[POST UPDATED: 5 August 2024: Subscription & go-live date updated].
IMPORTANT Alert for users of the legacy Trackernet and ESUI feeds
We want to let you know about a necessary re-platforming change we will be making to our open data resources that are hosted on http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/ which will require updates to apps using these feed(s):
- StationStatus: http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/TrackerNet/StationStatus
- StationStatusIncidentsOnly: http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/TrackerNet/StationStatus/IncidentsOnly
- LineStatus: http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/TrackerNet/LineStatus
- LineStatusIncidentsOnly: http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/TrackerNet/LineStatus/IncidentsOnly
- PredictionSummary (Metropolitan line example): http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/TrackerNet/predictionSummary/M
- PredictionDetailed (Central line Bank station example): http://cloud.tfl.gov.uk/TrackerNet/PredictionDetailed/C/BNK
If your apps are using these feeds, please read the information below about the changes, and how you can test in advance.
What are the changes and why are they being actioned?
We try to avoid making breaking changes to our open data, but the cloud platform the legacy Trackernet and ESUI feeds currently sit on is being deprecated by Microsoft, and needs to be moved across to a different server. Users should experience improved overall performance, as one of the benefits from this change.
Once re-platformed, the following changes will be implemented:
- The API’s operations will be served over HTTPS on the api.tfl.gov.uk domain.
- The API will be added to the existing subscriptions and will appear within the API Portal https://api-portal.tfl.gov.uk.
- Calls to the API will need to be signed with your account’s subscription key to avoid the anonymous rate-limiting rules.
No changes to the data structure in XML responses are included within this change.
What happens next?
-
We will be setting up a new PreProd environment with new API URLs, for wk. beg. 8 July 2024
-
Once this is ready, we will share the new API URL’s on this post - so you can test the new configuration ahead of LIVE rollout
-
cloud.tfl.gov.uk will be redirected after the transition period.
[POST UPDATED - INFO BELOW ADDED: Fri 12 July 2024]
Instructions on how to access and use the PreProd environment:
As explained above, we are now able to provide the endpoints on our PreProd environment for preview, these are as follows:
-
LineStatus
https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/LineStatus -
LineStatusIncidentsOnly
https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/LineStatus/IncidentsOnly -
PredictionDetailed
https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/PredictionDetailed/{lineId}/{stationId} -
PredictionSummary
https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/PredictionSummary/{lineId} -
StationStatus
https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/StationStatus -
StationStatusIncidentsOnly
https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/StationStatus/IncidentsOnly
To use these endpoints, you will need to pass an app_key. When this is deployed to our production API Management environment, you can retrieve this key from your account in https://api-portal.tfl.gov.uk. For now, you can use the shared key that will be valid for this preview period: b6ccc4e6531f495b8d295316a8a1469b
If you have not authenticated with our keys before, these can be sent as either:
a) a query string (e.g. https://api-preprod.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet/PredictionDetailed/C/BNK?app_key=b6ccc4e6531f495b8d295316a8a1469b)
or b) a request header (app_key, value: b6ccc4e6531f495b8d295316a8a1469b)
You should see no changes in the data structure in general, but there are new entries in the status endpoints for the London Overground line names that are due to go live in September.
What is the deadline for testing the PreProd environment?
Please can you complete any testing of the PreProd environment by end-of-play Mon 29 July 2024.
NOTE: if you encounter any issues whilst testing or have questions about managing the change in your apps, please add a reply below and we will do our best to help you.
[POST UPDATED - INFO BELOW ADDED: Mon 5 August 2024]
We have now created the new product in the API portal in preparation for go-live of the re-platformed system.
If you have not previously created an account in our portal, you can use our registration page and follow the instructions on that page.
If you already have an account, you can sign into the portal as usual. Once signed in, you can now see the new TrackernetFeedPublic product.
This now allows you to create a subscription to that product:
After clicking subscribe, you willl see your keys for this product in the next page (select Profile from the navigation to get back to this page in future).
This key will be required to call any endpoint under https://api.tfl.gov.uk/trackernet and can be passed as a request header or a query string to your request.
The production API is currently not published, but will be in the next few days. This will remain restricted while we perform final assurance on the production environment. Our planned go-live date is Wednesday 14 August 2024. Both solutions will be available after the go-live to allow consumers to transition with no downtime.
The old cloud.tfl.gov.uk domain will be retired on Saturday 31 August.
On go-live, we will be setting a very high rate limit for each user, but we will be monitoring usage and performance in the weeks after go-live and the switch off of the legacy domain. This will allow us to determine an appropriate rate limit for each consumer and will be communicated here.
[POST UPDATED - INFO BELOW ADDED: Mon 12 August 2024]
The go-live date is unchanged and we aim to be live with the new service at 10am on Wednesday 14 August We will update this thread when we are live or if there are any major delays.