Why use this API?

Deutsche Bahn itself provides an API. Why use this one? (And what could DB do better?)

Realtime Data

This API returns realtime data whenever its upstream, the API for DB's mobile app, provides it.

No API Key

Especially on web sites/apps, it is a subpar solution to the send API keys to the client. Also, you have to obtain these keys manually and cannot automatically revoke them. This API doesn't require a key.

Sane Markup

Compare the official API:

{
	cid: 'C-0',
	date: '20171216',
	dur: '043200',
	chg: 2,
	sDays: { /* … */ },
	dep: {
		locX: 0,
		dPlatfS: '6',
		dInR: true,
		dTimeS: '115400',
		dProgType: 'PROGNOSED',
		dTZOffset: 60,
		type: 'N'
	},
	arr: {
		locX: 2,
		aPlatfS: '4',
		aOutR: true,
		aTimeS: '162600',
		aProgType: 'PROGNOSED',
		aTZOffset: 60,
		type: 'N'
	},
	/* … */
}

to this one:

{
	origin: {
		type: 'station',
		id: '8089066',
		name: 'Berlin Friedrichstraße (S)',
		location: {
			type: 'location',
			latitude: 52.520331,
			longitude: 13.386934
		},
		products: {
			nationalExp: false,
			national: false,
			regionalExp: false,
			regional: true,
			suburban: true,
			bus: true,
			ferry: false,
			subway: true,
			tram: true,
			taxi: false
		}
	},
	destination: {
		type: 'station',
		id: '8004158',
		name: 'München-Pasing',
		location: {
			type: 'location',
			latitude: 48.150036,
			longitude: 11.461624
		},
		products: {
			nationalExp: true,
			national: true,
			regionalExp: false,
			regional: true,
			suburban: true,
			bus: true,
			ferry: false,
			subway: false,
			tram: true,
			taxi: false
		}
	},
	departure: '2017-12-16T11:54:00.000+01:00',
	arrival: '2017-12-16T16:26:00.000+01:00',
	price: {
		amount: 150,
		hint: null
	}
}

GZIP support

Especially on cellular connections, gzipped responses improve the performance a lot.

HTTP/2

HTTP/2 allows multiple requests at a time, efficiently pipelines sequential requests and compresses headers. See Cloudflare's HTTP/2 page.

More Features

This API enhances the functionality of their API with static data, which is used in e.g. GET /stations.

Monitoring

There's a status board that indicates the health of the API endpoints.

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