# Irish Rail Realtime Scraper (`parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes real-time Irish Rail train data by direction. Returns each train as a flat row with scheduled and expected times, origin, destination, and status.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Integrations, Travel
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 90.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.50 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Irish Rail Realtime Scraper

**Scrape Irish Rail real-time train data from any station, route, or direction, up to a million trains per run.** Every train comes with its scheduled and expected times, origin, destination, and status. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Irish Rail's official API needs a developer account and rate-limits you. This reads the public real-time train feeds directly, filtered by direction, and returns each train in one fixed schema. Get live departure boards, station activity, and route status without writing a line of code.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Irish Rail for |
|---|---|
| Commuters | Check if their train is on time before leaving home |
| Travel app developers | Power a live departure board for Irish stations |
| Transport researchers | Analyze punctuality patterns across routes |
| Station staff | Monitor incoming trains and platform assignments |

### What it does

This Actor collects real-time Irish Rail train data by direction and returns each train as a flat row.

- 🚆 **Real-time status:** scheduled vs expected times, origin, destination, and current status for every train.
- 🧭 **Direction filter:** collect only Northbound or Southbound trains, or leave it blank for all directions.
- 📊 **Flat rows:** each train is one row, ready for spreadsheets, databases, or dashboards.
- ⚡ **No API key:** reads the public feeds directly, no registration or OAuth.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Irish Rail data

**🚉 Build a live departure board.**

A developer runs the Actor every minute for a specific direction and feeds the rows into a station display or mobile app.

**📈 Track punctuality trends.**

A transport researcher collects a week of trains and compares scheduled vs expected times to identify delay hotspots.

**🔔 Alert commuters.**

A hobbyist schedules the Actor before rush hour and sends a notification when a train is delayed or cancelled.

**🗺️ Map train movements.**

A data journalist scrapes all trains for a day and plots origins and destinations to visualize network load.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Live departure boards** | Build a real-time display for any station or route |
| **Punctuality analysis** | Compare scheduled vs actual times across days |
| **No code needed** | Run from the Apify console or API with one click |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses on real-time train status, while the competitor below also covers fares and schedules.

| Feature | ParseForge | Irish Rail Scraper - Train Fares & Schedules |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time train status | Yes | Yes |
| Direction filter | Yes | Not listed |
| Train fares | Not listed | Yes |
| Train schedules | Not listed | Yes |
| No login required | Yes | Yes |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a direction filter and a maximum number of trains, and filters run as each train is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.0085 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.85 |
| 1,000 results | $8.50 |
| 10,000 results | $85.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Irish Rail Realtime Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Irish Rail through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check your direction filter. If you selected Northbound or Southbound, there may be no trains currently running in that direction. Try setting it to Any and increasing the maximum number of trains.

**Why are the times in a different timezone?**

The feed returns times in Irish local time (Europe/Dublin). Convert to your timezone if needed.

**Why did the run fail with a timeout?**

The upstream feed may be slow. Try increasing the timeout in the Actor's run settings or reducing the maximum number of trains.

**Why are some trains missing?**

The feed only includes trains that are currently active or expected soon. Trains that have already departed may not appear. Run more frequently to capture all trains.

**Can I get historical data?**

This Actor only returns current real-time data. To build historical records, schedule regular runs and store the results.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need an Irish Rail API key? | No. This Actor reads the public real-time feeds directly, so no registration or key is required. |
| What data does each train row include? | Each row includes scheduled and expected times, origin, destination, direction, and current status. The exact fields are listed in the sample output. |
| Can I filter by station or route? | The input schema currently supports filtering by direction only. You can filter by station or route after export using tools like Excel or a database. |
| How many trains can I collect? | You can set the maximum number of trains per run, up to 1,000,000. The default is 10. |
| How often should I run the Actor? | For live data, schedule it every minute or every few minutes. The feed updates frequently, so more frequent runs give fresher data. |
| What formats can I export to? | You can export the dataset to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify console or API. |
| Is this legal to scrape? | Irish Rail provides public real-time data feeds for public use. Always check the website's terms of service and respect rate limits. |
| Can I run this on a schedule? | Yes, you can set up a recurring schedule in Apify to run the Actor automatically at intervals you choose. |
| What is the difference between this and the Irish Rail Scraper - Train Fares & Schedules? | That Actor focuses on fares and schedules, while this one focuses on real-time train status. Use this for live departure and arrival data. |
| Does this work for DART, Commuter, and Intercity trains? | Yes, the real-time feed covers all Irish Rail services, including DART, Commuter, and Intercity. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Iarnród Éireann. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many trains to collect per run.

## `direction` (type: `string`):

Optional direction filter.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "maxItems": 10 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/irishrail-realtime-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/bnk3jyuslKVhGn9Mr/builds/NlJFff7RIdyCPK3Q0/openapi.json