Method 4: Rail Paths

Description: Returns a list of stations between two given stations.

Examples

url (REST) : http://api.wmata.com/Rail.svc/Path?FromStationCode=A10&ToStationCode=A12&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY - build path between A10 and A12

url (JSON): http://api.wmata.com/Rail.svc/json/JPath?FromStationCode=A10&ToStationCode=B05&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Response example (REST):

<PathResp xmlns="http://www.wmata.com" xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <Path>
    <MetroPathItem>
      <DistanceToPrev>0</DistanceToPrev>
      <LineCode>RD</LineCode>
      <SeqNum>1</SeqNum>
      <StationCode>A10</StationCode>
      <StationName>Medical Center</StationName>
    </MetroPathItem>
    <MetroPathItem>
      <DistanceToPrev>11821</DistanceToPrev>
      <LineCode>RD</LineCode>
      <SeqNum>2</SeqNum>
      <StationCode>A11</StationCode>
      <StationName>Grosvenor</StationName>
    </MetroPathItem>
    <MetroPathItem>
      <DistanceToPrev>7309</DistanceToPrev>
      <LineCode>RD</LineCode>
      <SeqNum>3</SeqNum>
      <StationCode>A12</StationCode>
      <StationName>White Flint</StationName>
    </MetroPathItem>
  </Path>
</PathResp>

Description of response fields:

  • StationCode - The ID code for an individual station.
  • StationName - The name of the Station.
  • LineCode - The ID (color) of the Line associated with the path. Can be RD, BL, YL, OR, GR
  • SeqNum - The sequence of the station in the path.
  • DistanceToPrev - Distance in feet from the previous station in the path.

version 22 as of 1 year ago by Wmata Admin

3 Comments

  1. Tim Schmitz – 2 years ago

    Any chance of returning an estimated travel time in the path response?

  2. Peter Shashkin – 2 years ago

    This would be a time-dependent request. Travel time in peak hours is different from regular hours. In my opinion, this is overkill for public interface (but I might be wrong). At this point I would recommend to gather some statistical info using our prediction service, and build your own repository of travel times.

    As of this moment we're concentrating on exposing base services (like arrival info) as opposed to info derived from that (like statistics). However I do understand that traver times (under normal circumstances) can be helpful to developers.

  3. skinnycat – 6 months ago

    It would be nice if it was feasible to get rail paths from 2 different rail lines. Let's say get the rail path form Glenmont (red line) to Greenbelt (green line). I already done this programmatically but since I developing an Android app, this kind of operations are never good for battery life. I hope that my suggestion helps to improve the API.

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