How big can train stations get?

[AutoDemolisher]

I've been playing the game for over 200 hours now, and I usually start a new save file once the game gets too laggy. I believe my biggest train station had 14 tracks. Now, I'm wondering if there's a limit to the amount of tracks you can add to a station. I mean, 100 tracks would obviously be overkill and like totally not manageable but I'm just wondering about the limit.

[Internet Native😳🖥]

Originally posted by AutoDemolisher:

I've been playing the game for over 200 hours now, and I usually start a new save file once the game gets too laggy. I believe my biggest train station had 14 tracks. Now, I'm wondering if there's a limit to the amount of tracks you can add to a station. I mean, 100 tracks would obviously be overkill and like totally not manageable but I'm just wondering about the limit.

I will neeever understand how a Train Station can have more then 4 Tracks that are all being used but ok. So the Answer is 4 Tracks that are all about 500 Meter in length yes?

[Ideas Man]

Originally posted by aturchomicz:

I will neeever understand how a Train Station can have more then 4 Tracks that are all being used but ok. So the Answer is 4 Tracks that are all about 500 Meter in length yes?

Build a distribution centre or a passenger hub and you'll easily exceed four platforms. I have one distribution centre which has six platforms and it's almost always full.

To answer the OP's question, a railway station has the following limits:

Width: 25 tracks
Length: 520 metres
Segment length: 40 metres
Total segments: 13

You can customise the station however you wish within these confines. Please note, cargo platforms are double the width of passenger platforms so you can build fewer platforms if you include cargo platforms.

Thus, assuming pure passenger or pure cargo with every line serviceable, the limits are:

Passenger: 16 (with one track having platforms on both sides, so capable of also serving cargo if desired)
Cargo: 12 (with one track having platforms on both sides, so capable of also serving passengers if desired)

Both types have one track which either isn't associated with a platform or will have two platforms attached to either side of it.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2154421503

Buildings are in addition to these limits but only if you place them after the platforms are already placed. If you don't demolish the initial station buildings and build extra platforms in their place after you initially place the station, you'll be able to build fewer platforms as they sit inside the "platform build area."
However, because caveats are awesome, there is one caveat. If you place a cargo terminal such that it exceeds the 25 track limit, you cannot place a station building alongside it. To place a building alongside a cargo platform, it must fit within the 25 track limit, which enables the station building to be placed.

Thus, the technical limit for a railway station is 27 slots in width (slots 0 and 26 reserved for buildings). A passenger station will never exceed 25 so buildings can be placed alongside the length of it providing a platform sits in the 1st and 25th slots. A cargo platform, however, can exceed the 25 slot limit on one side, thus it can occupy the building slots and prevent you building platform buildings on farthest edge.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2154422248

Furthermore, even though a passenger station has a track limit of 16, it doesn't necessarily have a platform limit of 16. If you don't place station track between the platforms, you effectively double the capacity of the station as a gap in the station track creates two platforms along a section of track. Useful if the station is a pseudo-terminus station for two lines from opposite directions. They can terminate in the same station on the same physical track, however, they can also both arrive at the same time as they arrive at different platforms in different blocks.

The trick to making it work is you must put signals between the platforms. You can't do that with "station track" so join the platforms together in the station editor and insert a straight section of normal track outside the station editor to join the two halves. Passengers will happily cross between the two platforms along your dummy section and the normal track allows you to place signals to separate the two platforms, enabling trains to share the same track at the same time.

Note: This will cause chaos if it's a through station, so don't do this for through stations.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2154468692

[AutoDemolisher]

Originally posted by Ideas Man:

Originally posted by aturchomicz:

I will neeever understand how a Train Station can have more then 4 Tracks that are all being used but ok. So the Answer is 4 Tracks that are all about 500 Meter in length yes?

Build a distribution centre or a passenger hub and you'll easily exceed four platforms. I have one distribution centre which has six platforms and it's almost always full.

To answer the OP's question, a railway station has the following limits:

Width: 25 tracks
Length: 520 metres
Segment length: 40 metres
Total segments: 13

You can customise the station however you wish within these confines. Please note, cargo platforms are double the width of passenger platforms so you can build fewer platforms if you include cargo platforms.

Thus, assuming pure passenger or pure cargo with every line serviceable, the limits are:

Passenger: 16 (with one track having platforms on both sides, so capable of also serving cargo if desired)
Cargo: 12 (with one track having platforms on both sides, so capable of also serving passengers if desired)

Both types have one track which either isn't associated with a platform or will have two platforms attached to either side of it.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2154421503

Buildings are in addition to these limits but only if you place them after the platforms are already placed. If you don't demolish the initial station buildings and build extra platforms in their place after you initially place the station, you'll be able to build fewer platforms as they sit inside the "platform build area."
However, because caveats are awesome, there is one caveat. If you place a cargo terminal such that it exceeds the 25 track limit, you cannot place a station building alongside it. To place a building alongside a cargo platform, it must fit within the 25 track limit, which enables the station building to be placed.

Thus, the technical limit for a railway station is 27 slots in width (slots 0 and 26 reserved for buildings). A passenger station will never exceed 25 so buildings can be placed alongside the length of it providing a platform sits in the 1st and 25th slots. A cargo platform, however, can exceed the 25 slot limit on one side, thus it can occupy the building slots and prevent you building platform buildings on farthest edge.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2154422248

Furthermore, even though a passenger station has a track limit of 16, it doesn't necessarily have a platform limit of 16. If you don't place station track between the platforms, you effectively double the capacity of the station as a gap in the station track creates two platforms along a section of track. Useful if the station is a pseudo-terminus station for two lines from opposite directions. They can terminate in the same station on the same physical track, however, they can also both arrive at the same time as they arrive at different platforms in different blocks.

The trick to making it work is you must put signals between the platforms. You can't do that with "station track" so join the platforms together in the station editor and insert a straight section of normal track outside the station editor to join the two halves. Passengers will happily cross between the two platforms along your dummy section and the normal track allows you to place signals to separate the two platforms, enabling trains to share the same track at the same time.

Note: This will cause chaos if it's a through station, so don't do this for through stations.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2154468692

Thank you for your very detailed answer. It contains everything I wanted to know!

[SoftwareSimian]

Originally posted by AutoDemolisher:

Please mark his post as answering your question. It's the most-detailed absolutely useful answer to a question I have ever seen posted on a forum. It should be awarded a medal as post-of-the-year or something.

[Ideas Man]

What a lovely compliment :D

[Tony 101101]

Just found this thread - the answer is indeed worthy of compliment! And perhaps a medal!

[Chicken Gamer]

I make a square from 4 roads and I can make 8 train stations to 8 directions
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2261164312

[canophone]

Hmm.. you can multiply platforms too by not having a platform next to some 40m segments, for passengers that comes to 7 times 16 (or 112) and for cargo that comes to 7 times 12 (or 84).