GTFSaikataulut

GTFSaikataulut refers to timetable data for Finnish public transport published in the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format. They provide static schedule information for bus, tram, metro, rail and ferry services in a machine-readable form, enabling transit planners and developers to build trip planners, maps and applications that display departures, routes and service patterns. In Finland, these feeds are typically produced by regional transport authorities and operators and distributed through open data portals and agency websites.

A GTFS feed consists of a set of text files that describe the network and services. Core files include agency.txt, stops.txt, routes.txt, trips.txt and stop_times.txt, plus calendar.txt or calendar_dates.txt for service calendars. Optional files such as shapes.txt describe route geometry, and frequencies.txt allows headways for services that run at regular intervals. GTFSaikataulut in Finland commonly align with the national or regional transport structure and may be complemented by GTFS-realtime feeds for live status updates.

Use and impact: GTFSaikataulut enable a wide range of applications, from consumer navigation apps to government planning tools. They are supported by major map services and many Finnish developers, allowing users to search timetables, plan multi-modal journeys and visualize network coverage. By providing a standardized format, they facilitate interoperability between different operators and integration with local and international transit ecosystems.

Maintenance and availability: the feeds are typically maintained by transit authorities or operators and updated regularly to reflect timetable changes, with updates pushed to open data portals. While quality and completeness can vary by region, GTFSaikataulut are foundational to Finland’s digital transit information and cross-border trip planning.