What mass transportation system is the best (Rail, Subway or Monorail)?

[lukeallyn 3]

Would anyone have any suggestions as to what mass transportation system is the best (Rail, Subway or Monorail)? I'm just finishing up with some detail editing of one of my cities downtown centers and need to bring in people from the suburbs to work downtown. Subway is somewhat bland for me as I'm wanting to create a stunning transit system that's fully intergrated. I'll download the RTMT system when I get home as I think that will help add some details to my transit system.

  Edited March 30, 2011 by CaptCity  
Spilt to make new topic.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Would anyone have any suggestions as to what mass transportation system is the best (Rail, Subway or Monorail)? I'm just finishing up with some detail editing of one of my cities downtown centers and need to bring in people from the suburbs to work downtown. Subway is somewhat bland for me as I'm wanting to create a stunning transit system that's fully intergrated. I'll download the RTMT system when I get home as I think that will help add some details to my transit system.

However, if you want the system that has transitions from one to the others, elevated rail can be converted to GLR and/or subway. If you want, you can have GLR in your suburbs at pick-up points (need bus stops and parking buildings), then transition to EL, then when you get to the CBD, back to GLR and/or subway. This can be an elegant system using some of the extra stations on the STEX.

Generally, I use monorail between cities when regular rail is either overloaded or inappropriate. Passenger only rail can be run if you are willing to put in a Freight only set of tracks with respect to your farms and industries.

If you want, you can replace monorail with the HSRP. I don't use this, so don't know about it.

If you need a transfer point, consider pedestrian malls.

[DahMayorDefacto 1]

I like using the Elrail on Road set that comes with the NAM base pack (don't forget to download stations for it too!), it has a kind of chicago-ish feel me beleives...

[heitomat 156]

I am a big fan of rail. However, a rail network is - like in RL - meant for rapid, high capacity suburban, satelite city and intercity connections, and thus isn't ideal for inner city transport. I'd go for an El-rail based network in and around your downtowns, much because of the reasons mentioned above: Thanks to the NAM, an El-rail network can be both on the ground (GLR), above ground and underground. In my opinion, El-rail offers the most flexible option, and could end up as a very realistic network as well.

[Unassigned 23]

Trams (NAM GLR) in avenues work well for me, handles 150k city traffic loads well. However, the collection of diagonal puzzle pieces for tram-in avenue is somewhat incomplete (AFAIK), which means your options for intersecting roads (or streets) with diagonal tram-in-avenue are limited or nonexistent.

  Edited March 30, 2011 by Unassigned  

[aparrot7 82]

It depends on each city which is better. I use monorail, just for its modern look and fast speeds, but its best over longer distances, and should not have too many stations of stops. El rail has a less modern look and is slightly slower is also good, but i dont use it often. It is good as it can be connected to GLR and subway, making it easier to build involving connectivity. Rail is also good, i use it for industrial centers, but passengers like rail as well although it is not the fastest method. Subways are simply El rail below ground. Subways is fast and effeient and their lines can carry alot of passengers, but it is recomended to add these to older more developed cities with a stable econonomy as they are expensive to build and maintain. But for this reason it is hard to place the stations in a very built up city, so when you zone new land or start a city, dezone some squares in awaiting of a future subway system. Subway does lower road traffic volume and congestion though, which can benift residents, but commercial buissnesses may suffer as less constomers will pass through (which is determined my the traffic volume near the building). Its realy up to your budget and city requirments. Hope this helps.