Parse a GTFS Schedule (static) feed to build trip-planning or timetable data
domain: gtfs.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Download the agency's GTFS zip file containing the required CSV text files (agency.txt, stops.txt, routes.txt, trips.txt, stop_times.txt, calendar.txt/calendar_dates.txt)
Validate the feed structure against the canonical reference at gtfs.org/documentation/schedule/reference
Join stop_times.txt to trips.txt and calendar.txt to resolve which trips run on a given date
Use shapes.txt, if present, to render route geometry
Re-download periodically since GTFS Schedule feeds are static snapshots, not real-time
Known gotchas
Only about 6 of the ~13 possible files are required; many trip-planning features depend on optional files (shapes.txt, fare data) that may be absent
calendar_dates.txt can add or remove service on specific dates and must be reconciled with calendar.txt, not read in isolation
Terminology shifted from 'GTFS static' to 'GTFS Schedule' in current docs; older tooling and tutorials may still use the old name
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