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GTFS Schedule Overview

Getting Started

A GTFS feed, which contains static transit information, is composed of a number of text (.txt) files that are contained in a single ZIP file. Each file describes a particular aspect of transit information: stops, routes, trips, fares, etc. For more information about each file, consult the GTFS reference.

In order to create a GTFS feed follow the steps below.

  1. Create all the required files described in the GTFS Schedule reference. Create the optional files if their functionality is desired.
  2. Save all files in the .txt format. Field values should be comma delimited and each line should end with a line break. See the GTFS reference for detailed information on the file contents.
  3. Zip all the text files together. The zipped file comprises a version of the feed.
  4. Publish the feed by using one of the options below.

Making a Transit Feed Publicly Available


Datasets should be published at a public, permanent URL, including the zip file name. (e.g., www.agency.org/gtfs/gtfs.zip). Ideally, the URL should be directly downloadable without requiring login to access the file, to facilitate download by consuming software applications. While it is recommended (and the most common practice) to make a GTFS dataset openly downloadable, if a data provider does need to control access to GTFS for licensing or other reasons, it is recommended to control access to the GTFS dataset using API keys, which will facilitate automatic downloads.

The web-server hosting GTFS data should be configured to correctly report the file modification date (see HTTP/1.1 - Request for Comments 2616, under Section 14.29).

See “Best Practices: Dataset Publishing” for further recommendations.

Training & Resources


Technical details about GTFS, what it is, and how to create and maintain data:

View example feeds with various features:

For free tools and instructional materials:

For ideas on vendors who offer GTFS services:

See more online courses.

Getting Help & Community


Mailing Lists

There are a number of mailing lists that can be good resources when you have questions about public transit data, software, formats like GTFS and GTFS-realtime, and other issues:

Check with your local transit agency to see if they have a mailing list of their own.

See more community resources.