# metra_schedule

**Repository Path**: mirrors_blakesmith/metra_schedule

## Basic Information

- **Project Name**: metra_schedule
- **Description**: metra_schedule provides a ruby object interface to the Chicago metra train schedule
- **Primary Language**: Unknown
- **License**: GPL-2.0
- **Default Branch**: master
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No

## Statistics

- **Stars**: 0
- **Forks**: 0
- **Created**: 2020-11-23
- **Last Updated**: 2026-04-05

## Categories & Tags

**Categories**: Uncategorized

**Tags**: None

## README

= metra_schedule: A library to access the Chicago Metra schedule information as Ruby objects.

This is the data library that powers http://metra.blakesmith.me

Supported Lines:
  Union Pacific Northwest => :up_nw
  Union Pacific North => :up_n
  North Central Service => :ncs
  Milwaukee District West => :md_w
  Milwaukee District North => :md_n
  Union Pacific West => :up_w
  BNSF Railway => :bnsf
  Heritage Corrider => :hc
  Southwest Service => :sws
  Rock Island District => :ri
  Metra Electric District => :me


metra_schedule provides:

Scraper:: scrapes the metrarail.com website for schedule information.
Schedule objects:: The scraper creates ruby objects for lines, trains and stops
Cacher:: After a schedule is scraped, it can be serialized locally for subsequent object access
Flexible Query Language:: Build complex scheduling constraints and permutations with the various query methods.

= Usage

How to use metra_schedule

=== Setup

  gem install metra_schedule -s http://gemcutter.org

=== Using

  require 'metra'
  line = Metra.new.line(:up_nw) # Union pacific Northwest line
  line.load_schedule

=== Building a list of trains

  # All outbound trains
  line.outbound.trains

  # All outbound weekday trains
  line.outbound.weekday.trains

  # All inbound saturday trains that start at Barrington and end at Ogilve
  line.inbound.saturday.from(:barrington).to(:ogilve).trains

  # All sunday/holiday outbound trains that start at Arlington Heights after 12:30PM and stop at Park Ridge 
  line.outbound.holiday.from(:arlington_heights).at(Time.parse('12:30PM')).to(:park_ridge).trains

  # All inbound trains on December 30th 2009
  line.inbound.on(Date.parse("December 30th 2009")).trains

= Trains

=== Instance variables:

train.train_num :: Metra train number.
train.stops :: An array of all Stop objects. Contains the stop name and what time the train will arrive at that stop
train.schedule :: Symbol representing the day the train runs. Either :weekday, :saturday, or :sunday (holidays run on a sunday schedule)
train.direction :: Symbol representing the train direction. Either :inbound or :outbound
train.bike_limit :: Maximum number of bikes per train. nil if no limit.

=== Instance methods:

train.my_travel_time :: Travel time in minutes of your trip. Assumes you specified Line#from and Line#to when you built your query
train.print_my_travel_time :: Same as above, but in human readable form EG - "1 hour 2 minutes"
train.has_stop?(stop) :: Takes a station name symbol and determines whether this train has that stop
train.in_time?(station, time) :: Takes a station name symbol and time. Returns true if the time is before the time the train reaches that stop


= Stops

Stored inside each train.

=== Instance variables:

stop.station :: Symbol representing the station name
stop.time :: Time object with the time the train stops there

=== Instance methods:

stop.in_time?(time) :: True if time is less than stop.time

=== Class methods:

Stop.pretty_print(station) :: Converts the station symbol to something human readable - EG: :irving_park becomes "Irving Park"

= Lines

=== Instance variables:

line.line_key :: Symbol of the line name
line.name :: Human readable line name EG - "Union Pacific Northwest"
line.url :: Url that the parser scrapes from.
line.dir :: Symbol representing selected line direction. :outbound or :inbound. Set with Line#outbound Line#inbound or deduced using Line#from and Line#to
line.sched :: Symbol representing selected line schedule. :weekday, :saturday or :sunday. Set with Line#weekday, Line#saturday Line#sunday Line#on(date) or Line#deduce_schedule
line.start :: Symbol representing starting station name. EG - :clyborn. Set with Line#from
line.destination :: Symbol representing destanation station name. EG - :ogilve. Set with Line#to
line.time :: Time object representing the time you'd like to depart. Used to filter down lines. Set with Line#at


=== Instance methods:

line.load_schedule :: Load cached engine data from Marshaled cache dir (~/.metra_schedule) or if not available, fetch from the Metra website, parse and cache it
line.trains :: Takes in all the other parameters you specified and returns only the trains that meet the criteria you specfied
line.from(station) :: Set your starting station
line.to(station) :: Set your destination station
line.direction(dir) :: Set the line direction. :outbound or :inbound
line.outbound :: Same as line.direction(:outbound)
line.inbound :: Same as line.direction(:inbound)
line.deduce_direction :: Infers line direction if you specified Line#from and Line#to
line.schedule(sched) :: Sets the line schedule. Either :weekday :saturday or :sunday
line.weekday :: Same as line.direction(:weekday)
line.saturday :: Same as line.direction(:saturday)
line.sunday :: Same as line.direction(:sunday)
line.holiday :: Same as line.direction(:sunday)
line.on(date) :: Sets schedule using the date you specified
line.deduce_schedule :: Same as on(Date.today)
line.at(time) :: Sets line time. Specifying this will only display trains that appear at your starting station (specified with Line#from) before the given time

= Line Data

Current supported lines:

=== Union Pacific Northwest => :up_nw

stations: 
  
  :ogilve,
  :clyborn,
  :irving_park,
  :jefferson_park,
  :gladstone_park,
  :norwood_park,
  :edison_park,
  :park_ridge,
  :dee_road,
  :des_plaines,
  :cumberland,
  :mount_prospect,
  :arlington_heights,
  :arlington_park,
  :palatine,
  :barrington,
  :fox_river_grove,
  :cary,
  :pingree_road,
  :crystal_lake,
  :woodstock,
  :mchenry,
  :harvard


=== Union Pacific North => :up_n

stations: 

  :ogilve,
  :clyborn,
  :ravenswood,
  :rogers_park,
  :evanston_main_street,
  :evanston_davis_street,
  :evanston_central_street,
  :wilmette,
  :kenilworth,
  :indian_hill,
  :winnetka,
  :hubbard_woods,
  :glencoe,
  :braeside,
  :ravinia_park,
  :ravinia,
  :highland_park,
  :highwood,
  :fort_sheridan,
  :lake_forest,
  :lake_bluff,
  :greate_lakes,
  :north_chicago,
  :waukegan,
  :zion,
  :winthrop_harbor,
  :kenosha


=== North Central Service => :ncs

stations:

  :union_station,
  :western_avenue,
  :river_grove,
  :franklin_park,
  :schiller_park,
  :rosemont,
  :ohare_transfer,
  :prospect_heights,
  :wheeling,
  :buffalo_grove,
  :prairie_view,
  :vernon_hills,
  :mundelein,
  :libertyville,
  :grayslake,
  :round_lake_beach,
  :lake_villa,
  :antioch


=== Milwaukee District West => :md_w

stations:

  :union_station,
  :western_avenue,
  :grand_cicero,
  :hanson_park,
  :galewood,
  :mars,
  :mont_clare,
  :elmwood_park,
  :river_park,
  :franklin_park,
  :mannheim,
  :bensenville,
  :wood_dale,
  :itasca,
  :medinah,
  :roselle,
  :schaumburg,
  :hanover_park,
  :bartlett,
  :national_street,
  :elgin,
  :big_timber


=== Union Pacific West => :up_w

stations:

  :ogilve,
  :kedzie,
  :oak_park,
  :river_forest,
  :maywood,
  :melrose_park,
  :bellwood,
  :berkeley,
  :elmhurst,
  :villa_park,
  :lombard,
  :glen_ellyn,
  :college_avenue,
  :wheaton,
  :winfield,
  :west_chicago,
  :geneva,
  :la_fox,
  :elburn


=== BNSF Railway => :bnsf

stations:

  :union_station,
  :halsted,
  :western_avenue,
  :cicero,
  :lavergne,
  :berwyn,
  :harlem_ave,
  :riverside,
  :hollywood,
  :brookfield,
  :congress_park,
  :lagrange_road,
  :lagrange_stone_avenue,
  :western_springs,
  :highlands,
  :hinsdale,
  :west_hinsdale,
  :clarendon_hills,
  :westmont,
  :fairview_avenue,
  :downers_grove_main_street,
  :belmont,
  :lisle,
  :naperville,
  :route_59,
  :aurora


=== Heritage Corrider => :hc

stations:

  :union_station,
  :summit,
  :willow_springs,
  :lemont,
  :lockport,
  :joliet


=== Rock Island District => :ri

stations:

  :chicago_lasalle_station,
  :gresham,
  :longwood,
  :washington_heights,
  :brainerd,
  :beverly_hills_91_street,
  :beverly_hills_95_street,
  :beverly_hills_99_street,
  :beverly_hills_103_street,
  :beverly_hills_107_street,
  :morgan_park_111_street,
  :morgan_park_115_street,
  :street_119,
  :street_123,
  :prairie_street,
  :blue_island,
  :robbins,
  :midlothian,
  :oak_forest,
  :tinley_park,
  :tinley_park_80_avenue,
  :hickory_creek,
  :mokena,
  :new_lenox,
  :joliet

 
=== Metra Electric District => :me

stations:

  :milennium_station,
  :van_buren_street,
  :museum_campus,
  :street_18,
  :mccormick_place,
  :street_27,
  :street_47,
  :street_51_53,
  :street_55_56_57,
  :street_59,
  :street_63,
  :street_75,
  :street_79,
  :street_83,
  :street_87,
  :street_91,
  :street_95,
  :street_103,
  :street_107,
  :street_111,
  :street_115,
  :riverdale,
  :ivanhoe,
  :street_147,
  :harvey,
  :hazel_crest,
  :calumet,
  :homewood,
  :flossmoor,
  :olympia_fields,
  :street_211,
  :matteson,
  :richton_park,
  :university_park,
  :stony_island,
  :bryn_mawr,
  :south_shore,
  :windsor_park,
  :street_79,
  :street_83,
  :street_87,
  :street_93,
  :state_street,
  :stewart_ridge,
  :west_pullman,
  :racine,
  :ashland,
  :burr_oak,
  :blue_island