How do I maximize passenger train efficiency?

[TehAngryBird345]

I feel like with some maps, I can make a profit with passenger trains super easily, but with others, it’s almost impossible. What are some ways I can maximize profit without having to use cheaper and slower trains? Also, when routing my trains, I have been using the unload all and take cargo command setup, is there a more efficient setup that helps yield more money?

[skc]

I feel like with some maps, I can make a profit with passenger trains super easily, but with others, it’s almost impossible. What are some ways I can maximize profit without having to use cheaper and slower trains? Also, when routing my trains, I have been using the unload all and take cargo command setup, is there a more efficient setup that helps yield more money?

The station tile with the name-tag above it is one of the key things to get right - it determines which town/city the entire station belongs to for ratings purposes.

If you have to demolish some town tiles to put your station and tracks in, your ratings will take a hit for a while.

For maximum efficiency either make a big loop through several towns/cities with all trains travelling in the same direction, or double-track it so that trains aren't waiting for one coming the other way if you have an end-to-end line.

I also have a NewGRF that has 'metro' trains and rails - they have MASSIVE capacity and rapid loading - not the fastest option available, but so much more capacity that it makes up for the lack of speed.

[TehAngryBird345]

So does having a better city score increase the number of passengers willing to ride your trains?

[odisseus]

No, the local authority rating doesn't affect the passenger supply directly. In order to keep a steady supply of passengers, you have to maintain a high (60% or above) station rating, and one way to do that is paying for advertisement within the local authority zone.

More details can be found in the wiki.

[Eddi]

the only thing the local authority rating does is decide which buildings you can destroy.

[TehAngryBird345]

Okay, so I should try to limit the amount of buildings I destroy, and set up advertising campaigns?

[Eddi]

advertising campaigns don't affect the town rating, but they boost the station rating (which temporarily increases the passengers near the town center). also a statue will permanently boost station ratings near the town.

and the other thing you got backwards, not "you destroy less buildings to preserve the town rating", but "you increase town rating to be able to destroy more buildings".

[odisseus]

Well, fewer buildings = fewer passengers, so he has a point there. Moreover, if you get carried away while clearing the area to build a station, your company's town rating may become too low to actually place a station there. You will have to place it at the very outskirts, which again results in much fewer passengers.

[Eddi]

my general suggestion is to build bus stations before building a train station, that has two effects:

1. the town is encouraged to grow (up to 5 stations)
2. the town rating quickly recovers (the more stations the better. have to be regularly serviced, which means at least 1 piece of cargo loaded or unloaded)

[Argus]

Someone might think of building a tram that has more capacity, but cities often don't like laying tram tracks either. From the beginning, the bus is really the most ideal.

[TehAngryBird345]

Ok, I can try the bus or tram idea

[trainrover]

a town newGRF seems to effect passenger availability, and in one map literally every other row of tiles in any given town was road and thus noticeably slimmed density and ridership

[Eddi]

you should probably try different road layouts.

[CTarana45]

I start with the largest city and put my HQ there! I build rails to a city that nearby and has a simliar size! Setting the town list to population, I go from largest to smallest until I'm done building

Christopher Tarana

[Eddi]

it's better to put the HQ in the second largest city, because that can help you balance out the passenger numbers in both directions, as the HQ itself produces passengers.

[TehAngryBird345]

I usually connect the two largest cities in the map. Once I make my initial connection, I connect to nearby cities, big or small