Transport for London MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 11 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"transport-for-london": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About Transport for London MCP Server
Connect to Transport for London (TfL) and access real-time London transit data through natural conversation — no API key needed.
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Transport for London data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 11 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
What you can do
- Tube Status — Check real-time status of all Underground lines (Good Service, Minor/Severe Delays, Suspended)
- Line Details — Get detailed info about any tube, overground, DLR, Elizabeth line or tram route
- Bus Arrivals — Get live bus arrival predictions for any stop
- Journey Planning — Plan journeys between any two London locations with step-by-step directions
- Road Status — Check major road status and disruptions across London
- Bike Points — Find Santander Cycle docking stations with bike and dock availability
- Stop Search — Search for bus stops, tube stations and river piers by name
The Transport for London MCP Server exposes 11 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect Transport for London to VS Code Copilot via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the Transport for London MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Create MCP config
Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above
Enable Agent mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
Start using Transport for London
Ask Copilot: "Using Transport for London, help me...". 11 tools available
Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Transport for London MCP Server
GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with Transport for London through the Model Context Protocol.
VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
Transport for London + VS Code Copilot Use Cases
Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Transport for London MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step
DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review
Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses
Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples
Transport for London MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (11)
These 11 tools become available when you connect Transport for London to VS Code Copilot via MCP:
get_arrivals
Returns predicted arrival times, destination, line number, vehicle ID and expected time to station. Use the stop point ID (e.g. "490009056W") from search_stop. Get live arrival predictions for a bus stop
get_bike_point_detail
Get detailed info for a specific bike docking station
get_bike_points
Returns bike availability, dock availability, station locations and status. Useful for finding nearby bikes for cycling journeys. Search for Santander Cycle (Boris Bike) docking stations
get_journey
Returns multiple route options with estimated duration, walking distance, fare cost, number of changes and step-by-step directions. Input locations can be station names, addresses or postcodes. Plan a journey between two points in London
get_line_detail
Supports tube, overground, DLR, Elizabeth line, tram and river bus lines. Get detailed information about a specific TfL line
get_line_routes
Returns the ordered list of stations the line serves. Useful for understanding the full journey path of a tube line. Get the route sequence for a TfL line
get_line_status
Shows whether each line has Good Service, Minor Delays, Severe Delays, or is Suspended/Part Suspended. If no line IDs specified, returns all tube lines. Use line_ids to check specific lines (comma-separated, e.g. "central,victoria,northern"). Get real-time status for TfL tube lines
get_road_disruptions
Returns disruption details with severity, location, cause and estimated clearance times. Get current road disruptions in London
get_road_status
Shows whether roads have Good, Minor or Severe congestion. Get status of London major roads
get_stop_details
Useful for identifying the correct stop ID for arrival queries. Get details for a specific bus stop or station
search_stop
Returns matching stops with their IDs, locations, modes and routes. Use the returned IDs with get_arrivals or get_stop_details. Search for bus stops and stations by name
Example Prompts for Transport for London in VS Code Copilot
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with Transport for London immediately.
"What's the status of the Central line?"
"Plan a journey from King's Cross to Heathrow."
"When is the next bus at Oxford Circus?"
Troubleshooting Transport for London MCP Server with VS Code Copilot
Common issues when connecting Transport for London to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
MCP tools not available
Transport for London + VS Code Copilot FAQ
Common questions about integrating Transport for London MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
.vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.Connect Transport for London with your favorite client
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Connect Transport for London to VS Code Copilot
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 11 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.