Talk:CitiRail

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CitiRail
Citiraillogo.png
Parent CompanyNordic
Division Executives
Facts and Figures
FoundedDecember 31, 2013
HeadquartersWhitechapel
Rail Lines
  • Corrigan Trunk Line (West Calbar to Vermilion via Whitechapel)
Transit Hubs


CitiRail is a Rail Corporation focused on providing infrastructure and stations for commuter and long-distance lines, and is headed by _frozen. Unlike other metro providers, CitiRail focuses only on city to city service, with minimal stops. CitiRail is headquartered in Whitechapel, with regional offices located at several cities, such as Gold City for the North Region. Its current project is called CitiRail 2017, a comprehensive route map covering the northern part of the server.

CitiRail's Phoenix Technology was unveiled on December, 31 2014. At this time, CitiRail is in Phase III of testing, with initial service that begun with a successful Phase II test, with a single line in service and a full rollout shortly after Phase III testing is completed.

In January 2015, CitiRail was selected to be the Rail Technology Provider for the EASTRail system in the EAST Metropolitian Planning Organization. On November 12, 2015, Pacifica Rail was spun off CitiRail, becoming its own rail company providing line services. CitiRail will continue to provide track and station service.

Technology

CitiRail utilizes a new technology, which was codenamed Phoenix while in development. _frozen is the head conceptual designer and architect of the Phoenix system, with yeamantor providing invaluable and in-depth redstone assistance. Phoenix allows us to bundle many different lines into single trunk line and provide a seamless destination system utilizing NordicTrak Destination tickets. It consists of a complex system at the stations, and a simple system in-between stations to operate the track sections. Due to the special technology involved with this system, CitiRail will be mainly an at-grade rail system with rare exceptions of tunneling over long distances and long-distance bridges.

Any right of way for the CitiRail+ track includes air rights (up to 5 tiles high not including the ceiling) to accommodate electric wiring, and underground rights to accommodate the technology conduits, extending 4 tiles underneath the tracks itself. As such, it is a recommended policy of CitiRail to try and avoid dense development much like the TGV in France, instead opting for stations outside the city center with metro or tram service into the town. Phoenix technology will also allow branches upon branches of lines if it is deemed necessary with minimal modifications. All tracks with CitiRail+ technology bundled with it will be called CitiRail+ and the technology conduit is off-limits to the general public. Any modification of the track or the technology conduit would be considered griefing, as per the server rules.

The station footprint is larger underground than it is above-ground. This will allow us to create unique custom stations to better fit your town without eating up precious real estate. The station footprint will be finalized after Phase III of the testing process.

Testing Phases

On January 1, 2015 the first phase of testing began with a demonstration service between Waterfront Station, Whitechapel to Downtown Corrigan. As a testing phases, each platforms at both station will act as unique destinations (which will not be the case when full service begins). The public is invited to try the system out. This allows us to test the system with four destinations while using two stations. The easiest route to the test track is to take the MRT Arctic Line to either A11 or A12. The first phase of testing did not include future technologies such as major line switches and empty cart detectors. The first phase of the test was declared a monumental success.

The second phase of testing will begin soon -- projected to start on or around January 2-3, 2015, with even longer distance testing between Whitechapel/Corrigan and Vermilion's two stations, Victory Square and Vermilion University. This phase will include testing of various high-technology modules (such as automated switches and empty cart detector systems) and destination-based ticket systems. Once successful, we will be able to open a single line for full service. On January 19, the Second Phase of Testing was completed, and full service is started between Corrigan and Isthmus.

The third phase of testing will take place along the Trunk Line, with additional services between Radiance Square and West Calbar, giving us a system with two distinct line branches. This will allow us to fully test the branch technology. If this test is successful, we will start opening more branches that will be able to share a single trunk line.

Please note that during testing, public testing and stations will occasionally be closed without any announcement to incorporate upgrades as needed to ensure the new technology is perfected.

In June, CitiRail Phoenix 1.5 rolled out, with changes to accomodate the server upgrade to 1.8. Testing processes was very short, but the expectation of a plugin to help with our ticket system that has not been installed yet.

In November, CitiRail Phoenix 3.0 rolled out. Phoenix 2.0 was never officially rolled out due to timing issues. Phoenix 3.0 now incorporates local stop support along with the pre-existing express stop support, and has a storage system for both passenger and chest carts.

Route Selection

CitiRail will not serve every town. Instead, we will use a priority system of city size, route realism (does it make sense visually to serve this town?), and proximity to existing routes to select cities for CitiRail service.

Therefore, Route selection/placement is not on the "customer request" system (where you request service to your particular town) at this time, but "company request" system where we will contact prospective towns if they would be interested to be included in the service.

For more information about specific current routes, please read below.

Hub and Station Placements

During beta testing the system, we discovered that the system had a limitation, and that is the number of departing route tickets available per station. A Route Ticket is not the ticket you purchase, but a interior system which tells the rail switches which lines they should switch to. A line can still have unlimited destination tickets, which is what you buy.

While we could design a bigger and larger station to process every route and install it at every city, we have decided to approach this like the real world rail companies does. We will originally select several hubs and convert them to a major station, capable of processing many route arrival/departures all at once. Whitechapel Waterfront Station will be the first hub, capable of processing approximately 42 routes at maximum. At regular stations in-between major stations, each station will be limited to a total of 4 route lines per direction that will be stopping at the location. If the city finds it valuable enough, and if there is demand that the third-party rail serves a specific station that is over its route process capacity, we will be able to add another "console" at a price of $50 per console to accommodate other third-party rail departures (Do note that there is no limitation to arriving third-party rail destination.) If it is a CitiRail line that is added, it will be added at no cost.

The major impact of this approach as of now, is that with this policy change the third-party rail would preferably either 1) primarily stop at hubs across the network at no charge; 2) if there is a station with a empty route slot, they can stop there with no added charge (which will happen at the majority of stations on lines across the network except for along specific stretches of congested trunk lines); or 3) pay 50 for a console installation at the city of their preference to enable third-party rail service beyond what is already there. Nordic recommends (and expect) that the city should not pay for third-party service into their station, rather that the cost should be on the third-party rail companies to purchase the additional service if they really desire service into your city.

If your town is selected as a hub, do note that it will have a bigger, complicated CitiRail station rather than the base installation already installed in most cases. It may also need a bigger area underground to be able to process route selections.

Ticket Use

Example NordicTrak Line Ticket Kiosk, found on Maidenhead Line.

CitiRail utilizes the NordicTrak technology to assign destinations to specific stations using city codes. To request a city code, please check the talk page. A example use of the system would be RegionalConnect's ticket for the Rivera Express Line, which will utilize a local stop system, and Pacifica, which utilizes direct station stops.

Examples of the ticket is below.

All NordicTrak Tickets must have a destination or line identifer, along with the barcode, on the bottom. The top 2/3 can be customized to your wishes. All CitiRail Stations will be utilizing NordicTrak Ticket Systems as a requirement of station installment.

To use a NordicTrak Ticket in a CitiRail station,, you will need to obtain the ticket (currently free), put the ticket into the correct line kiosk. The system will take care of the rest, including setting the destination and switches for you. We are not responsible for incorrect ticket purchases/kiosk usage.

Third Party Rail

If you are interested in using a current CitiRail line for your own train service, you can do so!

We will be willing to work with any non-glitchable technology incorporating carts into the system. We provide interfaces between your own rail line and CitiRail. By using the CitiRail system, you open access for your rail company to cities without any further addition to infrastructure other than what you have already. CitiRail can be configured to provide express or local services to any station on a single line.

Your company will be given the chance to design your own NordicTrak ticket to be used on the system.

If interested, please leave a request at the talk page to discuss compatiablity and use of current and future CitiRail tracks.

Current Third-Party Rail Agreements:

Company Line Used # of Stations
RegionalConnect 1 5
IMTA 1 1
Whiteley Rail* 0 0
KTA Commuter Rail* 0 0

* - a technology interface exists at the time, or is awaiting completion of connection to third-party rail system

Routes

At Opening Day, there will be 7 inital lines all serving Whitechapel - Waterfront Station. As time process on and we add more hubs to other parts of the map, Whitechapel will not be the center of all CitiRail service. It will then join the rank of a Hub and we will start to transition into a spoke-and-hub system serving parts of the maps.

As such, the lines listed will be listed under its main hub for easier identification.

CitiRail 2017

CitiRail-2017.png

CitiRail 2017 is the fullest system planned for the northern part of the Gamma World to be completed by December 31, 2017. This is to inform prospective cities about the potential for Citirail to serve near their areas. This includes the ConnectEAST system, which CitiRail has offically become the technology supporter, and therefore includes the ConnectEAST system into the route maps even though they are operating as their own company. Do note this is a preliminary map, and does not guarantee service to the lines outlined.

Do note that there are planned to be 4 Express Routes-- Black and White in the Northern part serving Whitechapel and Airchester/Marblegate; Orange and Light Green in the South serving Daneburg and Marblegate. Each line will stop at very few stations (5 at the most), and acts as a faster alternative to the MRT without all the stops.

This will provide comprehensive and complimentary coverage to the North part of Gamma without competing against the golden standard of the server, MRT. We wanted to fill in the gaps that the MRT may not fill in with our services, while providing local and express options.

At this time, the current vision of CitiRail 2017 programme includes 6 new hub cities where varied services will originate: Whitechapel, Gold City, Airchester, Marblegate, Daneburg, and IVY Airport Centre. We do not expect to enter Central City limits due to its limitations on third-party rail service, and we expect this not to change since Central City is more than amply served by the MRT system.

The South part of the Server will be the ultimate goal of the CitiRail 2018 Programme, which is at this time unannounced and unplanned for.

Station Codes

Each CitiRail destination has their unique station code. Please make sure when you purchase a NordicTrak-Compatiable Destination ticket the station code matches your intended destination before boarding any train.

City Station Code
Whitechapel - Waterfront Station WHI
Corrigan - Downtown Station COR
West Calbar - Forest Landing WCA
Vermilion - Polaris VER
Vermilion - Victory Square VSQ
Radiance Square RSQ
Isthmus IST
Ilirea-Vermilion Convention Center IVY
Lacelde-Bandayara Union Station LBX
Gold City GOL
Whitechapel Sky Harbor WHT
Sealane Northern SEA
Daneburg (Planned) DAN
Mecklenburg (Planned) MEG
Kenthurst - Xenonite Station KEX
Cornus CNS
Cornus West CNW
HSR Xilia XIL
Storalisburg (Planned) STO
Ellesume ELC
Royal Ferry RFG
Accerton AXE
Woodsdale (Planned) WDE
Birchview (Planned) BIR
Woodsbane Vallèe De La Rivière District(Planned) WVE
Arbor ABR

If you are interested in reserving a city code (which does not guarantee future CitiRail service) please leave a request in the talk page.

Employment with CitiRail

CitiRail is a subsidary of Nordic and adheres to the standard Nordic employment requirements. As such, your responses to certain questions will be held as your baseline, and failure to uphold your bargain with the work schedule is grounds for termination. (basically, if you plan on doing this for fun, pick fun on the scale).

As of this time, the job is unpaid since CitiRail is a non-profit organization.

The following people are employed by CitiRail:

(None yet)

Current Opening

As of January 24, 2016 the following positions are open:

Redstone Technician

The Redstone Technician (Abbreviated as "RT") comes in two types:

Switch, Track, And Station Technician. The Switch, Track, And Station Technician. (STST) focuses on the tracks in between various stations, and ensure the technology at the switches between two rail junctions are in working order. We expect the STST to possess medium experience in redstone and is able to troubleshoot basic issues with the systems once educated on how the system works. We expect to hire one STST for the time being, with expansion in the department possible.

Station Technician (ST) is the person who is expected to be able to troubleshoot and repair any issues that comes with CitiRail Stations. Their redstone experience must be at a advanced to expert level, and will be responsible in ensuring the stations are in working order. They will also be expected to report any bugs that they come across and help with brainstorming solutions to the bugs. We are currently only looking for one ST at a maximum. The ST will be preferably dedicated to CitiRail, with no other obligation to any other tech companies besides his/her own company.

System Cartographer (Mapper)

CitiRail is looking for a high-quality map maker that will help with our branding program along with a internal project. Our goal is to create a unified branding program for CitiRail to show how the System works, and what kind (and where they are going) third-party rail is using the system. We want the brand to be displayed in a very professional manner.

We are also looking for a map to be used internally to identify the different and important parts of the system, such as switches, crossovers, bridges, junctions, and ECD locations.

We are only looking for one person to become the System Cartographer. The individual must possess prior map making experience in advanced vector graphic programs (in other words, no MSPaint skills, sorry.)

Quality Assurance

Q&A comes in two levels, from the beginners to the intermediate. They are the following:

Ride Experience is the group of testers responsible in riding the tracks, ensuring you are being directed to the right location. Those in Ride Experience are considered entry-level, and will not be allowed inside the technical conduit nor the stations without being escorted by RTs. They are expected to ride the tracks, identify any visual or technical issues that may pop up from the passenger's view (missing power wires, missing fencing, tracks, and the like). We will only accept at most 4 Ride Experience staffers at this time.

Technical Experience is the group of testers responsible in riding the technical conduits, which are the tracks underneath the main tracks. They are the important testers, as they test the tracks, the switches, and everything underneath the top level. They will report missing tracks, incomplete protection from the outside, and broken switches. We will only accept at most 4 Technical Experience staffers at this time.

Ready to Join CitiRail?

When you feel confident that you would like to join CitiRail, please visit this link: http://goo.gl/forms/jgtoq1NGrb We will process the applicant on a rolling weekly basis. Once we recieve your application, we will also conduct an interview via Discord to evaluate your application before giving you the final answer.

Good Luck, and thank you for your interest in joining CitiRail!

City Code Reservation Thread

Use this section to request an reservation of your city code in the CitiRail System. Do note this does not mean guarantee of future service, but it would help me gauge interest.

Third Party Rail Agreement

Use this section to request an interface/usage of the CitiRail tracks with your own train company

  • Virgin Trains
  • E/W/T (Eastern Western Trains) (we also consider track sharing with CitiRail in places.)
  • NorthWestern Railways [1] (would also like to track share with some citirail lines)
  • Benion Local Trains (owner of potential Benion station tracks)

General Comments

Use this section to add any other comments.

  • Could I request a station on the woodsdale line? My station is C80-C81 (Espil) InDev (talk) 21:52, 30 December 2015 (EST)
  • Waterville station and Orio station could be one station between both districts.
As Mayor of Waterville I dont Support this. Ptld
Do note that frozen gets the final say in where stations will be built, not much you can do there. - Camel
Camel I know it's just Yellow likes to plan my town without my approval
I think we could go just fine with one station for all of Polaris Ardyan - director of stupid and pointless since 2016 (talk) 10:00, 1 March 2016 (EST)
I agree with that. But I think two stations would be better:Armada Quasar and Orio-Waterville (near Pontiac Tunnel).
  • Is CitiRail dead? Their Main hub at Whitechapel is completely destroyed and most stations ticket systems are broken. CrazyRocketGuy (talk) 04:00, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
  • Why is this page in the talk page? Shouldn't this be in the main page? Vulpicula (talk) 21:03, 20 April 2019 (UTC)
  • I did this here as a draft. I'll ask to have this and the main page switched. Earack