NS API Portal

What you can build

• Time the shuttle to the NS timetable

  Read the timetable for the station your shuttle serves and the works that touch it. When the plan changes, the operator proposes a new shuttle slot and records the source it used.

  With Shuttle Timing

• Warn the desk before rail works hit arrivals

  Match arriving guests to the engineering works published for their route. The operator proposes a later room-ready target and a note quoting the works period.

  With Arrival Prep

• Cover the shift the works will delay

  Check the works on the lines your staff commute by against the shift start. When they overlap, the operator proposes an intraday cover plan for your approval.

  With Intraday Balance

Requirements

• An account on the portal, registered as Externe bezoeker; the portal says the available APIs can take up to 5 minutes to appear
• A subscription to the product that bundles the API you need, requested with the Subscribe button on the product page
• Approval by the API owner where the product requires it; the status is shown on your profile page
• Acceptance of the usage conditions shown at sign-in: respect NS server capacity, no NS logo in your application, no manipulated data

Authentication

A product subscription key issued on your profile page after registration and approval, sent as a header on every request as the Try-It page shows.

Limits

• The API list and every API's documentation are behind a login; this listing is written from the portal's public pages
• No request quota is published on the public pages; the sign-in terms warn that suspected misuse leads to immediate disconnection
• NS states it can change or end the service at any time, and that the developer is responsible for what happens on their connection
• The portal, starter guide, and terms are in Dutch

Questions and answers

How do I get a key?

Register on the portal, open the product that bundles the API, agree to any usage conditions, name your subscription, and click Subscribe. If the product needs approval, the API owner reviews the request. The personal subscription key then appears on your profile page.

Which header carries the key?

The starter guide says the key must be sent with every request and that the Try-It page of each API operation shows how to pass it as a header. It also notes that extra security measures can apply to some APIs and are shown on the API page.

What do the usage conditions require?

The sign-in page lists five points: respect NS server capacity, since suspected misuse can be cut off at once; NS can change or end the service; the developer is responsible for their connection; the NS logo may not be used; and API data may not be altered to spread wrong information.