After the longest episode of the series, Springvalley's trains are stuck everywhere. The useless extra taxiway at the cargo airport goes. Then I find the real cause of the train jams: station tracks too short for a full train, and rail junctions packed too close together. Not the outside connection after all. Longer station tracks, more space between junctions, a few deleted stuck trains, a new rail link and train signs fix it. The new farm gets pastures, milk parlours and slaughterhouses, and a small village houses its workers on the way to 81,000.
What happens in this episode
Episode 44 was one of the longest in the series. It added the recreational lakeside area, a farm with two train stations, and cargo airport stands that didn’t work. So I start by deleting that taxiway section. The runway stays, because planes use it fine. Planes are queueing oddly, with two at one stand.
How it was built
The real cause
The train jams weren’t caused by the outside connection after all. I found two problems:
- station tracks too short for a full train, so trains stuck out and blocked others;
- rail connections and intersections too close together.
Fixing it
I rebuild the stations with longer platforms, so a full train fits. Cargo trains keep getting longer. I give each junction more room, which I don’t love, because trains take so much land. A few stuck trains and a leftover passenger train get deleted to release the deadlock. Every lost train means more trucks on the road. I also learned there are train signs, so trains can be told to slow down, and it sorts itself out.
A new link
Checking every rail connection, I found I needed one more link. It ended up as quite a detour, smoothed with landscaping. Trains are slightly slower there, but nothing piles up. The airport calmed down too.
Pastures and the farm
The new farm gets six animal pastures, milk parlours and two slaughterhouses, which aren’t nice to have, but you need them. Water goes to the pastures, and a water tower sits at the town entrance.
A workers’ village
The industry lacks workforce, so a small satellite village of uneducated housing goes in near the farm, with water and services from the start. A recycling plant goes near the tracks. Springvalley approaches 81,000. I still need unlimited oil, because repainting resources is unnecessary. For the first time I used the curve feature for tracks, and it looks much nicer.
Lesson
If trains jam, check node spacing and station length before blaming the border connection. The fix was easier than I thought.
Video chapters
- 00:00Trains and planes piling up
- 04:13Rebuilding the train stations
- 09:54Stations too short for a full train
- 14:00Junctions too close together
- 18:28Train signs and a new rail link
- 23:10Landscaping the detour
- 27:35Pastures and the farm
- 31:35Water, recycling and 81,000
- 35:37A satellite village for workers
- 40:02Lesson: give rail room
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Why are my trains stuck in Cities Skylines?
Often it's not the outside connection. Station tracks shorter than a full train and rail junctions too close together make trains block each other. Lengthen the tracks and space out junctions.
Should you delete stuck trains?
Deleting a few stuck trains can clear a deadlock after you fix the layout, but every lost cargo train means more trucks on the roads.
Why do trains take so much space?
Trains need long straight station tracks, gentle curves and room between junctions. Plan rail generously; it's one of the biggest land users in a city.