BluRail
| BluRail | |
|---|---|
 BluRail logo | |
| Staff | |
| President | hvt2011 |
| Brand Manager | KittyCat11231 |
| Ownership | |
| Parent company | BluTransit |
| Dates | |
| Date founded | February 3, 2017 |
| Service | |
| Stations open | 267 |
| Hubs | |
BluRail is a warp train company founded by hvt2011 on February 3, 2017. BluRail operates numerous lines over hundreds of stations across the New World, making it one of the largest warp train companies on the server.
BluRail is a subsidiary of BluTransit.
History
BluRail was created on February 3, 2017, as hvt2011 wanted to better connect Tranquil Forest to other towns and cities on the New World. A plan was devised on paper and included preliminary plans for the 1, 2, and 3 lines. The 4 was later created as a connector line to connect the 1 and 2 to more destinations off of the route. Lines continued to be added throughout the years, wherever hvt2011 felt fit best.
BluRail is one of the largest and most popular warp rail companies on the server, as the company has built a consistent brand and grown at a steady pace.
Service cuts
Juhwa Islands
Service initially planned for Juhwa Islands sent most lines through Tranquil Forest Central and into Juhwa Islands; however, these plans were later abandoned after trains were forced to transfer from a three wide to a five wide train when going into Juhwa Islands, as well as the development of towns and cities past Juhwa Islands. Development allowed BluRail to go around Juhwa Islands and move its hub to Sunshine Coast Máspalmas Terminal. Additionally, the mayor of Juhwa Islands was banned and interest waned in serving it on BluRail.
Bakersville
Bakersville Grand Central was initially planned as one of BluRail's largest hubs, but service patterns planned for the area were complex and confusing. Additionally, hvt2011 saw transfers at Bakersville as confusing due to the layout of the station. In response, BluRail decided to split up operations in the area and only have the 9 serve the Bakersville area. The LC was rerouted to serve BirchView and Woodsdale, and the 2X, 3, and 3X were rerouted out of the area onto their current routes today. Service to Bakersville today is only served on the 9.
Network shutdown
BluRail announced a network shutdown on April 11, 2023, to allow hvt2011 to more rapidly complete train replacement, a new warp format, and signage replacement to birch signs. Lines were declared formally out of service on the same day, however most warps continued to work, as hvt2011 would only work on one or two lines at a time. Lines warps would be deleted one or two lines at a time, with hvt2011 slowly reopening the same lines from one terminus to another. Lines would close and reopen sequentially, starting with the first numbered line, the 1, and ending with the last lettered line, the WS. Express lines like the 1X would be reopened in tandem with their local counterpart.
Reopening
On October 27, 2023, BluRail determined that it did not have nearly enough people to complete its modernization efforts as planned and announced that all lines would reopen following the full reopening of the 1 and 1X, and a track inspection of each line. Full reopening was planned for all lines by the end of 2023. On December 7, 2023, it was announced that reopening had been pushed back to January 2024. In January, it was announced that it would be pushed back another two months until March 2024, citing low worker motivation. Full reopening of remaining lines was completed on March 18, 2024.
Lines
BluRail currently runs 43 lines across the New World, with various service types to suit passengers' needs. Services are broken down into three main service types: Local, Express, and Shuttle/Connector. They are colored light blue, red, and dark blue, respectively.
Design
Trains
The trains currently in use were based on IntraRail's rolling stock. BluRail chose to combine the middle IntraFleet cars with IntraShuttle end cars so that passengers would be able to use any car to warp. The design created was mostly iron, with lapis blocks to allow sign placement. Passengers are also able to walk between cars, which are connected with black wool. BluRail trains can be configured anywhere from two to five cars. Later, autobus22 also helped create the BluRail Shunter with the opening of the WS in Sealane. The shunter is also in use on the AA, NI, and TS.
A new prototype train was created in 2022 and was in the testing phase before the project was scrapped. The new train featured a more subway-like design and buttons at the front of the train to allow passengers to easily warp to the current last stop of that particular train. Train car numbers were planned to be introduced to keep track of all train cars put out for revenue service. A higher ceiling was planned to be introduced to increase passenger comfort.
In response to passenger feedback, BluRail opted to keep the current generation of trains, but with a refreshed livery, as well as all of the improvements on the prototype train.
Warps
In its early planning stages, hvt2011 wanted to ensure that warp names on BluRail would not conflict with other BluTransit warps. Thus, a simple format was created to reduce as much conflict as possible. BluRail used "BLU[line id]_[unique three-character station code]_[direction]" for all warps on the system. On the top line of the warp sign would be "Next Station:" and the bottom line would be the abbreviated station name.
In April 2023, hvt2011 shut down the entire BluRail network in order to rename warps to a new format. The newer warp naming scheme kept the 3 character code in the middle, but optimized the length of the warp by condensing the warp down to "BR[line id]_[unique three-letter station code]_[arrow]". In addition, the top line of the warp sign was changed to "Next Stop:".
Tunnels
A simple tunnel design made of chiseled quartz, sea lanterns, and lapis blocks was created as BluRail's first tunnel design. Materials were layered on top of each other and be based on the y-level the block was placed on. This design was made to allow easy wayfinding for wanderers in the tunnels. This design was later changed to the current design of mostly stone brick and stone slabs with roof lighting, and a simple design by autobus22. While most tunnels have been modernized to the current design, a small portion of tunnels in the Banana, Segville and Utopia areas have the old design.
An updated tunnel design was created in the 2020s but was never used on any tunnel due to how minor the updates were.
Signage
BluRail was created with a heavy emphasis on signage. Signage is purposefully put all over the system to enhance the passenger experience. Originally, all signage was made on oak signs. They began to be replaced in favor of birch signs on April 11, 2023.
Entrance signage
Entrance signage was not important to hvt2011, but he still wanted to give passengers an idea of what trains stop there. Earlier revisions of signage only included "BluRail [station name]" on the left sign and the services that stop at that particular station on the right side. Later, the BluRail logo was added on top to increase station visibility. In its latest revision, the blocks that the signage sits on are colored red, light blue, or dark blue, corresponding to the fastest level of service available at that station, instead of a flat light blue color.
Concourse signage
Signage in the concourse was created to be a central hub for information. Early wayfinding in concourses only included locations, such as "Exit". Later, as hvt2011 learned to type alt codes, arrows were added below text to more clearly point to where each location was. The main signage in BluRail stations is the status board found in every BluRail-owned station. The status board includes rows for tracks, service name, destination, status, and service advisories in effect.
Platform signage
On BluRail platforms, signage stating the station name can be found throughout BluRail platforms. There are also at least two information signs found near the lift, typically three to five blocks away in either direction. Later revisions of the sign with the station name included an italicized city name on the third line if the station name did not explicitly say where it is, as well as BluRail on the last line in BluRail-owned stations.
BluRail has since updated its platform signage to move the company name under the track number and removed "Service to:" in favor of a longer station name. Signs pointing to the exit were updated to be in green text to increase visibility.
Platforms
The BluRail standard for platform size is five wide for all platforms, excluding the bright yellow safety strip on the edges. All platforms include information signage, which can typically be found near the platform's exit. While this width was slightly too small to fit in an additional track further down the tunnel section, hvt2011 decided it would be too much work to change existing platforms' width in order to fit in an extra track. In addition, BluRail centers every mid-line station on a tunnel section, creating tunnel and platform symmetry on both ends of the platform. Some older stations were not centered, creating asymmetric tunnel exits on either end of the station.
Fleet
Currently, BluRail operates only two types of trains: the BluTrain Shunter and BluTrain Gen 1.1.1. These were all manufactured by BluFleet Manufacturing. The active fleet roster for BluRail is:
| Train name | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BluTrain Shunter | 
|
Used for memes and shorter shuttle routes |
| BluTrain Gen 1.1.1 | 
|
Current generation of trains with minor changes over Gen 1.1; individual cars are tracked internally |
Historical fleet
BluRail has previously operated two older variants of the BluTrain Gen 1.1.1.
| Train name | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BluTrain Gen 1 | 
|
Multiple liveries, including the Express and Rank Resort liveries; normal trains are not painted Replaced with the BluTrain Gen 1.1.1 |
| BluTrain Gen 1.1 | 
|
Previous generation of trains with improvements over Gen 1; individual cars are tracked internally Replaced with the BluTrain Gen 1.1.1 |
Map
BluRail maintains a map that was originally designed by KittyCat11231, which can be found at hvt2011.com/blurail-map. The map was later updated with new graphics.
Due to logistical issues, the map has not been updated with more recent extensions. The last time the BluRail map was updated was on August 29, 2021.
Ridership
BluRail no longer keeps track of current ridership numbers due to a staffing shortage. BluRail previously tracked ridership sporadically throughout the decade. The last time ridership numbers were updated was on September 15th, 2020.
Ad spaces
Ad spaces found inside BluRail stations are managed by BluRail Ad Services. Ad spaces are sold at varying prices, with discounts for more spaces bought in bundles.
Some notable ad spaces in BluRail stations include references to The Amazing Race, the former feud between AstroSlurp and Aroma Coffee, and Intra buying out some stations' entire ad space selection. The official Amazing Race Museum can be found at the Arcadia Cargo Port station, accessible on the 12 and 14 lines.
Partnerships
BluRail has partnerships with select franchises to help expand franchises, as well as to provide amenities for riders passing through BluRail stations. Partners receive one free ad space per station where they have a location.
Food and drink
BluRail has two drink franchise partnerships with AstroSlurp and Freshee Tea. Most BluRail stations have an express AstroSlurp, but some have a full-sized franchise with a seating area. Freshee Teas are located at select older BluRail stations. Freshee Tea was BluRail's main drink partner until AstroSlurp was created and chosen as BluRail's preferred drink partner.
Banking
BluRail has chosen CoveBank as its preferred banking partner. Some BluRail stations have one CoveBank ATM, while others have many. ATMs are mainly located in newer stations that BluRail constructs.
Timetables
BluRail has four different role-play timetables for the public to view. Timetables list station codes instead of full station names to save space. A full list of station codes can be found at https://blurail.tk/codes.
| Day of week | Link |
|---|---|
| Monday-Thursday | https://blurail.tk/weekday-timetable |
| Friday | https://blurail.tk/friday-timetable |
| Saturday | https://blurail.tk/saturday-timetable |
| Sunday | https://blurail.tk/sunday-timetable |
Third party agreements
Segville Metro
The Segville Metro is operated by diesel BluRail trains that are two cars in length with Segville-themed livery.