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VVO WebAPI Documentation

Base URL: https://webapi.vvo-online.de

Overview

The WebAPI is a JSON-based REST interface used by VVO’s mobile web portal (vvo-mobil.de) and the official DVB mobil app. It provides comprehensive access to transit data including stop search, departure monitors, trip planning, route change information, map data, and tariff zone polygons.

Key Characteristics:

  • Most endpoints use POST requests with JSON payloads (exception: PointFinder uses GET)
  • All requests include "format": "json" in the payload or query string
  • Responses use Microsoft JSON date format: /Date(timestamp+timezone)/
  • No authentication required for basic queries
  • CORS enabled (Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *), so it can be called from a browser
  • Stop IDs can be given as numeric VVO IDs (33000028) or as DHIDs (de:14612:28)
  • Real-time data includes delay information, occupancy levels, and service alerts

An OpenAPI 3.1 description of these endpoints is available at openapi/webapi.yaml.

Technical Notes

EFA System Background

VVO uses the EFA (Elektronische Fahrplanauskunft) server software from MENTZ GmbH. This system is also used by many other German transit organizations including:

Date Format

All timestamps in responses use Microsoft JSON date format:

  • Format: /Date(milliseconds+timezone)/
  • Example: /Date(1487778279147+0100)/
  • The timestamp is in milliseconds since Unix epoch (UTC)
  • A timezone offset follows (e.g., +0100 for CET). It is informational only and many fields use -0000

Coordinate System

The API uses GK4 (Gauss-Kruger Zone 4) coordinates for location data. When working with coordinates:

  • Right (Rechtswert) and Up (Hochwert) values are used
  • These need to be converted for use with standard GPS/WGS84 systems
  • The DVB mobile app detects the coordinate system by checking if the value contains a decimal point: if it does, it’s treated as WGS84; otherwise GK4

Rate Limiting and Stability

Community reports indicate:

  • Occasional 503 Service Unavailable errors
  • Random timeouts may occur
  • IP-based restrictions may apply (e.g., TU Dresden network ranges)
  • Implement retry logic with exponential backoff
  • Cache responses where appropriate

PointFinder

Find stops, addresses, or POIs based on a search query or coordinates.

Request

GET https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/pointfinder

The DVB mobil app uses GET with query parameters for this endpoint. The API also accepts POST with a JSON body.

Important: The format=json parameter is required for GET requests. Without it, the endpoint returns an HTML debug page instead of JSON.

Query parameters (GET) / JSON body (POST):

Name Type Description Required
query String Search query (name or coord:<lng>:<lat> in GK4) Yes
limit Int Maximum number of results No
stopsOnly Bool Only search for stops if true No
regionalOnly Bool Include only stops in VVO area if true No
stopShortcuts Bool Include stop shortcuts if true No
assignedstops Bool Include stops assigned to coordinate if true (for coordinate queries) No
showlines Bool Include line information in results No
provider String Provider filter, default "dvb" No
format String Response format, use "json" No

For coordinate queries, the format is coord:<longitude>:<latitude> in GK4 coordinates.

Response

{
  "PointStatus": "List",
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "Points": [
    "33000742|||Helmholtzstraße|5655904|4621157|0||",
    "36030083||Chemnitz|Helmholtzstr|5635837|4566835|0||",
    "9022020||Bonn|Helmholtzstraße|0|0|0||"
  ],
  "ExpirationTime": "\/Date(1487859556456+0100)\/"
}
curl "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/pointfinder?query=helmholtz&stopsOnly=true&format=json"

PointStatus is List for a list of candidates, Identified if the query resolved to a single point (the first entry), and NotIdentified on errors. A missing query returns HTTP 400 with Status.Code: "ValidationError".

Be aware that the elements of the Points array can take different forms with different types. If doing a PointFinder request for a coordinate, the first element will look like the following for example coord:4621022.70:504065.41:NAV4:Nöthnitzer Straße 46|c|(Dresden)|Nöthnitzer Straße 46|5655935|4621022|0||.

Point strings contain nine values separated by a vertical bar (|). As far as we know the values are:

Index Type Description Always included
0 Int or string ID of a stop (int), or an other type (string, see below) Yes
1 String Type of point: a for streets, p for pois, c for coordinates No
2 String City name if point is not in the VVO area No
3 String Name of the stop or street Yes
4 Int Latitude (GK4 coordinate, or WGS84 if contains “.”) Yes
5 Int Longitude (GK4 coordinate, or WGS84 if contains “.”) Yes
6 Int Distance in meters when submitting coords in query, otherwise 0 Yes
7 String Serving lines, only with showlines (see below) No
8 String Shortcut of the stop, only with stopShortcuts No

The serving lines field groups lines by a numeric transport type, e.g. 1:3~7~8#2:66~68#5:S1~S2. Groups are separated by #, the type and its lines by :, and lines by ~.

Instead of a numeric ID for a stop, there are other types of ids:

  • streetID
  • poiID
  • suburbID
  • placeID
  • coords

Street IDs

Street IDs contain 18 values separated by colons (:), for example streetID:1500002808:46:14612000:-1:Nöthnitzer Straße:Dresden:Nöthnitzer Straße::Nöthnitzer Straße:01187:ANY:DIVA_SINGLEHOUSE:1527615:5374139:MRCV:vvo:0. As far as we know the values are:

Index Type Description Always included
0 String Suffix for streets: streetID Yes
1 Int ID of the street (OMC) Yes
2 String Street number, e.g. for Musterstraße 42a it’s 42a No
3 Int Unknown Yes
4 Int Unknown, but mostly -1 (invalid value) Yes
5 String Street name Yes
6 String City name Yes
7 String Street name Yes
8 ??? Unknown No
9 String Street name Yes
10 String Postal code Yes
11 String ANY Yes
12 String Either DIVA_STREET for a complete street or DIVA_SINGLEHOUSE for a point with street number Yes
13 Int Unknown. Probably right part of coordinates in MDV format Yes
14 Int Unknown. Probably up part of coordinates in MDV format Yes
15 String Map name, e.g. MRCV or NAV4 Yes
16 String Acronym of the transport association, vvo or VVO Yes
17 Int Unknown, observed 0 Yes

POI IDs

POI IDs contain 13 values separated by colons (:). As far as we know the values are:

Index Type Description Always included
0 String Suffix for pois: poiID Yes
1 Int ID of the poi Yes
2 Int Unknown Yes
3 Int Unknown, but mostly -1 (invalid value) Yes
4 String Name of the poi Yes
5 String City name Yes
6 String Name of the poi Yes
7 String ANY Yes
8 String POI Yes
9 Int Unknown. Probably right part of coordinates in MDV format Yes
10 Int Unknown. Probably up part of coordinates in MDV format Yes
11 String Map name, e.g. MRCV or NAV4 Yes
12 String Acronym of the transport association, e.g. VVO Yes

Departure Monitor

List upcoming departures from a given stop.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/dm

JSON body:

Name Type Description Required
stopid String ID or DHID of the stop Yes
limit Int Maximum number of results No
time String ISO8601 timestamp, e.g. 2017-02-22T15:40:26Z No
isarrival Bool Interpret time as arrival time No
shorttermchanges Bool Include short-term route changes No
mot Array[String] Allowed modes of transport No
mentzonly Bool Use EFA/Mentz backend only No
departureid String Specific departure ID to query No
format String Response format, use "json" No

Response

{
  "Name": "Hauptbahnhof",
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "Place": "Dresden",
  "ExpirationTime": "\/Date(1487778279147+0100)\/",
  "Departures": [
    {
      "Id": "voe:11003: :H:j26",
      "DlId": "de:vvo:11-3",
      "LineName": "3",
      "Direction": "Wilder Mann",
      "Platform": {
        "Name": "3",
        "Type": "Platform"
      },
      "Mot": "Tram",
      "RealTime": "\/Date(1487778230000+0100)\/",
      "ScheduledTime": "\/Date(1487778060000+0100)\/",
      "State": "Delayed",
      "RouteChanges": [
        "509223"
      ],
      "Diva": {
        "Number": "11003",
        "Network": "voe"
      },
      "CancelReasons": [],
      "Occupancy": "Unknown"
    },
    {
      "Id": "voe:11008: :H:j26",
      "DlId": "de:vvo:11-8",
      "LineName": "8",
      "Direction": "Südvorstadt",
      "Platform": {
        "Name": "4",
        "Type": "Platform"
      },
      "Mot": "Tram",
      "RealTime": "\/Date(1487778356000+0100)\/",
      "ScheduledTime": "\/Date(1487778300000+0100)\/",
      "State": "InTime",
      "Diva": {
        "Number": "11008",
        "Network": "voe"
      },
      "Occupancy": "ManySeats"
    }
  ]
}

Response fields (per departure):

Field Type Description
Id String Departure ID (use with dm/trip)
DlId String DHID-style line identifier (e.g. "de:vvo:11-11")
LineName String Line number/name
Direction String Destination name
Platform Object Name (string) and Type ("Platform" or "Railtrack")
Mot String Mode of transport
ScheduledTime String Planned departure time
RealTime String Actual/predicted departure time, missing if cancelled
State String "InTime", "Delayed", or "Cancelled"
RouteChanges Array[String] IDs of active route changes affecting this departure
Diva Object Number and Network identifiers
CancelReasons Array[Object] Each with a Reason string, if trip is cancelled
Occupancy String "Unknown", "ManySeats", "StandingOnly", or "Full" 
curl -X "POST" "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/dm" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json;charset=UTF-8" \
     -d $'{
  "stopid": "33000028",
  "limit": 2,
  "mot": [
    "Tram",
    "CityBus",
    "IntercityBus",
    "SuburbanRailway",
    "Train",
    "Cableway",
    "Ferry",
    "HailedSharedTaxi"
  ],
  "format": "json"
}'

An unknown stop returns HTTP 200 with "Status": {"Code": "ServiceError", "Message": "stop invalid"} and no Departures. A known stop that no line currently serves, e.g. because of construction, returns the same code with "Message": "no serving lines found", together with its Name and Place.

Trip Details

Get details about the stations involved in a particular trip.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/dm/trip

JSON body:

Name Type Description Required
tripid String The “Id” from a departure monitor response (Departures[*].Id) Yes
time String Timestamp in /Date(...)/ format from the departure response Yes
stopid String ID of a stop in the route (marked Position=Current in response) Yes
isarrival Bool Interpret time as arrival No
mapdata Bool Include map coordinate data in response No
format String Response format, use "json" No 
curl -X "POST" "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/dm/trip" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
     -d $'{
  "tripid": "voe:11011: :H:j26",
  "time": "/Date(1791464640000-0000)/",
  "stopid": "33000293",
  "mapdata": true,
  "format": "json"
}'

Response

{
  "Stops": [
    {
      "Id": "33000294",
      "DhId": "de:14612:294",
      "Place": "",
      "Name": "Dresden Angelikastraße",
      "Longitude": 4625079,
      "Latitude": 5660615,
      "Position": "Previous",
      "Platform": {
        "Name": "1",
        "Type": "Platform"
      },
      "Time": "/Date(1791463560000-0000)/",
      "RealTime": "/Date(1791463560000-0000)/",
      "State": "InTime",
      "Occupancy": "Unknown"
    },
    {
      "Id": "33000293",
      "DhId": "de:14612:293",
      "Place": "",
      "Name": "Dresden Waldschlößchen",
      "Longitude": 4624656,
      "Latitude": 5660652,
      "Position": "Current",
      "Platform": {
        "Name": "1",
        "Type": "Platform"
      },
      "Time": "/Date(1791463680000-0000)/",
      "RealTime": "/Date(1791463740000-0000)/",
      "State": "Delayed",
      "Occupancy": "ManySeats"
    }
  ],
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "MapData": ["Tram|5660211|4630082|5660194|4630066|..."]
}

Stop fields:

Field Type Description
Id String Stop ID
DhId String DHID of the stop, e.g. "de:14612:293"
Place String City name, often empty with the city included in Name
Name String Stop name
Position String "Previous", "Current", "Next", or "Onward"
Platform Object Name and Type ("Platform" or "Railtrack")
Time String Scheduled time
RealTime String Actual/predicted time (if available)
State String Real-time state (e.g. "InTime")
CancelReasons Array[Object] Each with Reason string, if stop is skipped
Latitude Int GK4 latitude
Longitude Int GK4 longitude
Occupancy String "Unknown", "ManySeats", "StandingOnly", or "Full"

The MapData field (only with mapdata: true) is an array of pipe-delimited GK4 coordinate lists for drawing the route on a map, each prefixed by the transport mode (sometimes Undefined).

Run identity, or: what tripid and time actually select

  • tripid does not identify a single run. It names a line’s course and is shared by every run of that line and direction, meaning all “3 Wilder Mann” departures report the same Id (currently of the form voe:11003: :H:j26, where H/R is the direction and j26 the timetable year).
  • The actual run is selected by time: the endpoint returns the run with the next departure at stopid at or after time, matched against realtime (not scheduled) departure times.
  • Future realtimes jitter. A token equal to the run’s expected departure at a stop stops matching that run the moment the prediction shifts a minute earlier, and the same query silently returns the line’s next run.
  • Past realtimes are frozen. A token slightly before a departure that already happened keeps identifying the same run indefinitely. Runs that have long left the stop (or even reached their terminus) are still returned.
  • Stops is not limited to one journey: it is a sliding window over the course’s whole service (roughly 1.5–2 h of chained journeys, including terminus loops), so the same stop can appear multiple times. Disambiguate occurrences by their scheduled Time; Position marks the occurrence the query matched.

To reliably poll one run over time, keep stopid and time fixed, e.g. the stop you care about with a token a minute or two before the run’s departure there and verify each response by the scheduled Time at that stop, which never changes for a given run. Any strategy that refreshes the token from realtime data eventually drifts onto the next run.

Query a Trip

Plan a journey between two stops.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/trips

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
origin String Stop ID, or a street/POI/coordinate ID from PointFinder Yes
destination String Same as origin Yes
time String ISO8601 timestamp No
isarrivaltime Bool Is time arrival or departure No
shorttermchanges Bool Include short-term route changes No
via String Stop ID for an intermediate waypoint No
mobilitySettings Object Accessibility preferences (see below) No
standardSettings Object Journey preferences (see below) No
format String Response format, use "json" No

mobilitySettings object

Field Type Values Description
mobilityRestriction String "None", "Medium", "High", "Individual" None = no restriction, Medium = walking impaired, High = unaided wheelchair, Individual = custom settings
solidStairs Bool Allow solid stairs (Individual mode)
escalators Bool Allow escalators (Individual mode)
leastChange Bool Prefer fewest changes (Individual mode)
entrance String "Any", "SmallStep", "NoStep" Vehicle entrance requirement (Individual mode)

standardSettings object

Field Type Values Description
mot Array[String] See Modes of Transport Allowed transport modes
maxChanges String "Unlimited", "Two", "One", "None" Maximum number of transfers
walkingSpeed String "VerySlow", "Slow", "Normal", "Fast", "VeryFast" Walking speed preference
footpathToStop Int Max walking distance to stop (minutes)
includeAlternativeStops Bool Include nearby alternative stops
extraCharge String "", "None", "LocalTraffic" Extra charge filter
Terminal window
curl -X "POST" "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/trips" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
     -d $'{
  "origin": "33000028",
  "destination": "33000016",
  "time": "2017-12-08T21:36:42.775Z",
  "isarrivaltime": false,
  "shorttermchanges": true,
  "mobilitySettings": {
    "mobilityRestriction": "None"
  },
  "standardSettings": {
    "footpathToStop": 5,
    "includeAlternativeStops": true,
    "maxChanges": "Unlimited",
    "walkingSpeed": "Normal",
    "mot": [
      "Tram", "CityBus", "IntercityBus", "SuburbanRailway",
      "Train", "Cableway", "Ferry", "HailedSharedTaxi"
    ]
  },
  "format": "json"
}'

Response

{
  "SessionId": "2065107265:efa3",
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "StandardSettingsActive": true,
  "Routes": [
    {
      "PriceLevel": 1,
      "Price": "3,60",
      "PriceDayTicket": "9,50",
      "TicketNotes": "",
      "Net": "voe",
      "Duration": 7,
      "Interchanges": 0,
      "MotChain": [
        {
          "DlId": "de:vvo:10-1",
          "StatelessId": "ddb:92D01: :R:j26",
          "Type": "RapidTransit",
          "Name": "S1",
          "Direction": "Meißen S-Bf. Triebischtal",
          "Changes": [],
          "Diva": {
            "Number": "92D01",
            "Network": "ddb"
          },
          "TransportationCompany": "DB Regio AG Südost",
          "OperatorCode": "8004",
          "ProductName": "S-Bahn",
          "TrainNumber": "30728"
        }
      ],
      "NumberOfFareZones": "1 Tarifzone",
      "NumberOfFareZonesDayTicket": "1 Tarifzone",
      "FareZoneNames": "TZ Dresden (10)",
      "FareZoneNamesDayTicket": "TZ Dresden (10)",
      "FareZoneOrigin": 10,
      "FareZoneDestination": 10,
      "RouteId": 0,
      "PartialRoutes": [
        {
          "PartialRouteId": 0,
          "Duration": 7,
          "Mot": {
            "DlId": "de:vvo:10-1",
            "StatelessId": "ddb:92D01: :R:j26",
            "Type": "RapidTransit",
            "Name": "S1",
            "Direction": "Meißen S-Bf. Triebischtal",
            "Changes": [],
            "Diva": {
              "Number": "92D01",
              "Network": "ddb"
            },
            "TransportationCompany": "DB Regio AG Südost",
            "OperatorCode": "8004",
            "ProductName": "S-Bahn",
            "TrainNumber": "30728"
          },
          "MapDataIndex": 0,
          "Shift": "None",
          "Infos": ["Fahrradmitnahme begrenzt möglich"],
          "RegularStops": [
            {
              "ArrivalTime": "/Date(1791465000000-0000)/",
              "DepartureTime": "/Date(1791465000000-0000)/",
              "ArrivalRealTime": "/Date(1791465000000-0000)/",
              "DepartureRealTime": "/Date(1791465060000-0000)/",
              "Place": "Dresden",
              "Name": "Hauptbahnhof",
              "Type": "Stop",
              "DataId": "33000028",
              "DhId": "de:14612:28",
              "Platform": {
                "Name": "14",
                "Type": "Railtrack"
              },
              "Latitude": 5657622,
              "Longitude": 4621566,
              "DepartureState": "Delayed",
              "ArrivalState": "InTime",
              "CancelReasons": [],
              "ParkAndRail": [],
              "Occupancy": "Unknown",
              "BikeAndRideBoxes": []
            },
            {
              "ArrivalTime": "/Date(1791465360000-0000)/",
              "DepartureTime": "/Date(1791465360000-0000)/",
              "Place": "Dresden",
              "Name": "Bahnhof Neustadt",
              "Type": "Stop",
              "DataId": "33000016",
              "DhId": "de:14612:16",
              "Platform": {
                "Name": "1",
                "Type": "Railtrack"
              },
              "Latitude": 5660412,
              "Longitude": 4622148,
              "CancelReasons": [],
              "ParkAndRail": [],
              "Occupancy": "Unknown",
              "BikeAndRideBoxes": []
            }
          ],
          "NextDepartureTimes": ["/Date(1791466200000-0000)/"],
          "PreviousDepartureTimes": []
        }
      ],
      "MapData": ["RapidTransit|5657588|4621635|5657675|4621458|..."],
      "Tickets": [
        {
          "Name": "VVO Einzelfahrt",
          "PriceLevel": 1,
          "Price": "3,60",
          "NumberOfFareZones": "1 Tarifzone",
          "FareZoneNames": "TZ Dresden (10)"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

A failed calculation returns HTTP 200 with a Status.Code other than Ok, e.g. "ServiceError" with "Message": "stop invalid", and no Routes.

Route-level fields:

Field Type Description
RouteId Int Route identifier, starting at 0
Duration Int Total duration in minutes
Interchanges Int Number of transfers
Price String Single ticket price in euros, e.g. "3,60"
PriceDayTicket String Day ticket price in euros
PriceLevel Int Price level
TicketNotes String Notes on tickets, usually empty
Net String Network, e.g. "voe", may be empty
FareZoneOrigin Int Origin fare zone number
FareZoneDestination Int Destination fare zone number
FareZoneNames String Human-readable zone names, e.g. "TZ Dresden (10)"
FareZoneNamesDayTicket String Zone names for the day ticket
NumberOfFareZones String Number of fare zones as text, e.g. "1 Tarifzone"
NumberOfFareZonesDayTicket String Same for the day ticket
RouteCancelled Bool Whether the entire route is cancelled (not always present)
MapData Array[String] Pipe-delimited GK4 coordinate strings, prefixed with transport mode
MotChain Array[Object] Summary of transport modes used, same shape as a leg’s Mot
PartialRoutes Array[Object] Individual legs of the journey
Tickets Array[Object] Available tickets with Name, PriceLevel, Price, NumberOfFareZones, and FareZoneNames

The response also contains SessionId for use with tr/prevnext, tr/prevnextmove and tr/trippdf, and StandardSettingsActive/MobilitySettingsActive flags.

PartialRoute fields:

Field Type Description
PartialRouteId Int Leg identifier, missing for some footpaths
Duration Int Leg duration in minutes, missing for some accessibility segments
MapDataIndex Int Index into the route’s MapData array
Shift String Shift indicator, usually "None"
Infos Array[String] Additional information, e.g. bicycle rules (not always present)
Mot Object Transport mode details for this leg (see below)
RegularStops Array[Object] Stops of this leg, missing for short transfer footpaths
NextDepartureTimes Array[String] Later departures of this leg
PreviousDepartureTimes Array[String] Earlier departures of this leg
TripCancelled Bool Whether this leg is cancelled (not always present)
ChangeoverEndangered Bool Whether the transfer to the next leg is at risk (not always present)
BookingLink String Service hotline URL for on-demand services (not always present)

The Mot object has a Type (see Modes of Transport, e.g. "Footpath" for walking) and, for vehicles, Name, Direction, DlId, StatelessId (the line course ID also used by dm/trip), Changes (route change IDs), Diva, TransportationCompany, OperatorCode, ProductName, and TrainNumber. Footpaths have empty strings in most of these.

RegularStop fields:

Field Type Description
DataId String Stop ID, or a street/POI ID for the first and last point
DhId String DHID of the stop, empty for non-stops
Name String Stop name
Place String City name
Type String "Stop" or "Address"
Platform Object Name and Type ("Platform" or "Railtrack")
Latitude Int GK4 latitude
Longitude Int GK4 longitude
ArrivalTime String Scheduled arrival
DepartureTime String Scheduled departure
ArrivalRealTime String Actual/predicted arrival (if real-time data available)
DepartureRealTime String Actual/predicted departure (if real-time data available)
ArrivalState String Real-time state for arrival
DepartureState String Real-time state for departure
CancelReasons Array[Object] Each with a Reason string
ParkAndRail Array[Object] P+R facilities with Name, Coordinates, FreeSpaces, TotalSpaces, and ParkingLots
BikeAndRideBoxes Array Bike boxes, observed empty
Occupancy String "Unknown", "ManySeats", "StandingOnly", or "Full"

Earlier/Later Connections

Paginate trip results using the session ID from a previous tr/trips response.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/prevnext

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
origin String Stop ID of start station Yes
destination String Stop ID of destination station Yes
sessionId String Session ID from tr/trips response Yes
time String ISO8601 timestamp No
isarrivaltime Bool Is time arrival or departure No
shorttermchanges Bool Include short-term route changes No
via String Stop ID for intermediate waypoint No
mobilitySettings Object See tr/trips No
standardSettings Object See tr/trips No
previous Bool true for earlier, false for later connections Yes
numberprev Int Number of previous results (usually 0) No
numbernext Int Number of next results (usually 0) No
format String Response format, use "json" No

Response

Same structure as tr/trips response, including a SessionId for continued pagination. Routes contains the previously returned routes plus the newly loaded ones.

Alternative Connection for a Leg

Get an alternative connection for a specific partial route (leg) of a trip.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/prevnextmove

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
origin String Stop ID of start station Yes
destination String Stop ID of destination station Yes
sessionid String Session ID from tr/trips response Yes
routeid String Route ID to modify Yes
partialrouteid String Partial route ID to replace Yes
time String ISO8601 timestamp No
via String Stop ID for intermediate waypoint No
mobilitySettings Object See tr/trips No
standardSettings Object See tr/trips No
previous Bool true for earlier, false for later alternative Yes
format String Response format, use "json" No

Response

Same structure as tr/trips response. If no alternative exists for the leg (e.g. for a single-leg route), the response has "Status": {"Code": "ServiceError", "Message": "trip calculation error"}.

Trip PDF Export

Generate a PDF document for a planned trip.

Request

GET https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/trippdf

All parameters are passed as query string parameters.

Name Type Description Required
id String RouteId from tr/trips Yes
origin String Stop ID of start station Yes
destination String Stop ID of destination station Yes
sessionid String Session ID from tr/trips response Yes
time String ISO8601 timestamp No
isarrivaltime Bool Is time arrival or departure No
via String Stop ID for intermediate waypoint No
mobilitysettings String JSON string of mobility settings No
standardSettings String JSON string of standard settings No
numberprev Int Usually 0 No
numbernext Int Usually 0 No
format String Use "json" No 
curl "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/tr/trippdf?id=1&origin=33000028&destination=33000016&sessionid=367417461:efa4&time=2017-12-08T21:36:42.775Z&isarrivaltime=false&numberprev=0&numbernext=0&format=json"

The response is an application/pdf attachment named trip.pdf. Missing parameters return HTTP 400 with a JSON ValidationError status.

Route Changes

Get information about route changes due to construction work or disruptions.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/rc

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
shortterm Bool Include short-term changes No
provider String Provider filter No
format String Response format, use "json" No
Terminal window
curl -X "POST" "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/rc" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
     -d $'{ "shortterm": true, "format": "json" }'

Response

{
  "Changes": [
    {
      "Id": "27670",
      "Type": "Scheduled",
      "Title": "Instandhaltungsmaßnahmen zwischen Oschatz und Riesa",
      "Description": "<h2>Beschreibung</h2><p>...</p>",
      "ValidityPeriods": [
        {
          "Begin": "/Date(1791486000000-0000)/",
          "End": "/Date(1791500400000-0000)/"
        }
      ],
      "LineIds": ["90D50:ddb"],
      "PublishDate": "/Date(1789729260000-0000)/",
      "SeqID": "306507661"
    }
  ],
  "Banners": [],
  "Lines": [
    {
      "Id": "11001:voe",
      "Diva": {
        "Number": "11001",
        "Network": "voe"
      },
      "Name": "1",
      "RouteDescription": "Dresden Prohlis Gleisschleife - Dresden Waltherstraße",
      "TransportationCompany": "DVB",
      "Mot": "Tram",
      "Divas": [{ "Number": "11001", "Network": "voe" }],
      "Changes": ["27721", "27769", "27668"]
    }
  ],
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "ExpirationTime": "/Date(1791465272750+0200)/"
}

Change fields:

Field Type Description
Id String Disruption ID
SeqID String Sequence/version number
Title String Short description
Summary String One-line summary (not always present)
Description String HTML-formatted detailed description
Topic String Topic, often empty (not always present)
Type String "Scheduled" (planned construction) or disruption type
TripRequestInclude Bool Whether this affects trip planning results (not always present)
PublishDate String When the change was published
LineIds Array[String] Affected line IDs, matching Lines[].Id
ValidityPeriods Array[Object] Each with a Begin and an optional End timestamp

The response also includes Banners (general announcements, filter by Type: "MobileWebsite"; empty when last checked) and Lines. Each line has an Id of the form <DIVA number>:<network>, Name, Mot, RouteDescription, TransportationCompany, Diva, Divas, and Changes (the IDs of its changes).

The response is large (over 200 kB).

Note: HTML in Description may include inline styles like <font color="#abc" />.

Route Change Lines

Get a list of lines with their identifiers. This list is longer than the Lines of Route Changes (414 vs. 188 lines when last checked), so it seems to cover the whole network rather than only lines with active changes.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/rc/lines

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
provider String Provider filter No
format String Response format, use "json" No

Response

{
  "Lines": [
    {
      "Id": "11001:voe",
      "Diva": {
        "Number": "11001",
        "Network": "voe"
      },
      "Name": "1",
      "RouteDescription": "Dresden Betriebshof Waltherstraße",
      "TransportationCompany": "DVB",
      "Mot": "Tram",
      "Divas": [{ "Number": "11001", "Network": "voe" }],
      "DorisId": "386"
    }
  ],
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "ExpirationTime": "/Date(1791534909187+0200)/"
}

DorisId is missing for some lines.

Lines

Get information about which lines service a station.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/stt/lines

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
stopid String ID or DHID of the stop Yes
format String Response format, use "json" No
Terminal window
curl -X "POST" "https://webapi.vvo-online.de/stt/lines" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' \
     -d $'{ "stopid": "33000293", "format": "json" }'

Response

{
  "Lines": [
    {
      "Name": "41",
      "Mot": "Tram",
      "Changes": ["5482", "5480", "5481"],
      "Directions": [
        {
          "Name": "Dresden Südvorstadt",
          "TimeTables": [
            {
              "Id": "voe:11041: :H:j19:2",
              "Name": "Ferienfahrplan - gültig vom 06.07. bis 18.08.2019"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "Name": "Dresden Bühlau Ullersdorfer Platz",
          "TimeTables": [
            {
              "Id": "voe:11041: :R:j19:2",
              "Name": "Ferienfahrplan - gültig vom 06.07. bis 18.08.2019"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "Diva": {
        "Number": "11041",
        "Network": "voe"
      }
    }
  ],
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "ExpirationTime": "/Date(1563544805289+0200)/"
}

Changes (route change IDs) is only present for lines with active changes.

Map Pins

Get map markers/pins for stops, POIs, and other points of interest within a bounding box.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/map/pins

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
swlat Int or String Southwest latitude (GK4) Yes
swlng Int or String Southwest longitude (GK4) Yes
nelat Int or String Northeast latitude (GK4) Yes
nelng Int or String Northeast longitude (GK4) Yes
pintypes Array[String] Types of pins to include Yes
format String Response format, use "json" No

Bounding box coordinates must be in GK4 format. Convert from WGS84 before sending.

Pin types:

Value Description
Stop Transit stops
Platform Individual platforms
Poi Points of interest
RentABike Bike rental stations
CarSharing Car sharing stations
TicketMachine Ticket vending machines
ParkAndRide Park and ride facilities

Response

{
  "Pins": [
    "de:14612:28|||Hauptbahnhof|5657517|4621643||",
    "de:14612:28:2:3|pf||Hauptbahnhof|5657497|4621685|3|",
    "poiID:2104107859:14612000:-1:P+R Dresden Reick:Dresden:P+R Dresden Reick:ANY:POI:1535129:5374992:MRCV:VVO|pr||P+R Dresden Reick|5655506|4625718|21 Stellplätze|"
  ],
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "ExpirationTime": "/Date(1791479635371+0200)/"
}

Pin strings are pipe-delimited, similar to PointFinder results:

Index Description
0 ID: a DHID for stops and platforms, a POI ID for other pins
1 Pin type (see below)
2 City name, usually empty
3 Name
4 Latitude (GK4, may contain decimals)
5 Longitude (GK4, may contain decimals)
6 Extra info: platform name, or capacity for P+R
Type code Type
(empty) Stop
pf Platform
pr Park and Ride
p POI
r Rent a Bike
t Ticket Machine
c Car Sharing

Tariff Zone Polygons

Get polygon boundaries for all VVO tariff zones.

Request

POST https://webapi.vvo-online.de/map/polygons

JSON body

Name Type Description Required
format String Response format, use "json" No

Response

{
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  },
  "ExpirationTime": "/Date(1791621306238+0200)/",
  "Polygons": [
    "93|Elsterwerda|ECECEE|5704015|4605526|5700452|4602883|5701129|4603602|..."
  ]
}

Polygon strings are pipe-delimited:

Index Description
0 Zone number
1 Zone name
2 Display color (hex, without #)
3-4 Center point latitude and longitude (GK4)
5+ Alternating latitude and longitude pairs forming the polygon boundary (GK4)

Cloud Profile Service

The DVB mobil app uses a cloud profile service at https://m.dvb.de to sync user favorites and settings across devices.

Endpoints

Endpoint Method Description
/createprofile POST Create a new user profile
/getProfile POST Retrieve profile by hash
/updateprofile POST Update profile data
/deleteprofile POST Delete a profile
/share POST Share trip or stop data
/getshared/<hash> GET Retrieve shared data

Profile data is compressed using lz-string (compressToUTF16/decompressFromUTF16).

Create Profile payload:

{
  "date": "<timestamp>",
  "email": "<email>",
  "startpage": "<preference>",
  "mot_connection": [],
  "mot_timetable": [],
  "mot_trafficmessages": [],
  "mobility_preferences": {},
  "subscribed_lines": [],
  "point_favorites": [],
  "memo_positions": [],
  "last_connection_settings": {},
  "last_timetables_settings": {}
}

Response codes include "PROFILE_ALREADY_EXISTS", "GET_PROFILE_DATA_OK", "UPDATE_PROFILE_OK", "DELETE_PROFILE_OK", "SHARE_DATA_OK".

Schutzengel (Trip Guardian)

The DVB mobil app integrates the Fraunhofer IVI “Schutzengel” (Guardian Angel) API for trip monitoring and real-time travel assistance.

  • Proxy URL: https://m.dvb.de/schutzengel/
  • Backend: https://schutzengel.ivi.fraunhofer.de/api/

This service allows users to register travel plans and receive real-time notifications about delays, missed connections, or disruptions during their journey.

Key features:

  • Anonymous account creation with token-based authentication
  • Travel plan creation with multi-leg journeys
  • Real-time trip monitoring with position interpolation along polylines
  • Push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging
  • Automatic 60-second sync cycle

Authentication:

  • POST api/create-account returns a plain-text token
  • Token stored as schutzengel_auth_token in localStorage
  • All subsequent requests include Authentication: Bearer <token> header
  • Note: Uses the non-standard header name Authentication (not Authorization)

Main endpoints:

Endpoint Method Description
api/create-account POST Create anonymous account, returns auth token
serverTime GET Server timestamp for clock synchronization
plans POST Create a new monitored travel plan
plansMinimal GET List all plans (minimal data)
planRawData GET Get full raw data for a plan (?plan_id=<id>)
planRealtime GET Get real-time data for active trip (?trip_id=<id>)
notifications GET Get trip notifications (?trip_id=<id>)
planSetOptions POST Update plan notification settings
activatePlan POST Activate a deactivated plan
deactivatePlan POST Deactivate an active plan
plan DELETE Delete a single plan
allPlans DELETE Delete all plans
register-firebase POST Register FCM token for push notifications
unregister-firebase POST Unregister FCM token
migrate-into-user POST Merge anonymous account data into another user

Modes of Transport

The API uses string identifiers for modes of transport. The core values accepted by most endpoints are:

Value Description
Tram Tram/Straßenbahn
CityBus City bus (Stadtbus)
IntercityBus Intercity/regional bus
SuburbanRailway S-Bahn
Train Train (Zug)
Cableway Cable car/funicular (Seil-/Schwebebahn)
Ferry Ferry (Fähre)
HailedSharedTaxi On-demand shared taxi (Rufbus/AST)

Additional values that may appear in responses (e.g., in trip results):

Value Description
Bus Generic bus
RegioBus Regional bus
PlusBus PlusBus service
CitizenBus Citizen bus (Bürgerbus)
DemandBus On-demand bus
SchoolBus School bus
ClockBus Clock/scheduled bus (Taktbus)
Cablecar Cable car (alias for Cableway)
OverheadRailway Overhead/suspension railway
RapidTransit Rapid transit (alias for SuburbanRailway)
Taxi Taxi
BusOnRequest Night line / on-request bus
Footpath Walking segment (in trip results)
StayForConnection Wait for transfer (in trip results)
StayInVehicle Stay in vehicle / through service (in trip results)
MobilityStairsUp Accessibility: stairs up
MobilityStairsDown Accessibility: stairs down
MobilityElevatorUp Accessibility: elevator up
MobilityElevatorDown Accessibility: elevator down
MobilityEscalatorUp Accessibility: escalator up
MobilityEscalatorDown Accessibility: escalator down
MobilityRampUp Accessibility: ramp up
MobilityRampDown Accessibility: ramp down

Platform types

Platform objects in responses use a Type field:

  • "Platform" - Standard platform
  • "Railtrack" - Railway track/platform

Error Handling

All endpoints return a status object in the response:

{
  "Status": {
    "Code": "Ok"
  }
}

On errors, Status also has a Message:

{
  "Status": {
    "Code": "ValidationError",
    "Message": "stopid has to be not null"
  }
}

Observed status codes:

  • Ok - Request successful
  • ValidationError - Missing or invalid parameters, sent with HTTP 400
  • ServiceError - The request could not be served, e.g. "stop invalid", "no serving lines found" or "trip calculation error", sent with HTTP 200

Older documentation also lists InvalidRequest, NoData and ServerError, which we have not observed recently.

Best Practices

  1. Error Handling: Always check the Status.Code field before processing results
  2. Timeouts: Set reasonable timeouts (10-30 seconds) for requests
  3. Retries: Implement exponential backoff for failed requests
  4. Caching: Cache stop IDs and static data to reduce API calls
  5. User Agent: Consider setting a descriptive User-Agent header
  6. Rate Limiting: Be respectful of the service; avoid excessive requests
  7. Format Parameter: Always include "format": "json" in your requests

Sources