Project Midway

Project Midway
Route	Existing Mesa Line right-of-way to Hazenne via Rizalburg Existing Desert Line right-of-way to D90 via Porton New Mesa Line connector via Dewford City Birdsview to Totem Beach via New Genisys Existing Desert Line right-of-way to Wenyanga via Hazenne Wenyanga to Union Line via Mesa Line connector
Number of stations	42 new
Status	Complete
Players involved
Main builder	Missa_Solemnis AlphaDS
Additional builders	Mojang1014 (former M55-M62) Skelezomperman & FooteChicken (former M63-M65) sesese9 (former D44-D60) Zuoj & Needn_NL (miscellaneous terraforming and construction)
Technology
Station	MRT v5.1

Project Midway was a New World MRT System project involving the construction and repurposing of the Desert, Mesa, Western, and Oasis Lines. The project began on January 8, 2023 and was completed on July 22, 2023.

The name "Project Midway" was suggested by chiefbozx as a reference to the line letters for the Mesa, Desert, and Western Lines forming the IATA code for Chicago's Midway Airport. When the Oasis Line (formerly known provisionally as the K Line) is considered part of the project, the line letters instead form the ICAO code for Midway.

History

Project Midway comes from Frumple's 2022 MRT expansion plans for Zeta, which called for the shuffling of several MRT segments in the southwest region. It accomplishes the first steps of Frumple's plan and sets the stage for the commissioning of the former K Line, now known as the Oasis Line. The project was proposed by Missa_Solemnis on 6 January 2023, with work beginning on 8 January. In-game construction of both initial phases was completed on 12 January.

Phases

A map showing the scope of the first two phases of the project

Phase 1

The first phase was broken into two parts. Phase 1a involved abandoning the original north-south WS24 station in Tembok and installing a new east-west station directly below the original M54. The new station was coloured orange and designated for Mesa Line service. The existing M54 station was recoloured red and transferred to the Western Line. The Mesa and Western Line tracks approaching from the east were realigned to serve each line's respective new stations.

Phase 1b encompassed the recolouring and transferring of Mesa Line tracks and station from M55 to M65 as well as updates to signs, WorldGuard regions, and Dynmap. These stations became WS25 through WS35. Both parts of Phase 1 were completed on 8 January 2023.

Phase 2

The second phase also involved two parts. Phase 2a consisted of the construction of new Mesa Line tracks and stations connecting M54 to D69. This required the addition of a new set of underground tracks and three stations below the Western Line from WS24 to WS27 and a new twelve-station "connector" segment from WS27/M57 to a new station adjacent to D69. The connector brought MRT service to Dewford City and Cloud 9 and included five stations and tracks for the Oasis (then-K) Line antiparallel to the segment from M64 to M68, numbered KX1 through KX5. These Oasis Line stations will eventually link with current Desert Line stations D44 through D69 when they are transferred to the Oasis Line. The portion of dual track was completed on 9 January 2023 and the remainder finished construction on 12 January 2023.

Phase 2b involved transferring stations and tracks from the Desert Line to the Mesa Line, with D70 through D90 becoming M70 through M90. Conveniently, all stations along this segment retained their station number during the transfer. Phase 2b was started on 9 January 2023 and completed on 11 January.

Phase 3

The third phase consisted of the commissioning of the initial portion of the Oasis Line, which was completed by AlphaDS with Missa_Solemnis as the staff sponsor.

Phase 3a began at I55-ZS55 with the construction of O0 station and involved construction up through OW23, which replaced D44. A new D44 was constructed adjacent to OW23 for a future extension southwards. From O0 to OW3, dual tracks and stations were constructed for the use of the future "Line L6". Phase 3a was approved on 24 February 2023 and completed on 29 April 2023.

Phase 3b involved the conversion of the former Desert Line alignment from D44 to D69. The portion from D44 to D60 was partially reconstructed to use the same track and station designs as the remainder of the Oasis West project while D61-D69 was simply recoloured. Phase 3b was approved on 29 April 2023 following completion of Phase 3a.

Phase 3c involved the onboarding of the stations originally built in Phase 2 as well as the extension of the Oasis Line to meet the Union Line. This constituted the essential completion of the western portion of the Oasis Line while leaving the possibility for a short, one-station extension beyond the Union Line to the west. Phase 3c also marked the final piece of Project Midway.