Transport Tycoon Forums

Is there a way to get arriving trains to choose the furthest platform on a terminus station so that they're quicker to leave the station? Right now trains have to wait even with free platforms.

easiest way to influence the pathfinder is to put down a reverse signal or a road crossing

How would you place the reverse signal?

The road crossing trick works, but isn't very pretty or realistic

'Path' signal facing each platform.

Also move the signals on the outbound tracks at least a train length away from the junctions.

Double-way Path Signal facing the platforms as said mak.

Like this? Train still choosing closest platform.



Or like this? That looks to work better. What if you have more than 2-3 platforms on a terminus though?



Also placed the exit signals further from the intersection by the way. What does that change

Ahh.

As far as I know there is not a way to pick the platform any train uses.

In your first layout the train in the station was blocking all the other platforms, so any approaching train had to wait until it left.

Second layout (all platforms with path signals) even with a train in the station any approaching train could enter the station, any free platform, so enabling more than one train to load/unload.

Third layout (top platform without signal) any train entering the top platform would 'block' all other tracks until it left.

Reason for moving signals on outbound track is that any train leaving, will not stop at the first signal and block the station/junction.

You can also redesign the entry so that trains automatically pick the "right" one. The path of least resistance, simply. Every crossing, signal, and so on has a value. The higher the value, the less keen a train is to go there.

you can also mess around with the "platform too long" penalties

Here's an example of a station with 4 platforms handling 3 trains at once:



The ones coming from the bottom tend to stick to the left-most platform. The ones from the right stick to the right-most platform. Any additional trains thereafter will automatically slot into the middle two platforms. This can of course be optimised further (I've since rebuilt it a lot).

Another example:

12 platform station, multi train movements, sometimes more than two between junction and platforms.

Just an example probably not the best.

If you look bottom right then one train leaving and another approaching, in the same 'block'

You could separate the routes in and out of the station. I've attached an example but the wiki has a lot more to say about stations.
https://wiki.openttd.org/Railway_station

Right now the pathfinder always tried to find the quickest way to get to its destination.
If you want to have X platforms for X trains, place 3 waypoints. To do this, select the waypoints, then place one, place another one while holding Ctrl, then click on "Build a separate waypoint" and repeat the second steps for all platforms.

Then order the trains you want to the waypoint.

I also tend to find approaching stations on a straight rather than round a corner reduces conflicts as trains have to cross paths less, and thus reduces queuing, though it isn't always possible to have a straight approach.

Kevo00 wrote:I also tend to find approaching stations on a straight rather than round a corner reduces conflicts as trains have to cross paths less, and thus reduces queuing, though it isn't always possible to have a straight approach.

Indeed, and from looking at the screenshot, it seems to me that it might even better to extend the line from the bottom to merge with the one coming from the left.

Luckily the fella has enough track lengths between his junction and platforms to accommodate impeding signals. Although possibly unsightly, his easiest solution would be to place 3 signals on his bottom track, 2 on his centre one, and a single one on his top one. I've happened to have just resolved the same pestersome matter myself by lobbing an additional backward signal at the 2nd bottommost platform to impede traffic arriving from the bottom of the screen (see attached).



Although I do prefer the practicality to his setup as he built it there!

acs121 wrote:Right now the pathfinder always tried to find the quickest way to get to its destination.
If you want to have X platforms for X trains, place 3 waypoints. To do this, select the waypoints, then place one, place another one while holding Ctrl, then click on "Build a separate waypoint" and repeat the second steps for all platforms.

Then order the trains you want to the waypoint.

The pathfinder doesn't take the quickest path, it takes the path with the lowest penalty. Normally that is the shortest path (as every tile adds to the penalty), but stations/waypoints, level crossings and the back of two way path signals add to the penalty, making the pathfinder prefer a longer path if those additions are on the short path. Should the path be occupied by a train, it would still take the other path (as a train also adds to the penalty), while in your solution it would not do that as the platform is fixed by the waypoint.

I think your problem is that the crossing tracks are at the junction of the two main lines. The outbound train has a lock on the whole junction.

Simplify the junction and move the crossing tracks adjacent to the stations. Then put a one-way path signal on the inbound track just outside the crosses, and a one-way path signal the other way on the outbound side.

Steve