How do I find my TransportAPI credentials?

Log in to your [**TransportAPI dashboard**](https://developer.transportapi.com/), and you will find your App ID and App Key under your 'Account' or 'Apps' section. Copy and paste them below.

Does this cover transport outside of the UK?

TransportAPI provides high-density data primarily for the UK transport network, including national rail, London Underground, and regional bus services.

Can the agent plan a journey from coordinates?

Yes. Use the `get_journey_plan` tool providing coordinates in 'lat,lon' format for the 'from' or 'to' parameters. Your agent will calculate the best public transport route instantly.

TransportAPI Alternative MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 12 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: TransportAPI Alternative
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 12 Tools IDE

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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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transportapi-alternative": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* 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 TransportAPI Alternative MCP Server

Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire public transport research workflow with TransportAPI, Britain's leading platform for transport data. By connecting TransportAPI to your agent, you transform complex logistics searches into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly search for stations, audit live bus and train departures, and retrieve detailed journey plans without you ever touching a travel app. Whether you are conducting urban mobility research or monitoring daily commute patterns, your agent acts as a real-time transit consultant, ensuring your data is always comprehensive and up-to-date.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings TransportAPI Alternative data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 12 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Departure Auditing — Query real-time bus and train departures for any stop or station to maintain a clear view of local transit flow.
Journey Oversight — Plan public transport routes between any locations and retrieve detailed itinerary metadata, including aimed vs expected times.
Station Discovery — Search for train stations and bus stops by keyword or retrieve nearby transport hubs based on geographic coordinates.
Service Intelligence — Query specific bus and train service details, including operator information and full route timetables.
Logistics Monitoring — List available routes and service statuses to maintain strict control over urban transport data.

The TransportAPI Alternative MCP Server exposes 12 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 TransportAPI Alternative to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the TransportAPI Alternative 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 TransportAPI Alternative

Ask Copilot: "Using TransportAPI Alternative, help me...". 12 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the TransportAPI Alternative MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with TransportAPI Alternative 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

TransportAPI Alternative + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the TransportAPI Alternative 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

TransportAPI Alternative MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (12)

These 12 tools become available when you connect TransportAPI Alternative to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_bus_route_timetable

Get the scheduled timetable for a bus route

get_bus_service

Get details of a bus service route

get_live_bus_departures

Returns live departure times, destinations, and operators. Get real-time bus departures for a UK bus stop

get_live_train_departures

g., KGX for King's Cross, PAD for Paddington). Get real-time train departures for a UK station

get_nearby_bus_stops

Find bus stops near a GPS location

get_nearby_transport_places

Find transport locations near GPS coordinates

get_train_fares

Great for price comparison. Get ticket prices between two stations

get_train_service_details

Get the full calling pattern of a train service

get_train_station_timetable

Get the scheduled timetable for a train station

get_transport_by_postcode

Useful when user only has a postcode, not coordinates. Find transport options by UK postcode

plan_public_transport_journey

Returns step-by-step route with times and changes. Plan a public transport journey between two locations

search_transport_places

Search for train stations and bus stops by name

Example Prompts for TransportAPI Alternative in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with TransportAPI Alternative immediately.

"Show live train departures for station 'EUS' (Euston) using TransportAPI."

"Plan a journey from 'London Waterloo' to 'Brighton'."

"Search for bus stops near coordinate 51.5074, -0.1278."

Troubleshooting TransportAPI Alternative MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting TransportAPI Alternative to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

TransportAPI Alternative + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating TransportAPI Alternative MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .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.