DB-Infoscreen for Home Assistant 🚆

A comprehensive departure board integration for Home Assistant.

❤️ Support This Project

I maintain this integration in my free time alongside my regular job — bug hunting, new features, and testing on real hardware. Test devices cost money, and every donation helps me stay independent and free up more time for open-source work.

Donations are completely voluntary — but the more support I receive, the less I depend on other income sources and the more time I can realistically invest into these GitHub projects. 💪

The db-infoscreen integration provides detailed departure times and train information for a given station directly in Home Assistant. Aggregating data from multiple sources (primarily Deutsche Bahn IRIS-TTS), it offers a powerful and comprehensive departure board for stations across Germany and Europe.

📚 View the Full Documentation

🏠 Home Assistant App (Add-on)

This integration is best used with the DBF (DB-Infoscreen) App. While the integration can fetch data from public APIs, running your own local instance via the add-on provides more reliability and a dedicated Web UI.

• DBF Add-on Repository
• Features: Dedicated departure board UI, automated wagon order updates, and self-hosted API.

✨ Features

🛠️ Installation

1. Using HACS (Recommended)

This integration is available as a default repository in HACS.

1. Open HACS.
2. Search for db-infoscreen.
3. Click Download.
4. Restart Home Assistant.

2. Manual Installation

1. Download the latest Release.
2. Extract the ZIP file.
3. Copy the db_infoscreen folder into your <config>/custom_components/ directory.
4. Restart Home Assistant.

⚙️ Configuration

1. Go to Settings -> Devices & Services.
2. Click Add Integration.
3. Search for DB Infoscreen.

Configuration Options

Initial Setup: When adding the integration, you will be asked for the most important settings:

Options Menu (Configure): All other settings are available via the Configure button on the integration entry. They are grouped into:

• General: Update Interval, Offset, Count.
• Filter: Directions, Train Types (e.g. ICE), Exclusions.
• Display: Text View, Mode (Departure/Arrival), Detailed Info.
• Advanced: Custom API URL, Deduplication, Route Details.

Full Options List

🛠️ Services

📡 Data Sources

This integration allows fetching data from various backend sources via DBF.

📦 Migration from ha-deutschebahn

Direct migration is not possible due to API differences. The old integration supported "Start to Destination" routing, which db-infoscreen handles differently.

To replicate "Start -> Destination" behavior:

1. Via Stations: Use via_stations to filter trains going through your destination or key stops.

   • Single Station: If only one station is entered, filtering is performed server-side (at the API) for maximum efficiency.

   • Multiple Stations: If multiple stations are entered, the sensor switches to local filtering to support complex logic.

   • Logic (AND/OR):

     • OR (Default): Includes trains passing through at least one of the specified stations. Ideal for stations with multiple platform names (e.g., "Frankfurt Hbf" vs "Frankfurt Hbf (tief)").
     • AND: Includes only trains passing through all specified stations.

2. Platforms: Filter by platform if trains to your destination always use specific tracks.

3. Two Sensors: Create two sensors (one for Start, one for typical changeover stations) to track complex routes.

📊 Usage & Examples

For a detailed set of examples including platform change alerts, occupancy warnings, and advanced filtering, check out our Automation Cookbook.

Basic Automations

Notify when the next train is delayed:

automation:
  - alias: "Train Delay Notification"
    trigger:
      - platform: template
        value_template: "{{ state_attr('sensor.station_departures', 'next_departures')[0]['delayArrival'] | int > 10 }}"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: >
            The train to {{ state_attr('sensor.station_departures', 'next_departures')[0]['destination'] }}
            is delayed by {{ state_attr('sensor.station_departures', 'next_departures')[0]['delayArrival'] }} min.

Custom Template Sensors

Display next connection in HH:MM +Delay format: (Credit: kRew94 & kaffeetrinker71)

sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      next_train_formatted:
        friendly_name: "Next Train"
        value_template: >
          {% set conn = state_attr('sensor.uelzen_departures_via_hannover_hbf', 'next_departures') | selectattr('isCancelled', 'equalto', 0) | list | first %}
          {% if conn %}
            {{ conn.train }} at {{ conn.scheduledDeparture }}{% if conn.delayDeparture > 0 %} +{{ conn.delayDeparture }}{% endif %}
          {% else %}
            No connection
          {% endif %}

Result: "ICE 2935 at 07:15 +5"

{%- set my_station = "Berlin Hbf" -%}
{%- set target = "Leipzig Hbf" -%}
{%- set number = 0 -%}
{%- set connections = state_attr('sensor.berlin_hbf_departures', 'next_departures') | default([]) | selectattr('isCancelled', 'equalto', 0) -%}
{%- set valid_connections = namespace(connections=[]) -%}
{%- for connection in connections -%}
  {%- set route = connection.route | default([]) | selectattr('name', 'defined') | map(attribute='name') | list -%}
  {%- if my_station in route and target in route and route.index(target) > route.index(my_station) -%}
    {%- set valid_connections.connections = valid_connections.connections + [connection] -%}
  {%- endif -%}
{%- endfor -%}

{%- if valid_connections.connections | length > number -%}
  {%- set connection = valid_connections.connections[number] -%}
  {%- set product_raw = connection.train | default('Unknown') -%}
  {%- set product = product_raw | regex_replace('^(Bus).*|^([A-Z]{2})\\s?\\d*', '\\1\\2') | replace("S ", "S") -%}
  {%- set departure = connection.scheduledDeparture | default('--') -%}
  {%- set delay = connection.delayDeparture | default(0) | int -%}
  {{ product }} {{ departure }}{% if delay > 0 %} +{{ delay }}{% endif %}
{%- else -%}
  --
{%- endif -%}

JSON Data Structure

The integration attributes provide data in JSON format. Use this to build your own templates.

{
  "departures": [
    {
      "scheduledArrival": "08:08",
      "destination": "München-Pasing",
      "train": "S 4",
      "platform": "4",
      "delayArrival": 18,
      "messages": {
        "delay": [
          {"text": "delay of a train ahead", "timestamp": "2025-01-21T07:53:00"}
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

Frontend Cards

For a beautiful dashboard display, check out these custom cards:

• ha-departureCard by BagelBeef.
• ha-public-transport-connection-card (Work in Progress).

🐛 Troubleshooting & Support

• Reporting Issues: Please report bugs on GitHub Issues.

• Debug Logging: To help diagnose issues, enable debug logging in configuration.yaml:

  logger:
     logs:
        custom_components.db_infoscreen: debug
  

❤️ Credits

• Backend data provided by dbf.finalrewind.org.
• Huge thanks to derf for the underlying db-fakedisplay project!