Express line bonus

[mwalker754]

I'm using an Express train with passengers and mail only between the 2 stations and I never get the bonus. Definitely baffled. I've even had this happen on a route I've already got express trains on.

[coenvijge]

Do you use the fastest engine that is available at the moment (for you or for your oppenents)?

[mwalker754]

I'm not sure about what the opponents have. How do I tell?

[Thineboot]

It doesn't depend on "passengers and mail only" but a steady uninterrupted fast flow of express goods. I run my city-to-city on automatic which means trains have to pull much heavier freight cargo as well and still have "Express" trains without any additional managing. Just keep the utilization in the two digits and most of them will become Express trains.

[mwalker754]

Thanks for the quick replies folks. I'm not sure what you mean with your last sentence though Thineboot.

[mwalker754]

Actually I think I know what you mean. Courser over the line?

[Thineboot]

... in the station, yes. Outside the numbers are low... trains move ;) Inside station is relevant, cause that's the time trains are blocking the individual tracks.

Sidenote: signalling controlled obviously show only average utilization.

[mwalker754]

Ok got it . Many thanks

[some moron]

Where are you guys looking? Are you saying the Utilitization? I assumed that was, I don't know what, this one is 145% so I don't know how you can use something more than 100% I don't know what that means. And there is no express train on that line.

[Thineboot]

... because you would need 1.45 tracks to handle the traffic without delay. Since passengers have to wait they are not happy with our service and thus they are not willing to pay you any express fee.

Please lookup percentages and utilization and how they are used to describe various things.

[some moron]

I took your advice and looked up percentages and utilization but there isn't much out there. I found a video by someone called adekyn but I did not learn anything from that video. That's fine if you don't understand it. But if you don't understand something then please don't post saying "you can look that up online" because that is what I'm doing. So that's just silly.

Does anyone else understand how the percentages work? For example does it indicate the percentage of time trains waited there in the last week or something? That's not possible though. I guess no one understands this?

Q2) What determines when a train gets the express bonus? Obviously it's some measure of how fast it goes or how fast it completes a round trip or something. Or is this another thing that noone knows the details of?

[Thineboot]

Originally posted by some moron:

Where are you guys looking? Are you saying the Utilitization? I assumed that was, I don't know what, this one is 145% so I don't know how you can use something more than 100% I don't know what that means. And there is no express train on that line.

You don't know what percentages are or how they work, so look it up. That's not RE, that's basic knowledge. Same goes for utilization. You don't understand the terms so go and teach yourself.

You don't accept explanations that don't appeal to you, so be it.

[chaney]

From Passengers in the Basic Mechanics guide:

"If the train can gain formal "Express" status (lightning bolt icon in the train list) they pay a premium, too. Developers have said Passengers and Mail pay a 10% premium to travel by Express. There is some confusion as to the formal requirements to qualify for Express status (not to be confused with the setting to carry only Express goods that the player can set) but it appears to require that a particular engine make a quick round-trip time for the route. There are suggestions that the engine *must* be the fastest available, but that does not seem to be true. To make quick times, use fast engines, add speed increasing personnel, and limit the train to few cars. A train with 8 cars and no personnel can become an Express, but it seems easier with the adjustments. It has been suggested that straight and level track help, which would indicate that the quick time isn't just measured against previous trips, but there is a fixed standard that must be met. Further details are unclear to me, but but the time requirement seems to depend on distance between the Cities (of course) and what trains speed is available to any company in the game, so if you get behind in train model you might not be able to get the status. The status progress can be monitored on the train management screen at the little yellow dial to the left of the train picture. It will build up with successful trips, and if it gets into the gold zone at the top, you get Express Status. This typically takes at least two trips, but I have seen Express Status granted in single very long trips."

[chaney]

I do not know precisely what the utilization percentages in the game mean, and don't remember it being definitively discussed. I think I remember claims it represents some metric of the number of trains that will use the Platform. It may or may not include estimates of actual time on Platform based on route lengths or something. I have seen Platforms over 100% useage that were not congested. If someone knows, please post. Of course we all know what the words "percentage" and "utilization" mean in general. I don't enjoy pointless bickering.

[some moron]

Thank you chaney. So it sounds as though we as players don't know the specifics of these two items and the devs aren't offering it. Okay.

[chaney]

Right. I've tried to report what I could from clear testing results. Some things are tougher to nail down. Some things change from scenario to scenario, time period, and even vary through the coarse of a game. We did once have a dev ask if we wanted all the specs, but that got walked back by management.

To me, some things just don't matter, and others do. City growth was simple and worked just as claimed. Now growth is faster for higher FoD. I have characterizing that on my list ... probably won't actually get to it so don't let me stop anyone else :)

The utilization figures are something that is just a rough guide to me. If there is not congestion, no problem. If the number is already high, I wouldn't add another route to the Platform. Beyond that, eh.