Timetables

A Java recreation of the SNCF station display boards (departures in blue, arrivals in green), built on the public SNCF API (Navitia). A project that is playful (recreating the atmosphere of a station), didactic (learning to use a public REST API) and useful (personal use when travelling by train).

Current state: proof of concept with departures and arrivals boards, in console and graphical (Swing) versions. Architecture, graphical design and the mobile port will come in later phases.

Screenshots

Departures (blue board)	Arrivals (green board)

Configuration

1. Get a free API key at https://numerique.sncf.com/startup/api/token-developpeur/
2. Create the file resources/Timetables.properties (not versioned, see .gitignore) with:

   API_KEY=your_sncf_api_key
   

Project structure

A Gradle build with two modules:

• core: pure Java (no Swing), SNCF API access, data model and platform providers. Network access goes through the HttpTransport interface, so the module can be reused by another front-end (Android later).
• desktop: Swing and console front-ends, built on core.

Running the application

Two boards to choose from: departures (blue) and arrivals (green). You only need a JDK (17 or later); Gradle is downloaded by the wrapper (gradlew) the first time. From the project root:

Graphical version (Swing): pick "Départs" or "Arrivées", type a station name, then click "Afficher". The board refreshes every 30 seconds.

.\gradlew :desktop:run

Console version: asks for a station name, then (D)épart or (A)rrivées. In cmd.exe or PowerShell, run chcp 65001 first so that accents are displayed correctly.

.\gradlew --console=plain -q :desktop:runConsole

Tests (offline, no API key needed):

.\gradlew :core:test

On Linux or macOS, use ./gradlew instead of .\gradlew.

In Eclipse, import the project with File > Import > Gradle > Existing Gradle Project, then right-click TimetablesApp.java (or TimetablesConsole.java) in desktop > Run As > Java Application.

The boards show the next TER / TGV / Intercités / RER / Transilien trains (time, train, destination or origin, platform, status). The user interface texts are in French.

The origin of arriving trains is not provided directly by the API: it is deduced from the train's first stop (one call per train, cached). The platform is not provided by the official API either, so it shows "--" (see resources/Timetables.properties for the experimental alternative).