Stations : Putting It All Together

STATIONS : PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

In addition to the problems of reliability, the next most important issue in maximising profit is in designing stations that are as efficient as possible. The goal is to have a layout that gets the trains onto the platforms as quickly as possible, and then allows them leave again, claering the way for trains just arriving.

"Hundreds of hours of experience (just ask my wife) has led to me design what I believe may be the most efficient design possible for an extremely high-traffic train station. Even though it has only four loading platforms (the max), this station should provide service to a dozen or more trains, depending on the distances they travel, the rate of production of the factory being serviced and several other factors." - Mike Metcalf

Once we've safely and quickly got the trains to their destination, we need to safely and quickly get them into and out of the station. Something of a 'left-over' solution from Transport Tycoon Original springs to mind. It is also used by the AI, which suggests it's not that good.

When coupling "dual track" with a "terminus station", the track the train enters on has to be different to the track it leaves on, so at some stage there will be a crossover. From our analysis of intersections, we know that this is bad - bottlenecks, congestion etc. There is a better solution to the problem - the "through" or "RO-RO" (roll on - roll off) station.

With a "through station", the crossover is completely avoided. This means there is much less of a bottleneck, as trains enter at one end of the station and leave from the other. In this instance, they head around to the 'back' of the station and onto a platform, and then leave out of the 'front' of the station.

However, this is still not good enough...

...what happens if a train breaks down on the exit tracks? There will be a chain reaction of breakdowns (as mentioned in the discussion of depots), and the other trains won't be able to leave the platforms, which means other trains won't be able to enter the platforms.

...or if all four platforms are occupied when a fifth train arrives? It will sit on the entrance tracks waiting and waiting until a platform is free - probably breaking down in the process, taking us back to the first problem.

...or if two trains try to leave the station at the same time? One of them will have to wait for the other to cross the intersection that leads to the main line. All the time sitting on the platform preventing other trains that are arriving at the station from using that platform. Again, (probably) taking us back to the first problem.

The answer consists of four equally important items:

"Mandatory Servicing: All trains entering the station should be mandated to enter a depot before getting in line to enter the station. This will prevent most breakdowns in the super-critical entrance and exit of the station. This depot should be placed in such a way that trains which have used the "overflow track" will be routed back around where they will be serviced again."

"Multiple Choice Of Platforms: Here is where you never want to use "one-way" signals - at the entrance to a multi-track station. The reason: if you use "one-way" signals, your trains will wait until the first platform is free, even if the other three are available."

"Overflow Track: If a train trying to enter a station meets with red signals at all four platform entrances, the fifth signal should be at the entrance of a track which loops back around and allows the train to take another run at the station. This is called an "overflow track" or a "return loop", and it should be long enough to hold two or more trains, depending on the traffic you expect to service at that station."

"Independent Exit Tracks: At the exit from a busy station, make sure you have each track of the station go through a signal, then 5 squares (or long enough to hold your longest train), then another signal before they merge together into one main line track. This will eliminate delays caused when trains cannot leave the station because other trains are also leaving the station."

When trains enter the station area, they are met with a "dual depot" setup. They make the obligitory stop to get serviced and then head towards the platforms. If any one of the four platforms is free (signal is green) that train will enter the station and pick-up or drop-off cargo. When the station is busy and all four platforms are occupied, the train continues on past the last platform and onto the overflow track to make another attempt. Note that the overflow track joins onto the main line before the "dual depot". Also note the exit tracks after each platform that help clear the way more quickly for trains just arriving. Be warned though, a station that uses this layout can still be clogged, resulting in delays, if you send too many trains to it.

This solution is now a very well known one and you may think that it is the be-all and end-all of super efficient station design. However, it can be tweaked further, basically by running trains on 'two lane' dual tracks between stations, and adding "signalled slip switches" to the entrance of the station and at the end of the exit tracks (this is also very effective when incorporated into the 'standard' station above). What this means is that two trains can enter and exit the station simultaneously, and still have access to all four platforms as normal.

Notice that all the stations pictured here are five squares long (the max). This way, any length train can be built without worrying about whether it will be too long for the platform. Sending a train to a platform that it is longer than will result in a lengthy loading/unloading delay. It is recommended to always build maximum length stations, even if you don't plan on building trains that long - you may need to later.