MBTA Worcester Line MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides real-time train schedule information for the MBTA Worcester Line. Built with Next.js and deployable on Vercel.

Features

• Real-time train departures from any Worcester Line station
• Merges scheduled times with live predictions
• Supports all 18 Worcester Line stops
• Works with Gemini CLI and other MCP clients

Quick Start

1. Get an MBTA API Key

Get a free API key at: https://api-v3.mbta.com

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment

Copy .env.example to .env.local and add your MBTA API key:

MBTA_API_KEY=your-mbta-api-key-here
MCP_API_KEY=your-secret-token  # Optional: for authentication

4. Run Locally

npm run dev

5. Test the MCP Server

npm run test:mcp

Deployment

Deploy to Vercel

1. Push to GitHub
2. Import to Vercel
3. Add environment variables:
   • MBTA_API_KEY: Your MBTA API key
   • MCP_API_KEY: Secret token for authentication (optional)

Client Configuration

Gemini CLI

Add to ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mbta": {
      "httpUrl": "https://your-app.vercel.app/api",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_MCP_API_KEY"
      },
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Or via CLI:

gemini mcp add --transport http mbta https://your-app.vercel.app/api

Claude Desktop (via mcp-remote)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mbta": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://your-app.vercel.app/api/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

get_worcester_departures

Get upcoming train departures from any Worcester Line station.

Parameters:

Name	Type	Required	Description
stop	string	Yes	Stop name or ID (e.g., "South Station", "framingham")
direction	string	No	"outbound" (toward Worcester) or "inbound" (toward Boston). Default: "outbound"
date	string	No	Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: today
limit	number	No	Number of departures (1-20). Default: 5

Example queries:

• "What trains leave South Station for Worcester?"
• "Get next trains from Framingham to Boston"
• "What trains leave Westborough tomorrow morning?"

Worcester Line Stops

South Station, Back Bay, Lansdowne, Boston Landing, Newtonville, West Newton, Auburndale, Wellesley Farms, Wellesley Hills, Wellesley Square, Natick Center, West Natick, Framingham, Ashland, Southborough, Westborough, Grafton, Worcester

Project Structure

src/
├── app/
│   ├── api/[transport]/route.ts  # MCP handler
│   └── page.tsx                   # Status page
├── lib/
│   ├── mbta/
│   │   ├── client.ts             # MBTA API client
│   │   ├── types.ts              # TypeScript types
│   │   └── stops.ts              # Stop ID mappings
│   └── mcp/
│       ├── auth.ts               # Authentication
│       └── tools/                # MCP tools
│           ├── get-departures.ts
│           └── index.ts

License

MIT