GTFS and CIS JŘ timetables

GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) is an international open format for public transport timetables: it contains stops, routes, individual trips and departure times. In Czechia it is published as open data by, for example, organisers of integrated transport systems: Prague Integrated Transport (PID) publishes the timetables of all its lines daily, 14 days ahead.

National bus and train timetables are held in the national timetable information system CIS JŘ, kept by the Ministry of Transport and operated by the company CHAPS. Bus timetables are submitted to it in the Czech JDF format.

What timetables can show

• how many departures leave the nearest stop on weekdays and at weekends
• when the first morning and last evening connections run
• how long the trip takes to the district or regional town, to work or to the catchment school
• whether a change is needed

That is more useful than just “a stop 200 m from the house”: a nearby stop does not mean a good connection if only a few buses a day leave from it. Together with access to shops, schools and services, i.e. local amenities, transport links are an important part of the location analysis.

What to watch out for

Timetables change. The main nationwide change takes place in December (on 13 December in 2026), smaller changes also happen during the year, and engineering works affect services temporarily. Always look for the validity date of the timetable and check current connections in a journey planner or with the operator.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between GTFS and JDF?

Both describe timetables, but GTFS is international and used by many apps and journey planners worldwide. JDF is a Czech format for submitting bus timetables to the national CIS JŘ system.

Why count departures rather than just the distance to the stop?

Because daily commuting depends on how often and where services run. Figures from actual timetables show whether it is practical to get to school and work without a car.