UK National Rail MCP

This MCP connects Claude to the Realtime Trains API, giving you live UK rail data without opening a browser. It pulls departure boards, service details, and delay information for any station using CRS codes (the three-letter codes like PAD for Paddington or MAN for Manchester Piccadilly). I've used it to check whether my commute is about to fall apart before leaving the house, and it's faster than refreshing National Rail Enquiries. The main workflow is simple: ask Claude for departures from a station, and you get a formatted list with platform numbers, expected times, and delay warnings. You can drill into specific services to see calling points and whether your connection is still viable. It's particularly useful if you're building automation around commutes or need to check multiple routes quickly. I'd reach for this when I'm planning around engineering works or want to monitor a specific service without tab-switching. The API key requirement is straightforward. Realtime Trains offers free tier access, and the setup takes about three minutes. The server handles CRS code lookups reasonably well, though you'll want to know your local station codes or ask Claude to find them first. Response times are quick, and the data format is clean enough that Claude can reason about connections and alternatives without getting confused. Quirks: this is UK-only, obviously. If you're outside Britain or don't use trains regularly, it's dead weight. The API doesn't cover ticket prices or seat availability, so you'll still need to book elsewhere. It also won't help with buses, trams, or anything beyond National Rail services. The free tier has rate limits, though I've never hit them in normal use. If you're building something that hammers the API every few seconds, you'll need to think about caching or upgrading your Realtime Trains account. The real value is in removing friction. Instead of context-switching to a website, you stay in your Claude session and get the answer in conversational format. For regular commuters or anyone who needs to check UK rail status programmatically, it's a solid addition. For everyone else, it's too niche to justify the setup.