does anyone use the metro system?

[omanous darkness (PCMR)]

just a question for everyone. do you use the metro or do you find it to difficult to use it? i have personally abandoned all attempts of using it since it is actually extremely difficult to use. we dont have an ability to add switches and signals in the tunnels or on bridges, so you can't send trains to other tracks. and without signals, i cannot space out my trains, so they end up grouping up at one point and lose the efficiency of the system. and end stations don't do much to help either.

[Agoosha]

I got a small line 3 trains and 4 stations total. Both ends have a end station set at 40 sec. It works alright. But without switches i cant implement the second line as needed.

[bballjo]

To space out the trains, you use end stations.

The whole metro system is designed that it doesn't need signals.

To use separate routes and switches, you have to be on ground level (this is certainly a downside).

All in all, the metro system is the easiest system to move large numbers of passengers in the game.

Yes, I've used it, but only for large population centers.

[omanous darkness (PCMR)]

Originally posted by bballjo:

To space out the trains, you use end stations.

The whole metro system is designed that it doesn't need signals.

To use separate routes and switches, you have to be on ground level (this is certainly a downside).

this is the only reason why i dont use it. i understand the use of end stations, but that is just an additional part of infrastructure that an already crowded city cannot use

[Elessar_warrior]

Well, for crowded cities you can go underground, there are underground versions for everything. It only takes minimum space in the ground level (no real metro is done without some "damage" to the urban environment).

[gwahazar]

Metro is blessing for prepopulated map with old cities (if you are not going full Hausmann).
But digging hole to put semaphores is ridiculous. At least semaphores should be placeable at the joins of tunnel segments.

[whisper]

Never. Between all the weird restrictions it has compared to normal rail and that fact that the game mechanics encourage multiple smaller cities more than huge urban centers, metro seems totally pointless to me.

[Delle(DK)]

I used it once and it was quite nice.
But you have to plan a long time ahead and place the stations before you build you city so you have space for them. And also the metro take a long time to build and is very expensive.
Personaly i did not preplan to build the metro in my new city, but instead i build a tram track that goes around the city in a circle and that work very well and the tram trains can also move allot of passengers/workers.
A tip regarding tram.. you need an electrified railway for your new tram train to go from the border to the tram depot... I recommend to build this early on vs upgrading the train track when its filled with cargo trains.. Actually i build an extra train track just for the tram it was less painfull ;-)

[anok_peace]

Originally posted by whisper:

Never. Between all the weird restrictions it has compared to normal rail and that fact that the game mechanics encourage multiple smaller cities more than huge urban centers, metro seems totally pointless to me.

It is quite possible to build a large city, my largest has about 100,000 inhabitants and two large central industrial areas. It's not necessarily the game mechanics that make it easier to build smaller cities, but a general complexity problem. Even in real life, the bigger a city is, the more complicated the logistics are. You have to know the mechanics well to plan the traffic and logistics for such a large city. The larger an entity becomes, the more difficult it is to troubleshoot.
What is true, however, is that the original vanilla buildings were not designed for large cities and industries, only now larger buildings are slowly being added.


To answer the question: In this city I have two metro lines, in a cross shape. One runs underground through the old town and then ends above ground in an industrial area. The other runs completely underground and ends at a large regional station where high-capacity trains depart at close intervals for the other industrial area. However, these are not the only feeder lines for workers, every system, whether metro, streetcar or train, has its limits because getting on and off takes a long time if the number of passengers is too high. That's why I'm working with several systems and lines to transport workers.

[MATU1]

On map where i spent over 300+ hours, metro was great, because i didnt have any space for rapid system, like trains.

[atomicflx]

Shoot, I hardly even use railroads. They take up so much space and the cities need to be so compact due to everyone walking everywhere that I don't have room for train stations in the city.

[dazkaz]

I have used used it, but kept the system very simple point to point, with an end station for spacing.
It was very useful to get the population of a new residential area, to the town centre, where all the sports, attractions, universities and culture buildings were located. Having to pass it under a very congested existing residential area.