I've watched this video 3 times in the past couple years b/c I play the game for a while, then there's a long break where I forget half the stuff. But the really sad thing is that I've only just realized I never gave this video the Like it so deserves. How very remiss...but all is now remedied. Thank you so much for your tutorial videos. :-)
Thank you very much for this explanation of how mixed consist trains and stations work. It has certainly taught me a lot, and it is amazing that you can do things like this in TF2. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities, but I just wish, and hope that at some point in the near future, we get curved stations. That would be absolutely awesome.
Thank you, very kind of you to say. I absolutely agree with you that curved stations just *have* to be in the game. I don't know how reliable the information is but there has been the odd comment on the forums that it is in development but just wasn't ready for release.
@@AjaxpostPlays Oh! I really hope that information is correct, because it will certainly be very welcome, and I don't even mind waiting for a while. Thanks for letting me know.
13:12 Acctually it does. Thats what the MIN time set is used for. eg. Train 1 stops on Platform 2 for min 120 seconds, then train 2 comes and stops on platform 3 for only 60 seconds but leaves before 90 seconds. then train 1 once its reached its 120 secondsof minimum time it can freely get out.
Hi, thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. Well, that is quite a novel and interesting way of using wait times which, I imagine, _could_ be used to simulate a type of timetabling. However, I would be suspicious that more complex routes with a variety of loading rates and distances to travel would make such an arrangement difficult to manage on any sort of scale. That said, I have no doubt that certain types of players who relish the detailing and micro-management possibilities of these games would really enjoy that challenge.
Thank you for letting me know that I've been able to help. I'm only showing a very basic setup but once you get the the basics you're free to get creative and build all sorts of mixed use stations. :)
Yeah, good point. I was trying to set up something like this in the final tutorial mission, b/c I saw that one station the game had made for me WAS a mixed station...but I couldn't figure out how to duplicate it, so ended up making a separate cargo station on a siding.
@@AjaxpostPlays Hey AJAX! Just here to THANK you for the Know How. After 30 mins of wasting $$$ and 50 switches I gave up and went to Steam where your video was recommended. Thanks! You got my sub, for when I start playing City Skylines...
Ajaxpost, you position your mouse cursor on the blue boxes to choose placement of elements on the stations, docks, etc. Then you won't be fighting to get them to pop into place. This is especially useful on docks, as instead of blue boxes you have blue or red triangles, which indicates which way the dock will point. Red of course indicating that position is not doable.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to comment. You're absolutely right about using the blue symbols to place the new modules - it's amazing how often I am able to miss the obvious! I have since learned this so I spend much less time waving platforms around in the air in my Lets Play series! :)
Are you able to deliver construction materials to the cargo station and then have trucks take them to an end user? Or one line has to bring raw materials all the way to consumer?
Hi. Yes, you most definitely can have cargo transferred from one route to another. In this case you just need to make sure that your road station is within reach of the train station the ConMat arrives at. Either place down the road station (NOT the simple roadside cargo stop, that's only for deliveries) attached to the station buildings (the blue connectors show the two buildings are linked) or on a nearby road that also connects to the train station. The key is that when you click on one building (like the truck station) the other (the rail station) is highlighted. If they highlight each other then goods (or passengers) will transfer between them.
¡Gracias! 😊 Estoy muy feliz de saber que se puede entender en otro idioma. (¡traducido por Google! 😏) [Thank you! I am very happy to know that it could be understood in another language. (translated by Google!)]
Hi, thanks for commenting. However, I believe you are wrong. I reconfigured Bilbao station so that there was just one passenger and one cargo platform length and increased the length of the train to three passenger wagons and four stake cars so it was at least twice as long as the individual platform lengths. It was still able to load and unload both people and freight. :)
@@AjaxpostPlays I've got a bunch of these set up and there is definitely some sort of limitation that creates a path not found issue related to train length and which of the two stations it stops at first. In one case it did not work if train stopped at passenger station first and cargo station second, but it did work if I simply switched it so it stopped first at cargo, then at passenger. I haven't done enough experimenting to nail down exactly what's happening. Thanks again!!
@@MattFoxCA Ahh, interesting. Do you have a switch, a signal or any kind of junction that the train might be too long for? Other than that the only problem I've seen is where you're trying to use platforms on either side of the same length of track. Good luck with your investigation.
Absolutely. We were so exciting to have the ability to have mixed cargo and freight stations but actually having mixed trains is actually needed much. Probably most useful in the early game to save money or, as you say, for small routes to remote places on the map.
Would this work with a single track station? (ex. using a single line passenger station, but adding additional cargo platforms as you did or does it require the initial station to have 2 rail lines as in your example)
Hi, no, good spot, it'll work fine with just one track. As the examples show as long as you place the two types of platform along the same side of the track (preferably not intermixing them!) it will create both a passenger and cargo station where you only need to ensure that the line calls at each as required. I don't recommend it but It is also _possible_ to put the platforms on either side of the track. In this case, if you want to use a single line using at both platforms the station will still need to be quite long and you'll probably need a length of ordinary track separating the lengths of station track so that a train on can travel _between_ the two station platforms. I think I do something like that in my more detailed tutorial and worked example videos - th-cam.com/video/zWldtShcnKA/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/AH4qoIavRlI/w-d-xo.html
I wish there was a way to change the code of platforms, so you can make a station like this from the same type of platforms. Because a station that has the same type of platforms but different fuctions (aka passengers and cargo) looks more beautifull then two different platforms in one station...But I don't know much about coding.
Yes, it would look better if we could use the same platform style for both passengers and cargo. There are _lots_ of station mods on the workshop but mostly just for passengers. I don't know anything about modding either but I would think it should be possible to use the same basic look for both uses but I guess the fact that cargo platforms are twice the width of passenger platforms makes it that much more complex...? Maybe some generous modder will come up with a solution, or maybe it'll be possible in Transport Fever 3... 🤞
Can I use the same train to transport crude oil to a refinery then pick up the refined oil there and bring it forth to a fuel refinery? Doesnt seem to work for me :/
Hi, yes, it _should_ work but bear in mind that there will be a delay between delivering the crude and production of the refined oil. In fact, I did exactly that in my Lets Play series - th-cam.com/video/FuKffrTZ8mE/w-d-xo.html There may be an issue if there is no demand for fuel but I think the refinery should still accept some quantity of refined oil. I think all the wagons that carry crude will also carry refined, but it's always worth checking. Check that you don't have any specific load/unload instructions for the stations on the route that would prevent the transfer of the cargo.
@@AjaxpostPlays thx for the very quick answer! I managed to do it, but its a bit wonky, refined oil production seems more efficient if I use two separate lines.
@@gellertn You're most welcome, just lucky that I was checking comments at the time. 😊 Glad to hear that you have got production working now. If I remember right, it takes 2 crude oil to make 1 refined oil, so that will always be a slower part of the whole industry chain, so that might be what you're experiencing... 🤔
Damm, i'm really stuck, by default my stations comes with all platforms just passenger or just cargo , i don't know know to change it also the dozer , how to change the settings? It throws all station instead just the platform
Hi, yes you can only place a passenger OR cargo station to start with. Then exit the rail build mode and click on your new station which will show you its name etc and click the "Configure" button which will allow you to add any other type of platform, building, or track. You'll also see a new bulldozer icon which you use to remove individual parts of the station. Hope that helps.
It sucks though that you cannot have a singel track with passengers on one side and cargoplattform on the other. The train will not understand how to go to the cargo plattform right next to it. I needs to got through and turn in that case to make it work. Its a minor issue in the game, but it would really have been nice if they fixed it so it would work.
Hi, it would be great if you could specify exactly what 'cargo' you wanted to drop at each stop and even use both sides of the track. Although I put the platforms for the route in this video on the same side you _could_ sort of do it with the platforms on either side of a single track but, I think, you would need to separate the platforms or put a length of ordinary track in between the two 'stations', like: ------PPPPP TTTSSTSS ------FFFFF Where P = Passenger platform, F = Freight platform, S = Station Track, and T = Ordinary track. So you'd have 2 passenger and 2 freight platforms and you could route your train to go from Passenger platform 1 and then move to Freight platform 2 - just as I've done in the video. Problem is that as you get longer trains the stations will need to be VERY long indeed!
Aah... that's how it's done. I tried it with a single track station with a passenger platform on one side and a cargo platform on the other, and it didn't work. After having figured out mixed consists ships on my own, I suspected that trains also work with two stops, but it's nice to have it confirmed.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to comment. There are several ways of organising mixed stations but once you've seen the basic requirements you're free to get creative. :)
Very useful as a new player to TF2, fighting with stations! Quick Question. You connected up passenger platfroms with an underpass. What happens for 2 cargo platforms? How do you ensure that both platforms are accesssible?
Hi, thank you. 😊 Yes, the modular stations open up a lot of possibilities but there are 'rules' which aren't obvious. No _quite_ sure what you mean by 'accessible' but if you're thinking about how cargo can move from one platform to another (e.g. wood comes in on one platform and some/all is taken out from another platform) then you don't have to worry. Underpasses are _not_ actually necessary, as long as the platforms are all within the same station (or two stations are linked by street access) then cargo will 'automatically' move to any platform that serves a route that wants it. If that's not what you're thinking about, do let me know. I'd also recommend checking out another video I've created which is a more detailed tutorial where I show off more of what I've learnt: th-cam.com/video/zWldtShcnKA/w-d-xo.html and then, for some worked examples of the types of station you can create in Transport Fever 2, there's my 'Inspirational Tutorial' on Modular Stations: th-cam.com/video/AH4qoIavRlI/w-d-xo.html
@@AjaxpostPlays Thanks. Your interpretation of my question was correct. Cargo should be able to appear on any platform. The first mixed station I put together was doing odd things. I suspect there are a few quirks of the game which causes issues if stations/lines are modded after initial setup. But once you get to know the joining lines etc which show connections, it becomes easier to work out the issues. I’ll take a look at your later video. Thanks for the link.
Excellent. Yes, unless you are very specific in laying out your routes and what cargo they can carry where the game can make some unexpected choices. Though, in my experience, they may be unintended but are usually profitable. 😎
@@AjaxpostPlays You were pronouncing it almost right. Change the way you pronounce the "e" in the benalmád-e-na part and say it like you would say the "e" in "Am-e-rica" Then stress the "ma" from Benal-má-dena and you are set. Saying it like a local.
Ah, sorry to hear that. It is possible that I assumed some existing knowledge of the core mechanics of the game but if there is anything specific I can (hopefully) explain more clearly please do let me know. I have updated the description on this video to include links to my detailed tutorials on modular stations - a detailed tutorial at th-cam.com/video/zWldtShcnKA/w-d-xo.html and some more worked examples of station designs at th-cam.com/video/AH4qoIavRlI/w-d-xo.html
Ajaxpost Plays sorry my comment have been slightly rude, it wasn’t intended. I am just starting playing and I am struggling but this is the beautiness of this game. Do you know if to exchange cargo between trucks and trains both a cargo train station and an adjacent cargo truck station are mandatorily needed ? Thx !
@@markfosseth8047 Don't worry, no offence taken. When trying to explain something you've spent a lot of time with it is very easy to assume a certain level of knowledge and I'm quite happy to accept that I may not have got it right for everyone. Anyway, to answer your question, yes, as far as I have seen you will need a cargo train station to receive the freight so that it can be transferred to a cargo truck station. They don't have to be physically connected just within range of each other (when you click on one the other one also lights up) - but I think it looks better if they are linked to each other. However, and to be honest I have properly tested this myself, I believe that if a passenger stop (train, road, etc.) is within reach of the commercial or industrial area then it will accept cargo for that area but it will not transfer to any other line. So, in this example if the station was closer to the industrial area then I _think_ I could deliver the ConMat to the passenger platform and would not need to add the cargo station modules. Oh, and great to hear that you're enjoying the game. I remember giving up on the early one because I could not make sense of it, but once I learnt how it worked I loved it. 😊
I've watched this video 3 times in the past couple years b/c I play the game for a while, then there's a long break where I forget half the stuff. But the really sad thing is that I've only just realized I never gave this video the Like it so deserves. How very remiss...but all is now remedied. Thank you so much for your tutorial videos. :-)
I know your pain; have similar problems when I go back to a game after a time away so thank you, it is very kind of you to say. 😊
Thank you very much for this explanation of how mixed consist trains and stations work. It has certainly taught me a lot, and it is amazing that you can do things like this in TF2. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities, but I just wish, and hope that at some point in the near future, we get curved stations. That would be absolutely awesome.
Thank you, very kind of you to say.
I absolutely agree with you that curved stations just *have* to be in the game. I don't know how reliable the information is but there has been the odd comment on the forums that it is in development but just wasn't ready for release.
@@AjaxpostPlays Oh! I really hope that information is correct, because it will certainly be very welcome, and I don't even mind waiting for a while. Thanks for letting me know.
13:12 Acctually it does. Thats what the MIN time set is used for.
eg. Train 1 stops on Platform 2 for min 120 seconds, then train 2 comes and stops on platform 3 for only 60 seconds but leaves before 90 seconds. then train 1 once its reached its 120 secondsof minimum time it can freely get out.
Hi, thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment.
Well, that is quite a novel and interesting way of using wait times which, I imagine, _could_ be used to simulate a type of timetabling.
However, I would be suspicious that more complex routes with a variety of loading rates and distances to travel would make such an arrangement difficult to manage on any sort of scale. That said, I have no doubt that certain types of players who relish the detailing and micro-management possibilities of these games would really enjoy that challenge.
thank you for saying they are 2 different stations. This is not well explained very well anywhere and its useful thank you so much
Thank you for letting me know that I've been able to help.
I'm only showing a very basic setup but once you get the the basics you're free to get creative and build all sorts of mixed use stations. :)
Yeah, good point. I was trying to set up something like this in the final tutorial mission, b/c I saw that one station the game had made for me WAS a mixed station...but I couldn't figure out how to duplicate it, so ended up making a separate cargo station on a siding.
@@AjaxpostPlays Hey AJAX!
Just here to THANK you for the Know How. After 30 mins of wasting $$$ and 50 switches I gave up and went to Steam where your video was recommended.
Thanks! You got my sub, for when I start playing City Skylines...
@@900108Chale Thank you! That is very kind of you to say. 😊
I hope you enjoy the other videos too.
@@AjaxpostPlays Cheers mate!
I am advancing on TF 2. So I will be suing your videos as a reference.
Keep on gaming! You're gooood man.
Ajaxpost, you position your mouse cursor on the blue boxes to choose placement of elements on the stations, docks, etc. Then you won't be fighting to get them to pop into place. This is especially useful on docks, as instead of blue boxes you have blue or red triangles, which indicates which way the dock will point. Red of course indicating that position is not doable.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to comment.
You're absolutely right about using the blue symbols to place the new modules - it's amazing how often I am able to miss the obvious! I have since learned this so I spend much less time waving platforms around in the air in my Lets Play series! :)
Your amazing! exactly what i was seeking
Thank you! 😊
I'm delighted to hear that I've helped.
Are you able to deliver construction materials to the cargo station and then have trucks take them to an end user? Or one line has to bring raw materials all the way to consumer?
Hi. Yes, you most definitely can have cargo transferred from one route to another.
In this case you just need to make sure that your road station is within reach of the train station the ConMat arrives at. Either place down the road station (NOT the simple roadside cargo stop, that's only for deliveries) attached to the station buildings (the blue connectors show the two buildings are linked) or on a nearby road that also connects to the train station.
The key is that when you click on one building (like the truck station) the other (the rail station) is highlighted. If they highlight each other then goods (or passengers) will transfer between them.
No hay problema Yo si te comprendí en tu tutorial buen trabajo!!
¡Gracias! 😊
Estoy muy feliz de saber que se puede entender en otro idioma. (¡traducido por Google! 😏)
[Thank you! I am very happy to know that it could be understood in another language. (translated by Google!)]
@@AjaxpostPlays me gustan tus videos
@@BYSAMUELJUGO Gracias, es amable de su parte decir (¡traducido por Google!)
Great video, one important thing missing, which is the train cannot be longer than the station for the mixed consist trick to work.
Hi, thanks for commenting. However, I believe you are wrong. I reconfigured Bilbao station so that there was just one passenger and one cargo platform length and increased the length of the train to three passenger wagons and four stake cars so it was at least twice as long as the individual platform lengths. It was still able to load and unload both people and freight. :)
@@AjaxpostPlays I've got a bunch of these set up and there is definitely some sort of limitation that creates a path not found issue related to train length and which of the two stations it stops at first. In one case it did not work if train stopped at passenger station first and cargo station second, but it did work if I simply switched it so it stopped first at cargo, then at passenger. I haven't done enough experimenting to nail down exactly what's happening. Thanks again!!
@@MattFoxCA Ahh, interesting. Do you have a switch, a signal or any kind of junction that the train might be too long for? Other than that the only problem I've seen is where you're trying to use platforms on either side of the same length of track. Good luck with your investigation.
@@AjaxpostPlays Nothing like that. I'll double check and if I get any conclusive info update here. Thanks.
*mixed consists I recommend only for secondary and branch lines.*
Absolutely. We were so exciting to have the ability to have mixed cargo and freight stations but actually having mixed trains is actually needed much.
Probably most useful in the early game to save money or, as you say, for small routes to remote places on the map.
Thanks thats all :)
Hi, that is very kind of you to say. Thank you.
Would this work with a single track station? (ex. using a single line passenger station, but adding additional cargo platforms as you did or does it require the initial station to have 2 rail lines as in your example)
Hi, no, good spot, it'll work fine with just one track.
As the examples show as long as you place the two types of platform along the same side of the track (preferably not intermixing them!) it will create both a passenger and cargo station where you only need to ensure that the line calls at each as required.
I don't recommend it but It is also _possible_ to put the platforms on either side of the track. In this case, if you want to use a single line using at both platforms the station will still need to be quite long and you'll probably need a length of ordinary track separating the lengths of station track so that a train on can travel _between_ the two station platforms. I think I do something like that in my more detailed tutorial and worked example videos - th-cam.com/video/zWldtShcnKA/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/AH4qoIavRlI/w-d-xo.html
@@AjaxpostPlays Thanks for the quick replies.
I wish there was a way to change the code of platforms, so you can make a station like this from the same type of platforms. Because a station that has the same type of platforms but different fuctions (aka passengers and cargo) looks more beautifull then two different platforms in one station...But I don't know much about coding.
Yes, it would look better if we could use the same platform style for both passengers and cargo. There are _lots_ of station mods on the workshop but mostly just for passengers.
I don't know anything about modding either but I would think it should be possible to use the same basic look for both uses but I guess the fact that cargo platforms are twice the width of passenger platforms makes it that much more complex...?
Maybe some generous modder will come up with a solution, or maybe it'll be possible in Transport Fever 3... 🤞
Can I use the same train to transport crude oil to a refinery then pick up the refined oil there and bring it forth to a fuel refinery? Doesnt seem to work for me :/
Hi, yes, it _should_ work but bear in mind that there will be a delay between delivering the crude and production of the refined oil. In fact, I did exactly that in my Lets Play series - th-cam.com/video/FuKffrTZ8mE/w-d-xo.html
There may be an issue if there is no demand for fuel but I think the refinery should still accept some quantity of refined oil.
I think all the wagons that carry crude will also carry refined, but it's always worth checking.
Check that you don't have any specific load/unload instructions for the stations on the route that would prevent the transfer of the cargo.
@@AjaxpostPlays thx for the very quick answer! I managed to do it, but its a bit wonky, refined oil production seems more efficient if I use two separate lines.
@@gellertn You're most welcome, just lucky that I was checking comments at the time. 😊
Glad to hear that you have got production working now.
If I remember right, it takes 2 crude oil to make 1 refined oil, so that will always be a slower part of the whole industry chain, so that might be what you're experiencing... 🤔
Thanks mate!
Thank you, I hope it has been useful. :)
@@AjaxpostPlays yeah it was realy helpful man, thx! :)
Damm, i'm really stuck, by default my stations comes with all platforms just passenger or just cargo , i don't know know to change it also the dozer , how to change the settings? It throws all station instead just the platform
Hi, yes you can only place a passenger OR cargo station to start with. Then exit the rail build mode and click on your new station which will show you its name etc and click the "Configure" button which will allow you to add any other type of platform, building, or track. You'll also see a new bulldozer icon which you use to remove individual parts of the station.
Hope that helps.
@@AjaxpostPlays thanks dude!, I found it!
Awesome! Have fun with it.
It sucks though that you cannot have a singel track with passengers on one side and cargoplattform on the other.
The train will not understand how to go to the cargo plattform right next to it. I needs to got through and turn in that case to make it work.
Its a minor issue in the game, but it would really have been nice if they fixed it so it would work.
Hi, it would be great if you could specify exactly what 'cargo' you wanted to drop at each stop and even use both sides of the track.
Although I put the platforms for the route in this video on the same side you _could_ sort of do it with the platforms on either side of a single track but, I think, you would need to separate the platforms or put a length of ordinary track in between the two 'stations', like:
------PPPPP
TTTSSTSS
------FFFFF
Where P = Passenger platform, F = Freight platform, S = Station Track, and T = Ordinary track.
So you'd have 2 passenger and 2 freight platforms and you could route your train to go from Passenger platform 1 and then move to Freight platform 2 - just as I've done in the video. Problem is that as you get longer trains the stations will need to be VERY long indeed!
Aah... that's how it's done. I tried it with a single track station with a passenger platform on one side and a cargo platform on the other, and it didn't work. After having figured out mixed consists ships on my own, I suspected that trains also work with two stops, but it's nice to have it confirmed.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to comment.
There are several ways of organising mixed stations but once you've seen the basic requirements you're free to get creative. :)
Very useful as a new player to TF2, fighting with stations! Quick Question. You connected up passenger platfroms with an underpass. What happens for 2 cargo platforms? How do you ensure that both platforms are accesssible?
Hi, thank you. 😊
Yes, the modular stations open up a lot of possibilities but there are 'rules' which aren't obvious.
No _quite_ sure what you mean by 'accessible' but if you're thinking about how cargo can move from one platform to another (e.g. wood comes in on one platform and some/all is taken out from another platform) then you don't have to worry. Underpasses are _not_ actually necessary, as long as the platforms are all within the same station (or two stations are linked by street access) then cargo will 'automatically' move to any platform that serves a route that wants it.
If that's not what you're thinking about, do let me know. I'd also recommend checking out another video I've created which is a more detailed tutorial where I show off more of what I've learnt: th-cam.com/video/zWldtShcnKA/w-d-xo.html and then, for some worked examples of the types of station you can create in Transport Fever 2, there's my 'Inspirational Tutorial' on Modular Stations: th-cam.com/video/AH4qoIavRlI/w-d-xo.html
@@AjaxpostPlays Thanks. Your interpretation of my question was correct. Cargo should be able to appear on any platform. The first mixed station I put together was doing odd things. I suspect there are a few quirks of the game which causes issues if stations/lines are modded after initial setup. But once you get to know the joining lines etc which show connections, it becomes easier to work out the issues.
I’ll take a look at your later video. Thanks for the link.
Excellent. Yes, unless you are very specific in laying out your routes and what cargo they can carry where the game can make some unexpected choices. Though, in my experience, they may be unintended but are usually profitable. 😎
I'm from Benalmádena lol
Cool! I must have known! 😂
@@AjaxpostPlays You were pronouncing it almost right.
Change the way you pronounce the "e" in the benalmád-e-na part and say it like you would say the "e" in "Am-e-rica"
Then stress the "ma" from Benal-má-dena and you are set. Saying it like a local.
Sorry but the explanation is not clear because you assume too much is already known, you should have explained the concept, not the example
Ah, sorry to hear that. It is possible that I assumed some existing knowledge of the core mechanics of the game but if there is anything specific I can (hopefully) explain more clearly please do let me know.
I have updated the description on this video to include links to my detailed tutorials on modular stations - a detailed tutorial at th-cam.com/video/zWldtShcnKA/w-d-xo.html and some more worked examples of station designs at th-cam.com/video/AH4qoIavRlI/w-d-xo.html
Ajaxpost Plays sorry my comment have been slightly rude, it wasn’t intended. I am just starting playing and I am struggling but this is the beautiness of this game.
Do you know if to exchange cargo between trucks and trains both a cargo train station and an adjacent cargo truck station are mandatorily needed ? Thx !
@@markfosseth8047 Don't worry, no offence taken. When trying to explain something you've spent a lot of time with it is very easy to assume a certain level of knowledge and I'm quite happy to accept that I may not have got it right for everyone.
Anyway, to answer your question, yes, as far as I have seen you will need a cargo train station to receive the freight so that it can be transferred to a cargo truck station. They don't have to be physically connected just within range of each other (when you click on one the other one also lights up) - but I think it looks better if they are linked to each other.
However, and to be honest I have properly tested this myself, I believe that if a passenger stop (train, road, etc.) is within reach of the commercial or industrial area then it will accept cargo for that area but it will not transfer to any other line. So, in this example if the station was closer to the industrial area then I _think_ I could deliver the ConMat to the passenger platform and would not need to add the cargo station modules.
Oh, and great to hear that you're enjoying the game. I remember giving up on the early one because I could not make sense of it, but once I learnt how it worked I loved it. 😊
Ajaxpost Plays thx a lot !