How to parse TFL api

Question

I am currently working on TFL based projects. And i want to parse the json file which is available in this link : http://countdown.api.tfl.gov.uk/interfaces/ura/instant_V1 So please help me out

Answer 1

This API is not standard JSON as written in the TFL API documentation. It us actually best parsed as CSV but watch out because I have found out that some responses are inconsistent where the first line might have 6 strings while the second might have 5 with the missing field not identified as an empty string but simply omitted. This way parsing with a CSV parser will lead to errors since you might never know what is omitted.

I have also searched for the solution and the best I could find was another API that gives standard JSON but only returns bus stop countdown via a stopCode request.

Use This Link To Access It. http://countdown.tfl.gov.uk/stopBoard/75288

Im suprised as to why TFL uses this api for their own apps but not implement the public api to return good JSon like this one.