Deutsche Bahn CLI#

Search train connections using the bahn-cli tool.

Installation#

The tool lives at ~/Code/bahn-cli/. If not installed:

bash

mkdir -p ~/Code/bahn-cli && cd ~/Code/bahn-cli && npm init -y && npm install

Backend: Uses Transitous (MOTIS 2 API) since June 2026. DB HAFAS was permanently shut down in January 2025.

Usage#

Search train connections:

bash

cd ~/Code/bahn-cli && node index.js search "<from>" "<to>" [options]

Options#

• --date YYYY-MM-DD - Departure date (default: today)
• --time HH:MM - Departure time (default: current time)
• --results <number> - Number of results to show (default: 5)

Examples#

Search connections from Hannover to Bonn:

bash

cd ~/Code/bahn-cli && node index.js search "Hannover Hbf" "Bonn Hbf" --results 3

Search with specific date and time:

bash

cd ~/Code/bahn-cli && node index.js search "Berlin" "München" --date 2026-02-05 --time 14:30

Station Names#

• Use common German station names
• "Hbf" means Hauptbahnhof (main station)
• Examples: "Berlin Hbf", "München Hbf", "Frankfurt(Main)Hbf", "Köln Hbf"
• Station names are case-insensitive

Output#

The tool shows:

• Departure and arrival times
• Platform numbers
• Duration
• Number of changes
• Intermediate stops for connections with changes
• Train numbers (ICE, IC, RE, etc.)

Notes#

• The CLI uses the db-vendo-client library
• Some station names in output may show "undefined" (cosmetic issue, doesn't affect functionality)
• Direct connections are listed first
• Times are in 24-hour format