track maintenance that may impact travel.
- Station Navigation: Providing real-time arrival estimates for specific Chicago terminals and suburban stations.
- Schedule Verification: Comparing static schedule data with real-time GPS positioning to provide accurate arrival estimates.
Example Prompts
- "When is the next BNSF train arriving at the Naperville station?"
- "Are there any delays reported for the Metra Electric line this morning?"
- "I'm at Ogilvie, what are the next departures for the UP-W line?"
Tips & Limitations
- Data Reliability: If real-time GTFS-RT data is unavailable, the system intelligently falls back to the static schedule. Always cross-reference crucial travel plans with station signage.
- GPS Limitations: Vehicle positions may momentarily disappear if a train enters a tunnel or sits at a terminal due to GPS signal loss.
- Distinction: Remember that Metra is the commuter rail network; do not use this skill for inquiries regarding CTA 'L' trains or buses.
- Polling: The skill is optimized to poll every 30 seconds; avoid manual overrides that exceed this frequency to maintain API compliance.
Metadata
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Find the right skillPaste this into your clawhub.json to enable this plugin.
{
"plugins": {
"official-brianleach-metra": {
"enabled": true,
"auto_update": true
}
}
}Tags(AI)
Flags: network-access, external-api
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