Transport Fever 3 Station Design: 40 m Platforms & Layout
Station & Platform Design: The Published Numbers
Quick answer: Transport Fever 3 publishes station numbers mainly as module sizes. Rail stations start with up to 8 tracks and extend in 40 m modules; road stations start with up to 4 platforms and extend in 10 m modules. A platform shorter than the train using it slows loading and unloading, and the game warns you. Station capacity depends on available space and is shown per terminal and for the combined waiting halls — no numeric capacity, catchment radius or signal-spacing figure is published.
Published station numbers at a glance
| Parameter | Published value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rail platform extension | 40 m per module | Stations & Depots |
| Rail station initial size | Up to 8 tracks | Stations & Depots |
| Road platform extension | 10 m per module | Stations & Depots |
| Road station initial size | Up to 4 platforms for buses, trams or trucks | Stations & Depots |
| Terminals (bus/tram and cargo stations) | 1, 2 or 4 terminals | Stations & Depots |
| Road stop layout | 1 stop, or 1 stop per side | Stations & Depots |
| Catchment radius | Shown in the game world; no meter value published | Stations & Depots |
| Station capacity | Depends on available space; no numeric cap published | Stations & Depots |
| Signal spacing | No number published; clearance after switches must fit the longest train | Railway Signals |
Rail stations: 8 tracks, 40 m modules
- A rail station initially has up to 8 tracks and can be built as a through station, a terminus, or a mix of both.
- It is extended with modules 40 meters long each.
- Many modules can be replaced by other modules of the same size, so a layout can be changed without rebuilding the whole station.
- Tracks can be handled individually: electrify only some tracks, or upgrade individual tracks to high-speed track.
- Advanced layouts include intermediate tracks without platforms for passing trains, and half platforms with a switch in between.
- Passenger and cargo parts mix: cargo platforms and buildings can be attached to a passenger station, and vice versa.
- Multiple entrance buildings on different sides of the station increase the catchment area. The manual does not give a meter figure for that increase.
Road stations: 4 platforms, 10 m modules
- A road station initially has up to 4 platforms for buses, trams or trucks.
- It is extended with modules 10 meters long each.
- Bus/tram stations and cargo stations offer 1, 2 or 4 terminals. A plain road stop offers 1 stop, or 1 stop per side; stops on opposite sides of the street are grouped into one station.
- Passenger and cargo modules can be combined, and additional vehicle entries and exits can be added on any side.
- Small stops serve both passengers and cargo, but the manual says cargo load speed is slower there than in the larger stations.
Platform length vs train length
This is the one published rule that ties station size to the vehicles you run:
- If a platform is shorter than the train currently using it, loading and unloading are slowed down.
- The game warns you in the vehicle window, the station window and the select-terminals dialog.
- The station view also warns if a platform is too short for optimal loading of some vehicles on a line passing through it.
The manual's Stations & Depots page publishes the 40 m module increment, not a table of train lengths. The practical design step follows from the warning: size the platform for the longest train you plan to run, then round up to whole 40 m modules. That avoids the short-platform penalty; the manual does not claim a shorter platform blocks the train.
Terminals, waiting halls and capacity
- Alternative terminals often increase throughput, because multiple vehicles of the same line can stop at different stops at the same time.
- The station window shows the capacity of each terminal and of all combined waiting halls.
- When a station is overcrowded, passengers start to leave the station.
- Passenger station capacity depends on the available space. A station can be extended with longer platforms or with additional side buildings, which provide shared capacities usable by all platforms.
- Shared capacities are shown next to the icon within the Waiting Hall. The manual gives no numeric capacity value.
- Passengers wait directly at their platforms or at the station. Cargo works differently: it is stored in industries and warehouses, not held on the platform — for that side of station design, see Stations and Cargo Not Loading.
Cargo platforms: universal vs specialized
- A cargo station can use universal terminals or one specialization (Liquid, Bulk, Flatbed or Goods).
- A specialized cargo platform increases load speed for a specific set of cargo types. For other cargo types, the manual says load speed drops significantly — it publishes no percentage.
- The time an unload/load operation takes depends on the vehicle's load speed, the platform, and the storage stock.
- Cargo only needs to be within the catchment radius to transfer; it does not need to sit on a platform.
Signals around stations
- A station is not a signal, even when it is a stop on a train's line.
- Every signal is a path signal: it clears when the requesting train's path to the next signal or stop is free. Two trains can enter the same station through a crossover when their paths do not overlap.
- The manual gives no numeric signal spacing or block length. Its only distance rule is to leave enough clearance after switches and crossings, including enough space for the full length of the longest train.
- Unsignalled sidings and badly placed signals cause deadlocks; signal both ends of a siding. More blocks raise throughput, and extra platforms raise it again. Full mechanics: Signals.
Station availability by era
| Station type | Available |
|---|---|
| Cargo station (road) | From 1850 |
| Road stop | 1900–1950, 1950–1980, from 1980 |
| Bus/tram station | 1900–1950, 1950–1980, from 1980 |
| Rail passenger through station | 1900–1950, 1950–1990, from 1990 |
| Rail cargo through station | From 1900 |
| Rail passenger terminus | 1900–1950, 1950–1980, from 1980 |
| Rail cargo terminus | From 1900 |
| Water station / harbor | From 1900 |
| Airfield | From 1920 |
| Airport, heliport, helipad | From 1950 |
What is not published
These figures are not in the official manual and are left out rather than estimated:
- Catchment radius in meters.
- Passenger, cargo or waiting-hall capacity numbers.
- Signal spacing and block length.
- Load-speed percentages for platform specializations.
- Station and module costs (module costs appear as hovering numbers in-game, with no published table).
- A train-length table on the Stations & Depots page to size platforms against; that page publishes only the 40 m rail and 10 m road module increments.
This page is updated when the manual or a patch publishes those numbers. See the release notes for the current build.
Sources & Verification
| Data point | Status | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail stations: up to 8 tracks, 40 m modules, through/terminus mix, individual track electrification/upgrade, intermediate tracks, half platforms | Official | Wiki — Stations & Depots | 2026-11-06 |
| Road stations: up to 4 platforms, 10 m modules, 1/2/4 terminals, 1 stop or 1 stop per side, mixed passenger/cargo modules, extra entries/exits | Official | Wiki — Stations & Depots | 2026-11-06 |
| Short platform slows loading/unloading; warnings in vehicle, station and terminal dialogs | Official | Wiki — Lines & Vehicles | 2026-11-06 |
| Alternative terminals raise throughput; station window shows per-terminal and combined waiting-hall capacity; overcrowding makes passengers leave | Official | Wiki — Lines & Vehicles | 2026-11-06 |
| Station capacity depends on available space; side buildings provide shared capacity; shared capacity shown in the Waiting Hall | Official | Wiki — Stations & Depots | 2026-11-06 |
| Cargo: universal or specialized terminals; matching cargo gets a load-speed bonus, other cargo drops significantly; load time depends on vehicle, platform and stock | Official | Wiki — Stations & Depots | 2026-11-06 |
| Cargo only needs to be within the catchment radius | Official | Wiki — Stations & Depots | 2026-11-06 |
| Station is not a signal; path-signal reservation; no numeric spacing; clearance after switches for the longest train; unsignalled sidings deadlock | Official | Wiki — Railway Signals | 2026-11-06 |
| Station availability by era | Official | Wiki — Stations & Depots | 2026-11-06 |
| Catchment radius, capacity numbers, signal spacing, load-speed percentages, costs, train-length table | Not published | — | — |
| Current stable build 40425 (2026-10-24); previews 40427–40428 | Official | Release notes | 2026-11-06 |
Related: Stations · Signals · Infrastructure · Cargo List · Cargo Not Loading