Swiss Rail Board Screensaver
The Rail Board screensaver is a split-flap departures board of live Swiss railway trains leaving a station now — destination, line and platform — from the key-less Swiss public transport API. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
How the Rail Board screensaver works
The saver fetches the live departure board for your chosen Swiss station from the country's key-less public transport API.
Each train becomes a row showing its departure time, line, destination and platform.
The characters flip on split-flap tiles, the classic mechanical station-board cascade, whenever the board changes.
As trains depart and new ones appear, the board clatters over to the updated schedule every minute.
A worked example
For Zürich HB the board fills with rows like 18:06 IR 16 Bern Pl 14, the tiles riffling as each train rolls off the top and the next service flips into place — a real Swiss departures board on your screen.
Settings & tips
- Station chooses which Swiss station's departures to show.
- Flap speed sets how fast the tiles riffle.
- Header color recolours the board title.
Frequently asked questions
- Are the departures real?
- Yes. They come live from the Swiss public transport API, so the trains, times and platforms are the real upcoming departures.
- Does it need a key?
- No. The Swiss transport API is free and key-less; the saver only needs an internet connection.
- Which stations can I pick?
- Major Swiss stations including Zürich, Bern, Genève, Basel and Luzern.
- How is this different from the Departures Board?
- That board shows live aircraft; the Rail Board shows live Swiss trains with their lines and platforms.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.