ns-trains

What This Skill Does

The ns-trains skill provides OpenClaw users with real-time access to the official Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) API. It serves as a comprehensive travel assistant, capable of planning complex journeys, checking live departure and arrival boards, monitoring active track disruptions, and searching for specific station metadata across the Netherlands. By integrating this skill, your agent gains the ability to provide accurate, up-to-the-minute transit information, helping you optimize your commute and navigate the Dutch rail network with ease.

Installation

To install this skill, run the following command in your terminal: clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/eggressive/ns-trains. After installation, ensure you have an active NS API key. Visit the NS API Portal, register for the Ns-App product, and store your Primary Key in your environment variables as NS_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY. For enhanced efficiency, configure your default route by setting NS_HOME_STATION and NS_WORK_STATION environment variables, which will enable the shortcut commute commands.

Use Cases

• Commuter Efficiency: Quickly check your morning transit status without opening a browser or app, with support for defined home-to-work shortcuts.
• Travel Planning: Plan multi-leg journeys, view transfer times, and identify platform changes before you reach the station.
• Situational Awareness: Proactively check for nationwide or route-specific disruptions to avoid delays or find alternative paths.
• Logistics: Use the station search feature to find correct station names or verify operational status for any location in the NS network.

Example Prompts

1. "What is the fastest way to get from Utrecht Centraal to Amsterdam Zuid right now?"
2. "Check for any train disruptions between Rotterdam and The Hague this afternoon."
3. "When is the next train departing from Amsterdam Centraal?"

Tips & Limitations

• Security: Always inject your API key through your runtime secret manager rather than hardcoding it into configuration files.
• Accuracy: The skill relies on live data from the NS API; while usually highly accurate, always cross-reference platform information with physical displays at the station in case of emergency late-breaking changes.
• Geographic Scope: This skill is strictly limited to the Dutch rail network; it cannot provide information for international trains outside of the NS scope or local bus/tram/metro lines unless integrated into a broader transit platform.