Minecraft Transit Railway Mod Wiki

Minecraft Transit Railway (MTR) is a sophisticated transit simulation mod that allows players to design, build, and operate fully automated transportation networks. Inspired by real-world systems like Hong Kong's MTR, the London Underground, and the New York City Subway, the mod provides a balance between technical realism and Minecraft-style accessibility.

Version 4.0.0 represents a complete rewrite of the mod's core engine. The most significant change is the separation of vehicle simulation from the Minecraft game instance. This architectural shift allows trains to run smoothly even when chunks are unloaded and drastically reduces server-side TPS lag and client-side FPS drops. Key features of the 4.0.0 update include custom train consists, realistic bogie movement, sideways elevators, and integrated OBJ model support.

Building a railway system requires four primary components: Nodes, Connectors, Stations, and the Railway Dashboard.

1. Placement: Place two Rail Nodes at your desired start and end points.
2. Connection: Use a Rail Connector item to right-click the first node, then the second. This creates the physical track.
3. Station Setup: Place Platform Blocks along the track where you want trains to stop. Use the Railway Dashboard to define a Station area around these blocks.
4. Automation: Create a Route in the Dashboard, assign your platforms to it, and then create a Depot to spawn and manage the trains.

The mod adds a variety of specialized blocks for infrastructure and decoration.

Infrastructure Nodes

Station Components

• Platform Blocks: Required for trains to recognize a stopping point. Doors will only open if a platform block is detected.
• Platform Slabs: A half-block variant of the platform block, useful for low-floor trams or decorative depth.
• Mosaic Blocks: Decorative blocks that automatically inherit the color of the station they are placed in.
• Platform Screen Doors (PSD): Full-height glass doors that sync with train doors. Now redstone-compatible in 4.0.0.
• Automatic Platform Gates (APG): Half-height gates typically used in outdoor stations.

Utility & Decoration

• Ticket Machine: Used for economy-based systems to purchase transit credits.
• Turnstiles: Gates that require a valid ticket or credit to pass.
• Escalators: Functional moving stairs that transport players between levels.
• Announcer Block: Plays custom sounds or text-to-speech messages when a train passes. Features a configurable delay in 4.0.0.
• Railway Sign: Highly customizable signs that can display station names, exit letters, or custom icons via the Dashboard.

Items in MTR are primarily tools for configuration and construction.

Essential Tools

Rail Connectors

Connectors determine the speed and type of the track created between nodes:

• Iron Rail Connector: Standard speed (80 km/h).
• Obsidian Rail Connector: High speed (up to 300 km/h).
• Platform Rail Connector: Specifically marks a section of track as a platform.
• Siding Rail Connector: Marks a section of track as a depot siding where trains spawn.

Railway Simulation

In 4.0.0, the simulation is "tickless" relative to the Minecraft world. Trains calculate their entire pathing and timing upon deployment. This ensures that arrival times are perfectly accurate and consistent, regardless of server performance.

Signaling System

MTR uses a block signaling system. When a train occupies a section of track (a "block"), the signal behind it turns red, preventing other trains from entering. Version 4.0.0 introduces improved signal lights and better handling of speed limit transitions, where trains will decelerate in advance of a lower-speed zone.

Custom Train Consists

Unlike previous versions where a siding spawned a single train type, 4.0.0 allows for Per-Carriage Configuration. Players can mix and match different car models (e.g., an SP1900 head with M-Train middle carriages) to create unique train sets.

Vehicle Swaying

To enhance realism, vehicles now feature a swaying effect that responds to the train's speed and track curves. The intensity of this effect is fully configurable in the mod settings.

The mod features a revolutionary elevator system that is no longer restricted to vertical movement.

• Sideways/Diagonal Movement: By placing Elevator Tracks horizontally or at an angle, elevators can travel across a station or diagonally between floors.
• Configuration: Use the Elevator Refresher on an elevator track to spawn a cabin. Right-clicking the cabin with the refresher opens a menu to adjust dimensions, orientation, and visual style.
• Controls: Elevator Buttons must be linked to Elevator Floor Tracks using the Link Connector. Inside the cabin, players can press the 'Z' key to open the floor selection menu.

AI Passengers are entities that populate your transit system to provide a sense of life and activity.

• Behavior: Passengers spawn at active stations and use pathfinding to navigate to platforms. They will board arriving trains, find available seats, and exit at their designated destination station.
• Interaction: Passengers will avoid sitting in seats already occupied by players. In future updates, player performance (manual driving) will be evaluated based on passenger satisfaction and efficiency.
• Stats: Passengers are non-hostile entities. They do not have health bars or drops, as they are part of the transit simulation rather than standard Minecraft combat mechanics.

Most MTR items are crafted using standard materials like Iron, Glass, and Redstone.

Commands

• /mtr generate: Forcefully refreshes all depot paths and restarts train operations. Essential after world migration or major track changes.
• /mtr list: Displays a list of all registered stations and routes in the chat.

Configuration

The mtr_config.json file (found in the config folder) allows for fine-tuning of the mod:

• cursor_selection_distance: Adjusts how far away you can interact with nodes.
• train_sway_intensity: A multiplier for the vehicle swaying effect.
• use_vulkan_rendering: (Experimental) Enables faster rendering for high-density systems.