four basic questions about freight train

[thesimbug 0]

1. what is actually the function of freight train?

what is it for? why must this exist?

2. is it a facility to transfer goods to other cities?

how if i build freight train railroad but do not connect it to other cities?

3. where must i connect freight train railroad?

do i only need to connect it to industrial zones only?

do i also need to connect it to commercial zones?

do i also need to connect it to residential zones?

one more question: how about high tech industrial zones?

do i need to connect it to high tech industrial zones too?

4. do i need to connect freight train railroads from a wholly industrial zones city to a wholly commercial zones city/ a wholly residential zones city/ a combination of commercial n residential zones city?

thank you for your replies, everybody.

[saltandsauce 0]

ok answer to your questions

1, Freight train traffic is to alleviate Freight road (truck/lorry) traffic from the roads.

2, freight will only ever work when it is connected to another city outside the city tile

3, Freight only originates in industrial zones so connecting it to residential and commercial zones is not needed. commuter rail however, needs connections to other land uses to be of any use

[ronniesrevenge 0]

Freight rail is supposed to be used to connect your industrial manufacturing zones (I-M and I-D) to the outside world. In practice however I find that industry prefers to use roads and seaports and it is very hard to get them to use freight stations. The general idea of freight rail is to support industrial growth while not clogging up your road networks with loads of trucks. My main strategy is to make sure that the major maunfacturing areas have good access to a highways going out of town rather than relying on freight rail to cut down on congestion.

[thesimbug 0]

let me get your clear affirmations:

1. so freight train railroad needs to be connected between industrial zones only?

from industrial zone, through industrial zone, to industrial zone only?

exclusively in industrial zones?

2. so i dont need to connect freight train railroad to any other city with totally no industrial zone?

but i dont get this one question satisfyingly answered yet:

1. how about high tech industrial zones?

do i need to connect freight train railroad to high tech industrial zones too?

thanks for your replies, friends.

[MudPuppy 0]

Just a thought.

I built a mid-sized city with all farms around a small town with some commercial. I also had freight traffic. Not much but some. So I assume agricultural zoning does generate freight traffic.

Best wishes,

Mudpuppy

[Hahayoudied 3]

High tech industrials also use fright trains, if they have access to the railroads or the fright stations. Railroad tracks can handle much more traffic before getting over crowed than highways. Fright and passenger trains are much faster than trucks and cars on highways. Railroad tracks are cheaper to build and mantaince than roads. Also, trains NEVER pollute. The only downside is, railroad tracks take up more space than roads (depending how you plan the railroad tracks and the roads), and they often mess with the city traffic as they cross roads.

P.S. Industrial buildings can use the railroad tracks without needing a fright station, as long as the industrial buildings are right next to the railroad tracks.

[Dukat 2]

If you're making a railroad network anyway, draw in a railroad from the center of your Industrial area to the next map border. Place a freight station in the center of the Indusrial area by the tracks and you're done. You will realize how it works then.

[_MostlyHarmless 17]

Originally posted by: thesimbug let me get your clear affirmations:

1. so freight train railroad needs to be connected between industrial zones only?

from industrial zone, through industrial zone, to industrial zone only?

exclusively in industrial zones?

2. so i dont need to connect freight train railroad to any other city with totally no industrial zone?

but i dont get this one question satisfyingly answered yet:

1. how about high tech industrial zones?

do i need to connect freight train railroad to high tech industrial zones too?

thanks for your replies, friends. quote>

1.  Sorta.  The rail can be located anywhere, but must have a freight depot.  The catch it that it must be 'conveniently' located to that it's faster than driving to the edge of the map.  The whole purpose of freight really is to get to the edge of the map as quickly as possible.

2.  Doesn't have to be connected to a city with industry, no.  Doesn't even have to be connected to a real city...it just has to go to the edge of the map and "connect" to the next one (it could be the edge of the region where there is no city next door, but you can still connect)

[Spinmaster 75]

Note that all freight takes the "shortest route to the nearest edge, period." And it's quite thick-headed about it. Meaning no matter how close your freight station and/or seaport is to an industrial building, if the rail or water doesn't go to the edge nearest that building, the trucks will stay on the roads instead... unless a) you don't have any roads going to that edge either, or b) you use one of a few truck blockers like this one. And yes, agriculture is industry... thus it does generate freight trucks. Also like industry, if you run a rail in direct contact with a farm, it'll load directly to rail without trucks (if as mentioned the rail goes where the freight wants to go... or has no choice).

As for where the rail goes on the other side of a neighbor connection... for freight, doesn't matter. Unlike passengers, freight does not persist between cities; once freight reaches an edge, doesn't matter how it gets there, it's gone.