gotrain

What This Skill Does

The gotrain skill is a powerful command-line interface integration for OpenClaw that serves as a direct gateway to real-time transit data for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) network in New York. Whether you are commuting via the New York City Subway, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), or Metro-North Railroad, this skill provides instant access to departure schedules, station information, and critical service alerts. By interfacing directly with MTA data feeds, it removes the need to browse complex transit websites or use bloated mobile apps, allowing users to query live status updates directly through their terminal or OpenClaw interface.

Installation

To integrate this skill into your environment, use the OpenClaw management command: clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/gumadeiras/gotrain

For local command-line access outside of OpenClaw, ensure you have Node.js installed and run: npm install -g gotrain-cli

Use Cases

This skill is designed for daily commuters and visitors to the New York metropolitan area who require reliable, low-latency transit information. Common use cases include:

• Rapidly checking if your train is delayed or on time before leaving your office.
• Navigating complex transit hubs like Grand Central or Penn Station by looking up specific platform departures.
• Monitoring system-wide service disruptions via the alert command to decide on alternative travel routes.
• Keeping a list of frequently used stations as "favorites" for one-command status checks during the morning and evening rush hours.

Example Prompts

1. "Check the current service alerts for the MTA to see if there are any major subway delays."
2. "What are the next departures for Grand Central using the Metro-North station ID MNR-1?"
3. "Search for the station ID for Atlantic Terminal and save it to my favorites list using gotrain."

Tips & Limitations

• Station Identification: Always check the gotrain stations [query] command first if you are unsure of the specific station ID, as these are technical identifiers required for accurate data fetching.
• Real-Time Accuracy: While the data is sourced from official MTA channels, ensure you verify significant travel changes via station signage if your mobile data connectivity is inconsistent.
• Scope: This tool is strictly for MTA-managed transit lines. It does not provide data for PATH, NJ Transit, or private bus carriers operating outside the MTA jurisdiction. If a command returns no data, verify that your network connection allows access to the MTA API endpoints.