Why does a train's time sometimes go up instead of down?

The figure is TfL's rolling prediction of the time to station, not a countdown, so it can be recalculated and increase between requests.

Does it show every station on the line?

Predictions are reported per station, so a request covers one station on a line at a time rather than a full simultaneous map of every train.

What do the platform names mean?

They are the platform labels in TfL's data. The API describes the field as the platform name, and for Tube stops it often includes a direction as well as a platform number.

Tube Arrivals Screensaver

The Tube Arrivals screensaver shows live arrival predictions for a London Underground line from Transport for London's key-less API: every real train with its destination, platform and how long until it gets there. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Tube Arrivals screensaver works

The saver reads Transport for London directly in your browser — no key and no account.

Live arrival predictions for a London Underground line from Transport for London's key-less API: every real train with its destination, platform and how long until it gets there..

It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.

Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.

How Tube arrival predictions work

Transport for London publishes a Unified API covering several modes of transport, and it includes arrival predictions for stations and stops. For the Underground, an arrivals request returns predictions for individual trains approaching a given station on a line, which is the data this display is built from. Predictions can also be requested for a whole mode or for a single vehicle.

Each prediction carries a destination name, a platform name, the station name, a direction (unified to inbound or outbound), the current location of the vehicle, and a time to station in seconds. The time is TfL's prediction, not a fixed countdown, so it can change between requests, and the fields also include an expiry time for each prediction. A train showing two minutes can become three, and a prediction can disappear when it is replaced or expires.

Read the board as a snapshot of what is expected, not a guarantee. Predictions are reported per station, so a request does not show every train on the whole line at once, and it cannot tell you about disruption beyond what the predictions themselves reflect. TfL's own status pages are the place to check for service updates.

A worked example

Live arrival predictions for a London Underground line from Transport for London's key-less API: every real train with its destination, platform and how long until it gets there.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display.
Data comes straight from Transport for London in your browser.
Press ESC to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it comes from Transport for London and is refreshed on a schedule.
Is a key needed?: No. This source is fully key-less.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Why does a train's time sometimes go up instead of down?: The figure is TfL's rolling prediction of the time to station, not a countdown, so it can be recalculated and increase between requests.
Does it show every station on the line?: Predictions are reported per station, so a request covers one station on a line at a time rather than a full simultaneous map of every train.
What do the platform names mean?: They are the platform labels in TfL's data. The API describes the field as the platform name, and for Tube stops it often includes a direction as well as a platform number.

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