Train Station

A Train Station is a building on the Railway where trains can be instructed to stop. Each station can be renamed in its UI.

Train Stations are not constructed over an existing track. It has its own section of track that appears within the station's area. It provides a snapping point for Freight Platforms and is necessary for them to function.

Construction

 * A fully-functional Train Station requires a Train Station and any amount of Freight Platforms, Fluid Freight Platforms or Empty Platforms can be placed after the Train Station to load or unload cargo from the train. A multiple-locomotive train only needs one Train station to stop.
 * As Freight Platform (and its fluid variant) must snap to a Train Station or other rail platforms, it is impossible to split a train station into segments: it must be in a continuous straight line.
 * This makes Train Stations a unique challenge to site, as unlike other large factory buildings, a Train Station's entire footprint (which can easily exceed 100 meters in length) must be flat, with no slopes or layering into multiple floors possible.
 * If a platform is removed from the middle of the train station, the remaining platforms not connected to the train station will not load/unload. It resumes functioning if the platforms are reconnected to a station.
 * Dismantling any part of the station while a train is docking will cause all the train cars to be compressed to the available rail space next to it.
 * The Train Station provides power to all connected platforms.

Direction
Train Stations are directional, which is indicated by arrows on the platform and the construction hologram. Additionally, the round side of the roof and the side where the name is displayed is where the front of an automatically docked locomotive will be. Trains on autopilot will only stop at the station in the specified direction, passing through when going the opposite direction.

The attached Freight Platforms can be rotated either way to change which side the conveyor belt or pipe outputs are on. Not all Freight Platforms have to be rotated to the same side for the station to function.

Bi-directional
A bi-directional train stop is possible by attaching a rear-facing locomotive to the train stopping there, as automated locomotives do not reverse. The train can switch to using the rear facing-locomotive to pilot the train, but only if the front-facing locomotive cannot path to the destination.

Keep in mind that if there is a way for a bi-directional train to reverse it's direction, like a loop in the railroad network somewhere, it can cause the order of cars to be reversed and make the wrong items get unloaded in the wrong stations. Thus, combining bi-directional track designs with looping track designs can cause problems, and arguably single-direction looping networks become more manageable as the networks' size increases.

The appropriate direction-facing locomotive will stop at the train station selected in its "timetable" (itinerary), but can switch direction when departing said station. Therefore, only a single end station facing away from the track is required for an end stop. Middle stations along the bi-directional line may require two stations each if loading/unloading in both directions is desirable, but otherwise a single stop is also possible.

Docking

 * Trains on autopilot will automatically dock upon arriving at the station. Manually driven trains can be docked by positioning the first locomotive at the station, stopping, and then choosing the "Dock" option in the self-driving menu.
 * If an automated train is passing through a station that it is not set to stop at, it will pass straight through without loading or unloading any items.
 * When a train docks, all freight cars to simultaneously un/load based on the setting in each attached Freight Platform, assuming there are items to move and space for them to be moved to. The un/loading animation and process takes 25 seconds.
 * If there is nothing to load/unload, the animation will not be played. The train will instead stop and then immediately proceed, unless the autopilot settings for the train specify that it is to wait at the station for a set amount of time. If the train is docked manually, it do nothing when the "Dock" option is pressed if there is nothing to un/load.
 * There must be a fully empty item slot for a station to preform a partial load/unload. For example, if the station is almost completely full but there's still space for half a stack of items, the freight car will still not be unloaded.
 * No manual interactions with the Freight Platform and Freight Cars are allowed during automatic loading/unloading of the cargo.
 * All belts connected to a freight platform are paused for the 25-seconds during loading and unloading. Items will stop entering or exiting the station.

Power
A Train Station always consumes 50 MW regardless if a Train is docking or not. Attached Freight Platforms draw 50 MW each, but only while loading or unloading. Attached tracks will additionally function as power lines, adding other connected stations to the power network along with anything connected to those stations.

Hints
In the train station UI, a total of five hints can appear below the station name. The hint is chosen randomly when the UI is opened. These are:
 * Please mind the gap between the train and the platform.
 * Be sure to have your FICSIT badge ready at all times.
 * FICSIT and its affiliates are not responsible for any delays caused by any reason, including but not limited to; hog attacks, biomass on track, oncoming trains, collisions, nuclear meltdowns or general situational derailment.
 * Have an efficient day!
 * Don't leave any unattended crates on the platform.

Station names
The default station names for the first ten stations are given inspired by real-world station names and villages, and the following stations are named 'Station N', where N is a number. When the number of stations built exceeds 200, all the stations built afterwards will be named 'Train Simulator'. Train Stations can be renamed at any time.

The preset station names are as follows:


 * Skoevde C
 * Dordrecht Centraal
 * Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
 * s'Hertogenbosch
 * Venray
 * Tallinn
 * Breda C
 * Grisslehamn
 * Borgstena
 * Fristad
 * Boraas C

History

 * Patch 0.3.8.6: Added support for Extended Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters in Train Station names
 * Unknown patch between Patch 0.3.4.0 and Patch 0.3.7: The station name can now only be so long, preventing it from overflowing the name sign and hovering in mid-air
 * Patch 0.3.4.16: Fixed too large Track clearance
 * Patch 0.3.4.15: Integrated Station Track should no longer rotate separately from the main building
 * Patch 0.3.4.14: Icon updated
 * Patch 0.3.4.13: Added a few more details to Train Platform meshes
 * Patch 0.3.4.12: Added new meshes
 * Patch 0.3.4.9:
 * Now can be dismantled and rebuilt in the same spot when adjacent to Foundations
 * Fixed clearance so Foundations can be built around the station properly
 * Patch 0.2.1.17:
 * Train AI has changed. Trains now try to slow down to 15 km/h before approaching a station, then come to a full stop once reaching it. Trains are now forcefully stopped no matter their speed if not capable of braking sufficiently
 * Integrated train track of the station is now free to construct
 * Patch 0.2.1.10: Fixed small name input bug
 * Patch 0.2.1.4: Now appears on the map, LOD updated
 * Patch 0.2.1.3: Fixed related crash
 * Patch 0.1.19: Updated visuals, now shows station name. Added power warnings and support legs
 * Patch 0.1.17 (101256): Power graph fixed, UI updated. Foundation 8m x 1m introduced to match platform height
 * Patch 0.1.16: Are now unlockable in game

Trivia

 * In the E3 trailer, train stations were much closer to Truck Stations by appearance. They would be seemingly placed over the existing track, allowing the track to be slightly curved.
 * Some UI elements still feature the old design of trains (before Update 2), especially the locomotive.